Stars' HC Ruff makes changes on the blue line: Jyrki Jokipakka in, Jordie Benn out
Lindy Ruff is shaking up his blue line in an attempt to put the Stars on a better course.
With his club stuck in the basement of the Central Division, the Dallas head coach appears set to insert rookie Jyrki Jokipakka into the lineup in lieu of Jordie Benn for Thursday's game against the Arizona Coyotes.
Jokipakka - a seventh-round pick at the 2011 Draft - will be playing in his fourth game at the NHL level after scoring five goals and adding 16 assists in 68 games for the AHL's Texas Stars last season. Ruff likes his game and what he saw from the 22-year-old during training camp.
“[I liked] his defending, overall,” Ruff told the team's website. “He’s played against some pretty good lines, and his defending through those games and in the preseason was good."
Ruff's decision to bench Jordie Benn was reflective of his assessment of the team's defense as a whole: "I think he’s had some good games and maybe had some tough ones, but you can say that for a lot of our defensemen.”
The Stars have a 26th ranked goal differential of minus-14, and will need to make positive strides and quick if they have any hope of climbing back into playoff contention.
Whether Jokipakka is the answer or general manager Jim Nill has a trick up his sleeve remains to be seen.