Shining bright: Stars' prospect pipeline is stacked with talent

J.J. McQueen started working with the Stars as a strength and conditioning coach in 1995 and has spent the past decade in player development, so he's seen a lot here in Dallas and has a pretty strong opinion of the current group of prospects.
"They're the best I've seen, no doubt," McQueen said.

Headlined by Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque, the Stars have some of the best players currently competing in Canadian major junior hockey and are drawing rave reviews as the league continues its march to the Memorial Cup.
"We just went through our combine interviews for the draft, and you ask players who the hardest players they've had to play against, and a lot of the names were our guys, so that's a good feeling," said Rich Peverley, the Stars' Director of Player Personnel. "Bourque, Stankoven, Johnston, those names come up a lot."
Stankoven (47th overall in 2021) saw his season end with Kamloops last week and didn't move on to the WHL championship, coming up just short in a Game 7 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds, who have another recent Stars draft pick (Conner Roulette, 111th overall in 2021). Stankoven had 104 points (45 goals, 59 assists) in 59 regular-season games and then added 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 17 playoff games. He was named the WHL Player of the Year. Roulette had 66 points (24 goals, 42 assists) in 65 games and currently has 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 21 playoff games, including a two-point performance (one goal, one assist) in Game 1 of the WHL championship vs. Edmonton. (Series is tied, 1-1).

Bourque (30th overall in 2020) battled injuries this year and still had 68 points (20 goals, 48 assists) in 31 games with Shawinigan during the regular season. He currently has 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 13 playoff games, including six points (three goals, three assists) in the first two games of the QMJHL final vs. Charlottetown. (Shawinigan leads the series, 2-0).

Then, the shining light in the class is Johnston. The Stars' first-round pick in 2021, Johnston didn't play a league game in his draft year but has taken a huge step forward. He had 124 points (46 goals, 78 assists) in 68 regular-season games for Windsor in the OHL, and has added 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 20 playoff games so far. He just turned 19 on May 14.
"The last time he really played league hockey was as a 16-year-old in Windsor. So it was a good surprise he was able to post the numbers he did," Peverley said of the fact Johnston had a season stopped by the OHL's approach to COVID. "He really came on in the second half of the year, and that's always a good feeling. He's so deductive, and he just processes the information and knows how to use it. To put up the production he has as an 18-year-old, it's not common. Other guys who have done this have typically gone on to have a good pro career."
Stars forward Jason Robertson had his breakout season in the OHL as a 20-year-old and then still had a full AHL season to build before he made the step up to the NHL. The NHL's agreement with the CHL (to help protect the CHL's talent) stipulates if Johnston is to play in pro hockey next season, it'll have to be at the NHL level. He can play in the AHL the following season, but the 2022-23 campaign is either NHL or back to juniors for Johnston (and Stankoven).
Now, we're getting ahead of ourselves with that discussion, but it's definitely something the Stars are pondering. That's how good Johnston's been. The great thing about the decision is there will be much more information before it becomes a real issue. Johnston and his Windsor Spitfires are in the OHL championship against the league's top team (Hamilton, who has Stars prospect Artem Grushnikov), and Johnston also will probably have a chance to play for Canada at the World Juniors in August in Alberta. He has a chance to go from there to the Traverse City prospects tournament, and then through the NHL preseason and possibly nine NHL games.
Once Johnston hits nine NHL games, the Stars would have to make a decision on whether to send him back to junior hockey or keep him on the NHL roster for the remainder of the season. There's a lot that'll go into that, and Peverley said the team's trying to take it one step at a time.
"We understand all that's involved, and we know this is going to be a tough year for all of these players," he said. "Right now, we just want to stay patient and make sure they have a good summer of rest."
That's part of the process with prospects. Some of these players weren't even in the system before last summer, but the fact they are where they are shows just how much development can happen in a year.
Johnston is seen a "200-foot player," who can play great defense and can help make his linemates better. He has built on those natural skills by using his wiles to process the experiences of this season.

"I think our players have stepped up and played important roles for their teams," Peverley said. "Wyatt was great to start and then slowed down for a couple of games, but they make adjustments. That's the great thing about this time of year is they have to face the toughest competition and they have to raise their game."
Asked about Johnston's defensive play, Peverley said: "He's working on faceoffs and getting better, he's always on the right side of the puck, he's extremely smart, he plays all situations. His coach wants him on the ice, and that's a great thing to watch. They hate to take him off the ice."
Bourque and Stankoven also were key players.
"We're pretty fortunate to have these kids. They're difference makers on their teams," McQueen said. "You don't have to look for them when you're scouting. They stand out on their own. They're impact players on their teams and in their games."
Stankoven is smaller, listed at 5-8, and Bourque is listed at 5-10. But they battle hard, have high-end skill and creativity. That's huge for the Stars, as they've seen in younger players like Robertson, Miro Heiskanen and Roope Hintz that skill is huge in creating needed goals.

Also in the group is defenseman Grushnikov (48th overall in 2021) who's a steady rearguard for Hamilton. (The series vs. Windsor is tied, 1-1)
Mix that in with the progress of players like Ty Dellandrea (13th overall in 2018), Thomas Harley (18th overall in 2019) and Jacob Peterson (132nd overall in 2017), and the Stars are in a good place.
"You have to give the scouts a lot of credit for finding these guys," Peverley said. "Because what we're seeing right now is very positive."
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.