Jerome Miron – USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Stars have somehow managed to stay in playoff contention after trading away three of their veteran forwards before the trade deadline, and one of the main reasons they have continued to thrive is the depth and skill of their young forwards. Antoine Roussel is one of the young players that continues to impress for the Stars, making the most of an extended chance that he might not have gotten in any other season.
Roussel’s numbers aren’t mind-blowing, but they’re pretty impressive for a player who went undrafted and was snatched up by the Stars as a free agent in the offseason. He has scored six goals and collected 13 points this season, after joining the Stars in early February. Roussel scored in his first game and finished off February with three goals and seven points. He has cooled off offensively since then, but did manage the Stars’ only goal in a loss to the St. Louis Blues on Friday. His ice time has increased as the season has progressed, and despite being with the Stars for only 35 games, he leads the team with 85 penalty minutes. Roussel has also shown a willingness to fight some of the more respected players in the game, like Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators and Jarome Iginla, then of the Calgary Flames.
During the lockout, Roussel played in the AHL for the Texas Stars, scoring eight goals and adding 11 assists in 43 games. He has now almost matched those totals at the highest level, and the Stars can consider themselves fortunate that the lockout-shortened season provided them with a chance to see what the young forward can bring to their lineup in future seasons.
Jonathan Katje is an NHL senior writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your circles on Google Plus.
