Stars name a new assistant coach.

The Dallas Stars have named Charlie Huddy as Marc Crawford’s new assistant coach. I really should know more about him, considering the fact that I was kind of an Oilers-blog groupie for a while. I do recognize the name, but I don’t know how Oilers fans felt about him.

If what Mike Heika thinks is true (and it usually is), he’ll do well developing our d-kids.

I honestly think he has one of the most important jobs in the organization in the next two or three years, as he will have a direct hand in developing youngsters like Matt Niskanen, Nicklas Grossman, Mark Fistric, Ivan Vishnevskiy and maybe even Philip Larsen.

If what I’m hearing is the case, he’ll be joining Marc Crawford in changing the mood to more skating and more offense. He has the players to do it. Even a kid like Fistric, who’s mostly a stay-at-home defenseman, can skate and move the puck well. If we’re about to see Daley finally get to kick off the reins and be the offensive guy we all thought he’d be, I’m all for that. If Matt Niskanen can keep up his improvement after, really, only 3/4 of a sophomore slump, we’ll be in pretty good shape.

I’m still not all in on Marc Crawford, though. Mark at Andrew’s Dallas Stars Page talked to Crawford today, and in describing how well Huddy will fit with the coaching staff, Crawford described himself this way:

…my strengths are a little more towards the passion side and the communication side.

I admit I’ve only seen him on the opposite bench all these years, but from what I have seen, I would guess that by “passion side” he means freaking out, and by “communication side” he means yelling.

He’s not really my kind of leader, based on what I can see of his temperament from afar, but there’s nothing to be done but wait and see. Maybe he’s calmed down. Maybe he’s gained an appreciation for the development of young stars and won’t just shove random kids into his doghouse and only let them out when they’re traded.

I’ll give him a chance, even though I still think Tippett shouldn’t have been fired. Especially in favor of Crawford. I’ll keep a relatively open mind and see what he brings, but if he screws up any of my d-kids, or Fabian or Loui or Neal, I’m not going to take it kindly.

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