Top 30 Prospects – Q3 2018

Pre-season rankings of the top prospects in the Dallas Stars organization starting with the organization’s top ten prospects.

The Dallas Stars will begin their season next Thursday at the American Airlines Center, but a majority of the players in this organization have already started playing in various leagues all over the world.

The Roe Report will provide regular updates on the individual prospects production and health status throughout the season.  Players will be considered prospects until they have played 30 NHL games or advance past the age of 25.  So, for example, since Stars forward Jason Dickinson has now played 38 games at the NHL level he is no longer considered a prospect.

Expect this to be a regular series with updated prospect rankings being released at notable times throughout the year.  With that said, here is part-one of our Top 30 prospects series.

 

1) Miro Heiskanen

  • Age: 19
  • Position: Defense
  • Shoots: Left
  • League: NHL – Dallas Stars
  • Acquired: 2017 1st round draft choice (Round 1, Pick 3)
  • Summary: Enjoy seeing Heiskanen on this list because it’s the only time he will ever appear.  The 19-year-old will skip the AHL level and jump straight into the Dallas Stars lineup this season.  As a top-3 draft choice in 2017 and an international sensation, Heiskanen is arguably the most heralded prospect to come through the Stars system since Mike Modano.  Expect Heiskanen to begin the season paired with Stephen Johns and to be in the running for the Calder Trophy.

 

2) Jason Robertson

  • Age: 19
  • Position: Left Wing
  • Shoots: Left
  • League: OHL – Kingston Frontenacs
  • Acquired: 2017 2nd round draft choice (Round 2, Pick 39)
  • Summary: Robertson is ready for the AHL after back-to-back 40-goal seasons in juniors, but due to his age (not yet 20), he will have to play another season in the OHL.  Robertson is one of the few prospects in the Stars system who is an elite goal-scorer and could be NHL-ready in next fall if he can take the next step in his conditioning.

 

3) Roope Hintz

  • Age: 21
  • Position: Center
  • Shoots: Left
  • League: NHL – Dallas Stars / AHL – Texas Stars
  • Acquired: 2015 2nd round draft choice (Round 2, Pick 49)
  • Summary: Roope Hintz has made quite the impression during the pre-season doing a little bit of everything including scoring goals.  He also scored 20 goals last season in his first season with the Texas Stars.  It appears he made the NHL club with a strong pre-season, but will be the first call-up if he gets sent down and could be first in line to replace Jason Spezza in 2019-20.

 

4) Colton Point

  • Age: 20
  • Position: Goaltender
  • Catches: Left
  • League: AHL – Texas Stars
  • Acquired: 2016 5th round draft choice (Round 5, Pick 128)
  • Summary: The Stars fifth round magic continues in the form of 6-4, 220-pound goaltender Colton Point.  Point signed this summer after an incredible season at Colgate where he posted a 1.74 goals against average and a .944 save percentage in 33 games.  Point will start the season with the Texas Stars where he is expected to split time with Landon Bow.

 

5) Riley Tufte

  • Age: 20
  • Position: Left Wing
  • Shoots: Left
  • League: NCAA – University of Minnesota-Duluth
  • Acquired: 2016 1st round draft choice (Round 1, Pick 25)
  • Summary: Tufte is entering his junior season at the University of Minneosta-Duluth after a successful sophomore campaign.  He scored 16 goals in 42 games after scoring nine goals his freshman year.  The Stars would like to sign Tufte after the NCAA season ends and have him continue his development in the AHL.

 

6) Ty Dellandrea

  • Age: 18
  • Position: Center
  • Shoots: Right
  • League: OHL – Flint Firebirds
  • Acquired: 2018 1st round draft choice (Round 1, Pick 13)
  • Summary: Dellandrea is a solid prospect and it’s not his fault that the Stars drafted him an entire round too early.  The 18-year-old reportedly knows how to work an interview room but has yet to show any type of dominant trait on the ice.  In his defense, he was diagnosed with Celiac disease last season and saw positive results after altering his diet.  Jim Nill projects that Dellandrea will be NHL ready by 2020 so this is an important season for the young center.  Dellandrea has all the intangibles; now he needs to show he can dominate at the junior level by becoming a point-per-game guy in the OHL this season.

 

7) Jake Oettinger

  • Age: 19
  • Position: Goaltender
  • Catches: Left
  • League: NCAA – Boston University
  • Acquired: 2017 1st round draft choice (Round 1, Pick 26)
  • Summary: Oettinger is another big, college goalie (6-4, 212).  This is a good position to have depth in, but my guess is the Stars would have used this pick on another forward – perhaps Morgan Frost, Eeli Tolvanen, or Shane Bowers, who were three of the four picks after Dallas took Oettinger – if they knew what kind of season Colton Point was about to have.  Oettinger struggled early last season but bounced back finishing with a 2.45 goals against average and a .915 save percentage.

 

 

8) Joseph Cecconi

  • Age: 21
  • Position: Defense
  • Shoots: Right
  • League: NCAA – University of Michigan
  • Acquired: 2015 5th round draft choice (Round 5, Pick 133)
  • Summary: Cecconi saw a major uptick in offensive production scoring 27 points in 40 games last season.  Yes, part of that can be attributed to his defensive partner, Quinn Hughes, but Cecconi deserves credit for his development.  One issue with Cecconi is this is his senior year and the Stars only retain his rights until August 2019.  It’s very possible he opts for free agency after college instead of signing with Dallas next summer.

 

9) Albin Eriksson

  • Age: 18
  • Position: Right Wing
  • Shoots: Right
  • League: Skelleftea AIK (Sweden)
  • Acquired: 2018 2nd round draft choice (Round 2, Pick 44)
  • Summary: Man-child Albin Eriksson goes from the 2018 draft floor to top-10 in the Stars system.  Eriksson, 6-4 and 205 pounds, is a good skater with a great shot.  The development curve could take a little longer, but Dallas does have a history of success with second rounders named Eriksson.

 

10) Denis Gurianov

  • Age: 21
  • Position: Left Wing/Right Wing
  • Shoots: Left
  • League: AHL – Texas Stars
  • Acquired: 2015 1st round draft choice (Round 1, Pick 12)
  • Summary: Gurianov is a tough prospect to evaluate.  Up until this year’s training camp, most would consider him a bust.  The Stars are mostly to blame for this status because – much like Dellandrea – Gurianov was a second round prospect taken in the top-15 of his draft.  It’s not Gurianov’s fault that he’s not Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor, or Brock Boeser (three players Dallas passed on even though they were ranked significantly higher than Gurianov in the 2015 draft class).  On the plus-side, Gurianov had a good training camp and pre-season.  He may have a chance to make his NHL debut later this season if he produces with the Texas Stars.

 

 

Brian Roe is the founder and head writer of The Roe Report.  He spent five years working for the Dallas Stars  and has been a contributor at Hockey’s Future, The Hockey Writers, NHL Intel, and more.  Follow Brian on Twitter @brianproe.