Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Stars have made some pretty impressive changes to their organization as a whole this summer. They’ve experienced an overhaul in the front office, a change behind the bench, and have made some pretty significant changes to the team that will take the ice in 2013-14.
One of the more intriguing situations surrounds a position that didn’t see significant changes this summer, which is between the pipes. Kari Lehtonen enters the season as the starter once again, and the Stars’ playoff hopes could heavily hinge on what he does. Dan Ellis was brought in to be his no. 2.
The guy to watch here, though, is going to be Jack Campbell, who will hit the ice as a member of the Texas Stars in the AHL. It feels like he’s been something of a forgotten man in the last couple of seasons. Last year was his first full professional season, and the results were quite good.
He appeared in 40 games for the Texas Stars in 2013-14, serving primarily as a backup. His numbers on the year were solid, with a 2.65 goals against average and a .905 save percentage. What is particularly encouraging is the fact that he got better as the year went on, and as he assumed a larger role in the spring.
Campbell is an aggressive netminder who is strong with the glove and moves well in the crease. He projects as a starter down the line. But is he still considered the goaltender of the future for the Stars? From what Jim Nill says, that’s probably the case, despite the fact that he’ll head into 2013-14 without a starting job as a guarantee.
In the new season, Campbell will battle for the starting gig in his second full pro season. That competition could force him to reach a higher level, and he could even see a bit of time up with the Stars at some point, if Lehtonen goes down with an injury, or Ellis proves an ineffective signing.
Campbell is still the guy for the future for the Stars. He’s still developing, and is coming along quite well. We could see him within the next couple years, but there’s no doubt that he’s one to watch for the future, which is already a bright one for the Dallas Stars organization.
