It came as no big shock when the Dallas Stars traded Devin Shore to the Anaheim Ducks for Andrew Cogliano. The Stars were stuck in a rough place and needed to make a change in order to get results.
After a small morning period for Devin Shore, a fan favorite and important guy in the locker room, Andrew Cogliano has quickly become a vital part of the Stars turn around this season.
Andrew Cogliano was traded to the Stars on January 14th. He had a stellar record with 866 games, with 830-consecutive games, the 4th longest consecutive game streak in NHL history. In his career, Cogliano had collected 160 goals and 379 points. He was a veteran that added hockey knowledge and reliability to a room of young players.
In his time with the Stars, Cogliano has collected 1 goal and 3 points in his 17 games with the Stars, with a -2 rating. What Cogliano lacks in goal scoring, he makes up for in aggression and hits.
With the loss of Antoine Roussel this off-season and the injury of Marc Methot and Stephen Johns, the Stars have been lacking the aggression and force the team once brought. With adding Cogliano, the Stars also brought that deadly determination with 205 lbs of direct force. Cogliano embodies the attitude the Stars were lacking in the locker room: ruthless, determined, and unrelenting. He’s unwilling to give up and not to mention he’s durable. Cogliano has played in 929 games in his 12 seasons and he’s missing his first game in his career due to an injury against the LA Kings.
The injury was sustained following a hit from Ryan Reeves of the Vegas Golden Knights but was luckily not a concussion. The upper body injury was said to be “significant enough that he doesn’t have strength in the injured part to play [against LA]”, according to Sean Shapiro on Twitter. He’s not letting this injury keep him sidelined for long. Cogliano is projected to return to the lineup come as soon as Tuesday, March 5th against the New York Rangers.
With the Stars fighting for the last few points they need in a tight wild card race, having a player like Andrew Cogliano is what can make or break this team. He’s a veteran that teaches by example, with big hits at the right time to help boost his team to victory.
Featured Image: Brandon Wade / Associated Press
