Texa Stars and all other Dallas Stars Prospect discussions

[pilldoc]

All discussion regarding the Dallas Stars and their prospects go here please.

Edited May 27, 2018 by pilldoc

[OccamsRazor]

What it's all about...

 

 

[Otter]

It is obvious to see that Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson are young stars of this team. There are also players like Mavrik Bourque and Wyatt Johnson who are on the horizon who are going to easily help this club very soon. 

[Math]

I don't recall exactly when (probably one of two weeks ago) but Stars' prospects Johnson, Stankoven and Bourque were at some point scoring leaders in their respective canadian junior league, WHL, OHL and LHJMQ. And let's not forget Stranges who's having a very good season with the Knights.

 

Let's hope the Stars don't get another coach to turn them into 4th-line grinders... 

 

 

[Math]

Update:

 

Stankoven is leading the WHL with 25 pts in 12 playoff games (three hatties)

Johnson is leading the OHL with 27 pts in 12 playoff games

Bourque is 4th in the LHJMQ with 12 pts in 6 playoff games

 

[Brewin Flames]

‘He’s like a pitbull.’ Inside Logan Stankoven’s rise to elite Dallas Stars prospect

 

Stankoven fell to the second round of the 2021 Draft because of his small stature, but he already looks like a steal.

ByColton Davies

Published -

November 13, 2022

Sep 26, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Logan Stankoven (57) in action during the game between the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sp

KAMLOOPS – In the blue-collar city of Kamloops, B.C., toils Dallas Stars prospect and Kamloops Blazers captain Logan Stankoven. He grew up there and watched alumni like Brendan Ranford, Colin Smith, and Washington Capitals prospect Garrett Pilon dominate the Blazers scene for years. Now, the local product is captain of his hometown WHL club, which just so happens to be hosting the 2023 Memorial Cup, the most prestigious tournament in major-junior hockey. 

 

The Blazers are filled with a rich history of winning at the highest level of competition in junior hockey. A couple of their championship alumni include Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer and two-time Stanley Cup champion Darryl Sydor. Their 1995 Memorial Cup championship team is considered to be one of the greatest junior hockey rosters ever assembled. It included Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, as well as Shane Doan, Tyson Nash, Jason Strudwick, Brad Lukowich, Nolan Baumgartner, and Darcy Tucker. These are just some of the players who are legends in the city of Kamloops. Stankoven looks to etch his name into history right next to them. 

A few of his accolades include an Under-18 World Junior Championship gold medal, a 2022 World Juniors gold medal, the WHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player, and of course, the 2021-22 WHL and CHL Player of the Year awards after registering 104 points (45 goals, 59 assists) in 59 games. He also put up a staggering 31 points in 17 playoff games, Stankoven was the WHL’s playoff point leader despite the Blazers being eliminated in the Western Conference Final. Stankoven is well on the right path to becoming the next breakout prospect in the NHL.

 

 

The Stars selected Stankoven in the second round, 47th overall, in the 2021 NHL Draft. Despite many scouting services projecting him to be selected in the first round, he ultimately fell. During every draft, it is inevitable that a player will fall and years later we scratch our heads asking, “How did he not get drafted sooner?” Well, that player right now seems to be Stankoven.

 

I spoke to the Stars director of amateur scouting Joe McDonnell, about Stankoven’s game, how the Stars got lucky drafting him, and where he sits in the Stars’ system. Here’s our conversation:

Colton Davies: What were a few traits that Logan possessed that made you and the scouting team take a closer look at him prior to the 2021 NHL Draft?

Joe McDonnell: Well, obviously the skillset was there, his heart and desire were things that you loved to see. The stature of Logan was always the question mark, so when you see someone who has his height, you have concerns right off the bat, but then when you dig into it, you look at him, and you watch him, you see the compete level. He competes just like a pitbull, at that size you have to have something that stands out and he had two things that made him stand out and one was elite skill level, and the compete level. You get past the size factor and that’s where we saw him. You know, we had him rated in our first round and had him right with the other kid we took which was Wyatt Johnston. Both of them were right there, so obviously we loved Logan and he’s a great prospect for us.

Colton Davies: Were you shocked then when you had the chance to select him at pick 47?

 

 

Joe McDonnell: Yeah! You know, it was one of those things, you got your list in order and there are other kids that we are watching and looking at on our list and stuff, so Logan was very close with Johnston in our rankings. Logan was at the top of our list of who we wanted to select if we had the chance in that second round and lo and behold he was sitting there. It was awesome, we were totally excited to see him when he did fall to that range. 

Colton Davies: If you could compare Stankoven’s game to another NHL player, who would it be?

Joe McDonnell: Alex DeBrincat. I think he can score like that but I think in the end he’s a better skater, so really it’s like he’s his own kind of player. You can always compare him to a smaller guy because he is a smaller guy but, he has a bit of a package of all those smaller players. The one thing, DeBrincat had this too, it’s the compete level, shift in and shift out Logan gets there and it’s pretty impressive. 

Colton Davies: Following Logan’s NHL pre-season debut, what would you say was most impressive about his game?

Joe McDonnell: Comfortability. I think he’s going to fit in wherever he goes, he’s going to find a way to excel and fit right in. 

Colton Davies: Going forward with his development, is he still projected as a winger or will he swap between center and wing due to his strong faceoff ability?

 

 

Joe McDonnell: It really all depends on what we have in the system at that time. We project him as an either-or type thing which is awesome for him. He’s got great versatility and when you can play those positions and perform them both at a high level, the coaches love that. So, it’s going to be a matter of what happens at that time. 

Needless, say the Stars themselves have a future star, no pun intended. Stankoven’s compete level is off the charts and is no joke. Daily Faceoff’s prospect analyst Steven Ellis ranked Stankoven 30th among NHL Affiliated Prospects heading into the 2022-23 season. In the Stars’ prospect pipeline, he finds himself near the top, alongside fellow 2021 draft pick and current NHL rookie Johnston. The fact that the Stars were able to walk out of the draft with both of those players is remarkable. Johnston was the runner-up in last year’s CHL Player of the Year race.

 

While Stankoven impressed during training camp and found himself in a handful of NHL pre-season games, he was ultimately sent back to Kamloops, where he has been lighting it up. Stankoven has registered a staggering 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 10 games to start the year on a Blazers team that’s struggling. The Blazers are fully capable of getting the wheels back on track and heading in the right direction. Their roster currently boasts an additional five NHL draft picks alongside Stankoven which include; Toronto Maple Leafs 38th overall pick Fraser Minten, New York Islanders prospect Daylan Kuefler, a pair of Minnesota Wild picks in Caedan Bankier and Kyle Masters, and Dallas Stars draft pick Matthew Seminoff. With the WHL trade deadline just a couple of months away, prepare for the Memorial Cup hosts to bring in some extra assets. 

 

I also spoke to Stankoven one-on-one for an exclusive interview with Daily Faceoff. We chatted about his play style, the upcoming Memorial Cup, his time at the Dallas Stars camp, and what it was like getting five pre-season games in. Here’s our conversation: 

 

Colton Davies: What was it like to get a few pre-season games in with the Dallas Stars and play on a line with the likes of Tyler Seguin and Jacob Peterson?

Logan Stankoven: It was a great experience getting into five pre-season games and playing with some of the vets like Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Even going up against the likes of Kirill Kaprizov, Nathan MacKinnon, and Cale Makar – it’s a real eye-opener to see just how good those guys really are and you can tell they’re some of the best players in the NHL for a reason. 

 

Colton Davies: You always seem to be a couple of extra moves ahead of everyone else on the ice. How do you approach the mental side of your hockey game? Do you do any visualization?

Logan Stankoven: I think being a student of the game and always watching hockey in my free time has definitely benefited the way I think about the game, especially from a young age. You can learn so much from watching games on TV or even video clips of yourself to see what areas of the game you can improve upon or implement new moves.

Colton Davies: Let’s talk about Minnesota Wild prospect Kyle Masters. When the Blazers dealt Mats Lindgren to the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for him this summer it was a shock to fans and I’m sure players as well. What did you know about his game before he joined the Blazers?

Logan Stankoven: Yeah obviously you never want to lose a teammate, especially of Lindgren’s caliber but getting Masters back in return has been such a great addition to our team. I knew Kyle (Masters) a bit from playing with him at the U17 World Championship and he’s obviously really talented but an even better guy off the ice. 

 

 

Colton Davies: With the Blazers hosting the 2023 Memorial Cup have you had any discussion at all with management about potential moves? Or, as captain, do you feel comfortable with the current squad?

Logan Stankoven: It’s a special year with hosting the Memorial Cup and lots of pressure on our team to make moves but it’s still early in the season and we players are just focusing on becoming the best players we can be to help our team win games and we’ll leave the trade talk up to the coaching staff. 

Colton Davies: Who are your favorite and toughest players to play against in the WHL currently?

Logan Stankoven: I don’t have any favorite players to play against but some of the toughest players to play against over my career in the WHL so far would be Tyrell Bauer, Gannon Laroque, and Ty Smith.

 

 

Colton Davies: You’re in your second season as captain of the Blazers. Some players intensely run their locker room, while others will let their play style demonstrate their leadership tactics. How would you describe your leadership style? 

Logan Stankoven: In my opinion, everyone can lead by example in different ways doesn’t matter if you have a letter on your jersey or not. I’m not the loudest guy in the dressing room so I try and let my work ethic speak for itself. I think every guy on the team brings a piece to the puzzle so I treat every guy with respect no matter their status or age cause it’s important to have everybody on board pushing for the same cause. 

 

Colton Davies: Let’s end on something fun. What type of music are you listening to pre-game? And, if you had to choose a shootout song, what would it be? 

Logan Stankoven: I usually listen to whatever our team plays on the speaker in our room but I like to listen to a mix of genres such as rock, rap, and EDM. One of my go-to songs would be Memories by David Guetta.

Stankoven is a true leader. His play style and determination to get better every day are testaments to that. He is also a player who can have an entire arena hyperfocused on what he is going to do next with or without the puck. In a day and age where small players are still being scrutinized for their height, players like DeBrincat, Johnny Gaudreau, Cole Caufield, and Logan Stankoven are defying the odds, and proving height truly doesn’t matter in the game today. 

[Brewin Flames]

Dallas Stars are No. 16 in 2023 NHL prospect pool rankings

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By Scott Wheeler

Jan 25, 2023

44

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Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2023 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes in-depth evaluations and commentary from sources on nearly 500 prospects, runs from Jan. 9 to Feb. 8.

Even after graduating Wyatt Johnston, Ty Dellandrea and Jake Oettinger to the NHL, the Stars’ pool remains fairly strong, supported by a pair of top prospects at forward, a trio of solid prospects on defense, and good depth at wing throughout.

And while their list is now one of the only in this year’s countdown without a goaltender on it, and their pool as a whole is as deep in quantity as it is in quality, this modest slide from fringes of the top 10 last year to its league average standing this year feels like the right landing spot for this group.

2022 prospect pool rank: No. 10 (change: -6)

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1. Logan Stankoven, C/LW/RW, 19 (Kamloops Blazers)

One of my favorite prospects from the 2021 draft class, the 5-foot-8 Stankoven, who ranked 18th on my board, was named the CHL’s Player of the Year in his post-draft season after he scored 62 goals and 135 points in 76 regular-season and playoff games as Kamloops’ captain.

Despite his height, he plays a bulldog, competitive, driven, forechecking style that sees him consistently beat bigger, stronger players in battles, or to loose pucks, or along the wall shedding past checks to keep the cycle alive and stay over top of pucks.

Stankoven’s got this shuffled, compact stride that rattles him around the ice and requires a lot of energy exertion. But that energy defines his game. He’s strong in puck protection, leaning on his lead knee and pivoting to push under bumps. He’s a fire hydrant for his size, rarely getting knocked off balance.

The wide gait to his stride also helps him sidestep defensemen with a head of steam, even if he’s not a speedster per se (though he does have legitimate perimeter speed and builds really quickly through his crossovers). And then from the top of the faceoff circles in, he’s a threatening creator who can crack a game open in a split second and who is even more dangerous the closer he gets to the hashmarks.

 

He’s got a strong release. He can break down defenders in traffic. He’s a sneaky-good facilitator. He’s got clear power-play upside, I think he’s got legitimate penalty-kill upside, and it’s not hard to imagine him as a third-line scorer who plays an honest game or high-skill top-six piece who can play the part of play-driver or play-finisher. He’s going to endear himself to fans, too. I don’t see his size as an issue. It’s an advantage in more ways than a disadvantage.

Add in superb quick-draw acumen in the faceoff circle, the fact that he’s the hardest worker on every shift, his pace, his consistency, and how dominant he has become along the cycle/below the goal line and there’s very little not to like. He can beat you in straight lines, beat you in stop and starts to change directions, beat you standing still with his shot, or just outwork you. And he almost never gets knocked over. I expect him to play in the NHL next season after a run at the Memorial Cup.

2. Mavrik Bourque, C, 21 (Texas Stars)

In his last season at the junior level, Bourque, who missed all of November due to a shoulder injury, was one of its very best players, registering 100 points in 51 games across the regular season, a QMJHL title run and the Memorial Cup to nearly break the rare two-points-per-game mark (after impressing me in Traverse City in September and briefly Edmonton in December). This season, his rookie pro season in the AHL, he has played well enough considering his age (he just turned 21 a couple of weeks ago) but hasn’t exceeded expectations.

Bourque gets high grades for his ability to maneuver in possession, manage the puck in control, adjust to pressure to evade checks and make quick skill plays out of carries. He’s got great hands in traffic and around the net, he has started to show a real knack for improvisation, and I really saw his one-on-one skill flash more consistently last season. All of those things have also developed on top of a strong foundation of tools that he has always had. The trustworthiness off the puck defensively. The spatial awareness and his identification of where players are on the ice (with and without the puck). The consistency of the reads. His forechecking. His quick choices and his ability to play fast without necessarily being a burner. His light feet. His ability to play with the puck as a driver or play off of his linemates. His involvement level on the ice. His intensity and drive. Improved strength which has allowed him to add a step from a standstill.

His 5-foot-10 frame and lack of a truly defining trait may prevent him from becoming a star but he’s got upside as an impactful top-nine forward. He’s equal parts slick and detailed and that’s pretty rare.

3. Thomas Harley, LHD, 21 (Texas Stars/Dallas Stars) 

I’ve stuck to my belief in several players over the years and despite Harley’s so-far inability to break into the NHL full-time,  I’m prepared to do the same with him.

 

It can be easy to forget that he’s a late-August birthday, so while it feels like he has been around a long time now, he’s still quite young. Harley’s game exists and is evaluated at two polarities, where the highs are really high and the lows can be quite low, which doesn’t help us come to a sensible conclusion about him on the whole. This season, I think he leveled his game out nicely to reduce the lows.

Harley is a long, highly talented puck transporter who is at his best when he’s playing a free-spirited, roving style that involves him in the game in all three zones (even when it comes with some mistakes). He can use his feet to escape, his length to flow up ice, and his gifts in control to pull pucks past opposing players in neutral ice or off the point. When he’s active, you notice him. But he’s a high-risk, high-reward player who for everything he gives you in transition offensively, or while using his skating to carry pucks deep into the offensive zone, or showing off excellent outside-in hands, or using his mobility to get back when the puck goes the other way, he can give back in misreads, mistiming, and the inconsistency of his decision making.

He’s got the ability to play an effective flow game defensively, sticking with opposing puck carriers and relying on his footwork and stick to compensate for mistakes. But his game has needed some polishing and he has struggled at times at the pro level with his identity (I actually find him too restrained at times, almost as if he doesn’t trust himself to make the plays he’s capable of making because he hasn’t been instilled with that confidence and leash from his coaches).

His style isn’t for everyone but I think he’s going to have to play loose to reach his ceiling as a play-creating top-four defenseman in the NHL. I want to see him hanging onto the puck and delaying until he can hit the second or third option. I want to see him taking space. Once he begins to do that, his ceiling will be high in the prime of his career. I think he could give the Stars a comparable level to the one their non-Miro Heiskanen/Esa Lindell defensemen have given them this year, even if they don’t see it yet (honestly, one last full season uninterrupted in the AHL could be good for him anyway).

4. Lian Bichsel, LHD, 18 (Leksands IF)

Bichsel is a towering defenseman who moves well and showed well in the SHL last season before he suffered a concussion on a hit from behind in March which derailed the final stretch of his year and kept him out of U18 worlds (where he was expected to captain the Swiss). His post-draft season has been a bit of a mixed bag where I’ve felt like he has struggled with his identity across levels.

He was one of the heaviest players in last year’s draft, and because he doesn’t lumber around and he’s fairly comfortable carrying the puck (both in transition and across the line), the Stars were prepared to bet on his upside in the first round. Bichsel defends the rush, the cycle and the net well, and that will always be his calling card. Some sloppiness can develop in his game when play caves in on him and pace ramps up though, and I worry about just how big he already is (6-foot-5 and 216 pounds after he worked to shed a little weight last summer) and some of the challenges he might face if he ends up playing closer to 230-240 pounds (which isn’t at all out of the question).

There are games when he looks like a horse at both ends and shows comfort skating and handling the puck for a player his size. There are others where he looks hectic and scrambled and a step behind because he’s chasing. He’s also got work to do on his pivots. If all goes well, there’s certainly some upside to his game. But at present it’s got some warts and some work to do. The Stars need to be prepared for that. Taking their time with him will be key.

5. Christian Kyrou, RHD, 19 (Sarnia Sting)

One of the biggest risers in the 2022 draft, Kyrou (who was just days from being eligible for 2021 and probably wouldn’t have been picked if he was) is a smooth-skating, hard-shooting, attacking offensive defenseman who nearly led the Otters in scoring (and did in assists) in his draft year and has been one of the most productive defensemen in junior hockey in a post-draft season that split between the Otters and the title-chasing Sting. He plays an ambitious game. With the puck, the result is a lot of carrying and movement off the line — and the risk that comes with those two things. Without it, he plays to close gaps early through tight gaps and doesn’t shy away from the physical side of the game despite being on the smaller side. If he can defend at a passable level, he may have utility as a bottom-pairing, PP2-type long term. He’s also helped by being a righty.

He can definitely hammer it. Here’s the slap shot from a recent game with Sarnia against his old team:

And here’s the wrister from a natural hat trick he scored earlier this year with Erie:

6. Ayrton Martino, LW, 20 (Clarkson University)

Another one of my favorites in the 2021 draft class, Martino has traveled a straight line from top OJHL player at 17, to top USHL player at 18, to good top-six college winger at 19 years old and now Clarkson’s leading-scorer as a better than point-per-game 20-year-old sophomore. Martino’s a really strong problem-solver who never really looks like he’s in trouble because he’s constantly checking his options, he pivots in and out of traffic effortlessly, and he finds teammates on the backside of coverage incredibly well. He makes a ton of small-area plays from a standstill and uses space intelligently while moving (without being the fastest skater or hardest shooter in the world).

He’s got great poise with the puck and an uncanny understanding of spacing that makes him hard for defenders to disrupt. It has been nice this season to see him engage himself in the play a little more without the puck as well (a concern prior). He’s going to have to fill out his 5-foot-11 frame and add an element as a scorer, but his ability to slip in and out of pockets of space and make soft skill plays all over the ice (including off of his backhand) is what defines him. I expect he’ll continue to progress and get signed out of college.

7. Riley Damiani, C/RW, 22 (Texas Stars/Dallas Stars)

It feels like Damiani has begun to hit a bit of a wall this year after two solid pro seasons at 20 and 21, but he’s still a nice success story as a fifth-round pick who has played NHL games and will more likely than not still play more.

Damiani plays a north-south style, using above-average speed and agility to hound pucks, apply pressure, and then make quick plays in possession with B-level offensive-zone tools. He’s a good player in traffic, rotating in and out of space to squeeze past checks and attack the net with a quick cut or a one-touch release after he pops open.

He’s a decent playmaker, too, though I wouldn’t say he’s got a major creative streak (he’ll take what’s given and execute without surprising defenders all that often). Increasingly, I’ve liked his sureness in control and his ability to make plays in transition, whether that’s finding the trailer or executing heady passes through layers. His versatility (multiple positions, multiple roles, able to impact one shift with the puck and the next without it, etc.) and work rate will help him go as far as his skill will take him. I’d like to see him score a little more than he has in the AHL, so that does raise some concerns about whether he can go from fringe NHLer to full-time guy, but he’s got a chance to become the latter still.

8. Matej Blumel, LW/RW, 22 (Texas Stars/Dallas Stars)

Blumel’s an interesting story as a top Czech prospect in his age group who came over to the USHL, got drafted by the Oilers after a 30-goal, point-per-game second season in the league, went back home to play pro instead of going the college route, didn’t get signed by the Oilers, slowly emerged as a top-six forward in a good pro league, and has now returned as a signed player with the Stars and played really well in his first season in the AHL this year to earn an NHL look at 22. There have been some questions about his conditioning at times but he has emerged as a good pro winger whose tools get B grades across the board. I’m not sure if he has another level beyond where he’s at as a call-up guy but he’s got pro size, a pro shot, and fine pace to his game.

9. Gavin White, RHD, 20 (Peterborough Petes)

Drafted as a late-blooming overager after losing a season to the pandemic, White’s a really solid two-way junior defenseman who stepped up big for the OHL-champion Hamilton Bulldogs last year and I expect will do the same with the title-chasing Petes in his final year of junior. Maybe more notable than his play on good teams where he’s surrounded by talent was his play on a now-mediocre Bulldogs team before the trade. After they graduated Arber Xhekaj and Nathan Staios from last year’s team, White stepped into the No. 1 D role there and took charge as a dominant two-way defenseman who drove results when he was on the ice on a team that struggled without him out there. He’s a 6-foot, 180-pound righty who skates well, plays a mature game, and makes things happen without overextending. I’m not sold on his NHL upside, but I’d sign him and give him a look in the AHL.

10. Francesco Arcuri, LW, 19 (Kitchener Rangers)

Arcuri’s the one player from the talked-about 2003 Don Mills Flyers team that staff who worked with those kids will tell you flew under the radar. Arcuri’s got a pro frame (6-foot-1, 200 pounds), sneaky small-area skill, quick hands, and an NHL shot. He has also answered questions about his consistency with his play the last two seasons (though he can still try to do too much and force plays). And even more importantly, his skating (which can look stunted and pitchforked) has begun to smooth out and his fitness has improved (I was struck, when I saw him play live earlier this year, by how lean he was looking and how well he was moving). I like the tools on the whole though. He’s got some warts, for sure, and more likely ends up as a mid-level pro than an NHLer, but with patience and a good development plan there might be a player there. Nobody’s going to be surprised when he scores 40 goals this season. Will it translate though?

 

Here’s Frontenacs head coach Luca Caputti on Arcuri from a conversation shortly before the trade to Kitchener:

“Frenchie, it has been a little bit of a process. I’ve seen him for four years with me and he has come a long way. There’s still untapped potential there and untapped mechanics, too. He’s off to a great start and he has come a long way since he was 16. You never know with those guys but with his talent, if all of the Ts cross and all of the Is dot, there’s a pretty good reality for him that could happen. One thing for him was I don’t think his skating was incredibly terrible at all. He has just made a conscious effort to be a lot more fit than he was and if he continues down that path, doors will open for him because of that. The skillset and the elite touch around the net in the offensive zone will always be a part of his game.”

11. Antonio Stranges, LW, 21 (Texas Stars/Idaho Steelheads)

Stranges is one of the game’s most confounding prospects. In many ways, I’m drawn to his game for the challenge it poses as an evaluator as a result. His unique, often over-reliant heel-to-heel skating patterns draw you in but that can create bias if you let it because of how much you notice him. His hands can wow you once a game but that too can lull you into overlooking all of the other times he — in combination with his skating — puts himself into tough spots.

And even as players begin to come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes, his game doesn’t really fit into an all-encompassing projection. His hands are undeniable, the way he opens up his hips to rotate around sticks is beautiful to watch and absolutely does help players see the interior easier. But he also strays to the perimeter a little too much and the outcomes and effectiveness don’t always align with some of the flash.

I have liked how his game has rounded out on both sides of the puck the last two seasons but it’s just hard to imagine him as more than a fun tweener at his ceiling. He makes some high-end plays against his peers, and has made a few this year against pros, but he also often leaves you wanting more. Last year’s 36 goals and 95 points in 66 combined regular-season and playoff games was a step forward. This season has been a fine introduction to pro as a playmaker in the ECHL and a contributor in the AHL. Now he’s got to keep proving he’s more than a one-trick pony.

12. George Fegaras, RHD, 18 (Muskegon Lumberjacks) 

The OJHL Rookie of the Year and a First Team All-Star in his draft year last year, Fegaras, who is committed to Cornell, has stepped into the USHL and immediately become a solid two-way guy on a poor Lumberjacks team this year. He nearly made my top 100 for the 2022 draft and while I felt the third round was probably one or two rounds early for me, he’s a 6-foot-2, pro-built defender who skates well, manages pucks, gets his shots through hard and low (he’s owed more goals this year than his one to date), and defends with uncharacteristic polish for a player who has as little experience as he does.

13. Albert Sjoberg, RW, 19 (Sodertalje SK)

Sjoberg has surprised me last year when he rattled off a goal per game at the junior level and 14 goals in 46 games in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan. And while he has continued to produce at a similar — and still respectable for a teenager — rate this season, I wouldn’t say he has taken a step forward. (He’s got a tweener/bottom-six projection if all goes well and he can go from HockeyAllsvenskan player to SHL/AHL player, to call-up option in the next few years).

He has always been a net-driven (sometimes tunnel-visioned), shot-first, straight-lines player who plays with an attacking mentality and pushes up ice with smooth full extensions. But his processing has made real progress as well so that he’s not putting himself into tough spots.

He’s going to have to perfectly hone and craft the game that he does play, though, because I don’t see a ton of peripheral vision or sense still. His shot is certainly quality though. That’s true of his one-timer and his catch-and-release, but it’s especially true of his wrister’s accuracy when he really has time to pick a spot in the net to shoot into. He also can shake and lose defenders to create looks for himself and makes smart small-area plays with the puck when there isn’t a lane to a shot location.

He’ll flash skill here and there and surprise you too. I’m just not sure it’s an NHL package at the end of the day.

14. Jacob Holmes, LHD, 19 (Windsor Spitfires) 

Holmes is a kid that OHL folks talk fondly of (hence why he has been traded for twice in and worn the ‘C’ in the league already). I like how complete his game already feels (at least for his age). He’s an effective player with a lot of B-grade tools (on both sides of the puck) who now gets to play an important role for a team with contending aspirations. He’s got a pro frame at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, he’s got a really hard shot, he skates well, he moves pucks smoothly and patiently, and he’s got a good stick and positioning defensively. His numbers don’t pop and he lacks a dynamic quality that will limit him to fringe NHL upside at his ceiling, but he’s got the makings of a good AHLer at his floor I think.

15. Matthew Seminoff, RW, 19 (Kamloops Blazers)

Seminoff’s a 2003 who despite being in his post-draft season is already in his fourth year in the WHL and has progressed steadily from depth player to important player and then top-of-the-lineup player (though he’s more of an impact guy than a true go-to guy on this year’s loaded Blazers team up front). Some scouts question his upside given his age and good but not standout production, as well as the time he has spent playing with Stankoven for a chunk of the last two seasons, but there’s also something to be said about a player who can play alongside a Stankoven. There’s a lot to like about Seminoff’s versatile game, and I expect him to be the kind of guy who steps up in a big moment in this year’s Memorial Cup when Kamloops hosts. He’s never going to be the 100-point guy who gets automatic NHL looks, but I think he’s capable of becoming the 90-point one who works his way through the AHL into a depth role if everything breaks right. Coaches and staff respect him for his honest, complete, hard-working game.

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The Tiers

 

The Stars’ prospect pool breaks down into three tiers divided as such: 1-4, 5-7, 8-15.

I also considered ranking well-rounded Texas Stars forward Oskar Back, raw Harvard defenseman Jack Bar, and Saskatoon blades forward Conner Roulette.

[OccamsRazor]