In an ongoing off-season effort to bolster the team's two-way capabilities with Ken Hitchcock coming aboard as head coach, the Dallas Star signed unrestricted free agent veteran center Martin Hanzal to a three-year contract with a $4.75 million cap hit.
Hitchcock plans to deploy the 30-year-old Hazal in much the same fashion as he used Michal Handzus during their time together in Philadelphia: as an all-situations forward whom he could match up against top opposing lines but also dole out secondary power play time.
At the 2017, trade deadline, the Minnesota Wild acquired the impending unrestricted free agent plus veteran agitating role player Ryan White in exchange for first-round, second-round and a conditional fourth-round pick. Hanzal chipped in 13 points in 20 games down the stretch but had a so-so playoff series in a first-round loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Overall, in 628 NHL regular season games to date, the hulking (6-foot-6, 226-pound) Czech has recorded 121 goals, 326 points and 547 penalty minutes. He has added five goals and 13 points in 28 playoff games. He has had two 40-plus point seasons to date in the NHL.
Dallas Stars Blogger • 
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