Forward Chris Mueller Recalled to Dallas, Likely Precautionary Move

Chris Mueller (Credit: Christina Shapiro/Texas Stars)

The Dallas Stars have recalled center Chris Mueller to the NHL, sending him to Columbus for tonight's game against the Blue Jackets. If you didn't watch last night's game, Cody Eakin took a stick to the face on the follow-through of a Sabres shot. He went to the locker room but came back to the game later. Dallas only has 12 forwards without Mueller so this is likely a precautionary move.

Mueller is 8th in the league in points at 52, a solid presence on the Stars' second line. Texas will have to shift a center up to that line to compensate. There aren't a lot of remaining natural centers here. It's unlikely Texas will break up the line of Hedden-Dowling-Ritchie so either Dustin Jeffrey or Taylor Peters slides up to play on the second line between Glennie and Ranford.

The travel scheduled for Mueller will have been pretty bad over the past two days. The team traveled from Austin to Abbotsford, which usually takes the club to Seattle by plane then from there to Abbotsford by bus. Then Mueller has to head to either Vancouver or back to Seattle today to make it to Columbus by 7 PM Eastern tonight.

Here's the release:

The Texas Stars, proud American Hockey League affiliate of the Dallas Stars, announced that Dallas has recalled center Chris Mueller from loan with Texas.

Mueller, 27, has appeared in one game for Dallas this season recording one shot and winning five out of six faceoffs (83.3%). He is fourth on Texas and is tied for eighth in the AHL with 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists) in 56 games played. Mueller is tied for the league lead with 14 power play goals and is tied for fifth in the AHL in goals. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound native of West Seneca, New York was signed by Dallas as a free agent on July 8, 2013.