Ty Dellandrea is eager to showcase that his offseason work paid off.
DALLAS - Even though the Stars suffered a disappointing playoff exit this past summer, forward Ty Dellandrea headed into the offseason with some positives to build on.
Case in point was his memorable two-goal performance in the must-win Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights.
He also registered nine goals and 28 points in 82 games in his first full NHL season.
Dallas’ first-round selection in 2018 (13th overall) reflected on the campaign following Wednesday’s practice at Comerica Center, explaining that he paid particular attention to improving several key areas of his game to hopefully take another step.
“There was a lot [the coaches told me to work on during the exit meetings], like being more poised with the puck and making plays. As the year went on, the game was able to slow down a bit for me. Then, trying not to run around at full pace all the time. There’s a time to take it a bit slower and make a play, so that was something I focused on,” explained Dellandrea. “And then other stuff like faceoffs and getting stronger, a lot of stuff that you go into every summer trying to get better at.”
Speaking of faceoffs, Dellandrea should assume more responsibilities in that department after Luke Glendening joined the Lightning as a free agent on July 1.
The Port Perry, ON native was asked about becoming more efficient at winning key draws in short-handed situations. Dellandrea was the club’s most-utilized forward on the penalty-kill in 2022-23. Only defensemen Esa Lindell and Jani Hakanpää were featured more often under those circumstances by head coach Pete DeBoer.
“They’re putting out their best centermen to win that power play draw, so you’ve got to be on it. I learned a lot from Luke, I’ve been learning a lot from Pav [Joe Pavelski] and working with Rich Peverley,” said Dellandrea. “That’s something I’m trying to add in my game and elevate so I can take those draws.”
Ty Dellandrea skating at Climate Pledge Arena against the Kraken in March.Given the extensive forward depth at training camp, the Stars’ No. 10 knows the importance of standing out.
His approach is simple and straightforward.
“Just try to stay level-headed, focus on what I’m good at, and try to show that I can play a role. I can also score, too, so I just want to play my game,” mentioned Dellandrea. “I’m just trying to focus on the things I do well.”
The fact that he’s comfortable with DeBoer’s program at this point, though, should help his cause.
Familiarity is a huge advantage when you’re trying to make your mark.
“It’s definitely more seamless. You feel like you know more of the systems and it’s kind of automatic. You’re not thinking as much as I was at the last camp, things like ‘I need to be here, I need to be there.’ It’s kind of ingrained from doing it for a year,” said Dellandrea. “It’s been a lot easier in that department in terms of just playing. You just already know what’s going to happen.”