Prospect Report: Heiskanen impressive in return from injury
The defenseman scores two goals in his first game back from an upper-body injury in Finland's top league
By
Mark Stepneski @StarsInsideEdge / <b>Inside Edge</b>
Heiskanen's first game back was Friday, and he scored two slick goals and logged 27:03 of ice time in HIFK's 4-3 win over Tappara. His first goal came late in the first period with HIFK shorthanded and down 1-0 in the game. He took a pass in the neutral zone, split a couple of defenders, skated on net and scored from short range to tie the game. He scored again in the second, skating down the right boards, shaking off a hit behind the net and then circling out to the left circle where he scored to tie the game 2-2.
On Saturday, Heiskanen picked up one assist and logged 26:15 of ice time in another 4-3 win for HIFK. On his assist, Heiskanen picked up a loose puck along the boards, circled behind the net and centered to Jarkko Malinen who scored from close range to tie the game 2-2.
Heiskanen, Dallas' first-round pick (third overall) in 2017, has 17 points (11 goals, 6 assists) in 22 games. Despite missing about half his team's games due to injuries and the World Juniors this season, Heiskanen is tied for second among league defensemen in goal scoring. He ranks first in the league in average ice time at 24:59 per game.
Heiskanen will play for Finland at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.
Heiskanen Stats: HIFK (Liiga) | 22 GP | 11 G | 6 A | 17 PTS | +12 | 6 PIM
Here's a look at how other Dallas prospects playing in Europe, college and juniors fared over the past week.
NCAA
G Colton Point(5th round/2016) stopped 93 of 95 shots in two starts for Colgate over the weekend including all 51 shots he faced in a 2-0 shutout of Harvard on Saturday. He stopped 42 of 44 shots in a 2-1 loss to Dartmouth on Friday. Point is 11-8-4, ranking second in the nation in save percentage (.945) and fifth in goals against average (1.81). His four shutouts are tied for fourth among NCAA goaltenders.
Point Stats: Colgate (ECAC) | 11-8-4 | 1.81 | .945
G Jake Oettinger (1st round/2017) won both his starts for Boston University including a 23-save shutout in an 8-0 win over Arizona State. Oettinger has won his last four starts, stopping 95 of 102 shots for a .931 save percentage. He is 12-10-2 on the season with a 2.65 goals against average and .908 save percentage.
Oettinger Stats: Boston University (Hockey East) | 12-10-2 | 2.65 | .908
LW Riley Tufte (1st round/2016) picked up one assist in three games for Minnesota Duluth last week, giving him 20 points (12 goals, 8 assists) in 26 games.
Tufte Stats: Minnesota Duluth (NCHC) | 26 GP | 12 G | 8 A | 20 PTS | +7 | 22 PIM
D Michael Prapavessis(4th round/2014) tallied two assists in RPI's 4-3 loss to Union on Saturday. Prapavessis has 14 assists in 27 games for the Engineers.
Prapavessis Stats: RPI (ECAC) | 27 GP | 0 G | 14 A | 14 PTS | -11 | 8 PIM
D Joe Cecconi (5th round/2015) did not score in two games for Michigan over the weekend. Cecconi has 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) in 26 games.
Cecconi Stats: Michigan (Big Ten) | 26 GP | 3 G | 11 A | 14 PTS | -10 | 24 PIM
C/LW Rhett Gardner (4th round/2016) remains out for North Dakota due to a lower-body injury. Gardner has 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists) in 23 games.
Gardner Stats: North Dakota (NCHC) | 23 GP | 5 G | 10 A | 15 PTS | +7 |14 PIM
North American Juniors
LW Jason Robertson(2nd round/2017) tallied five points (four goals, one assist) in three games for Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League this past week, giving him 65 points (31 goals, 34 assists) in 48 games. Robertson ranks fourth in the OHL in goal scoring and sixth in points.
Robertson Stats: Kingston (OHL) | 48 GP | 31 G | 34 A | 65 PTS | +14 | 30 PIM
RW Nick Caamano(5th round/2016) recorded one assist in three games for Hamilton in the OHL. Caamano has 46 points (23 goals, 23 assists) in 45 games. Caamano is tied for 20th in the league in goal scoring.
Caamano Stats: Hamilton/Flint (OHL) | 45 GP | 23 G | 23 A | 46 PTS | +4 | 76 PIM
C Liam Hawel(4th round/2017) picked up one goal and one assist in three games for Guelph in the OHL, giving him 28 points (7 goals, 21 assists) in 41 games.
Hawel Stats: Guelph (OHL) | 41 GP | 7 G | 21 A | 28 PTS | -3 | 21 PIM
C Brett Davis(6th round/2017) is on a nice run in the Western Hockey League. Davis recorded six points (two goals, four assists) in three games this past week for Kootenay. Davis has picked up points in seven of his last eight games and has recorded 12 points (six goals, six assists) during that stretch. The 18-year-old center has 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 49 games and has won 395 of 741 faceoffs (53.3 percent).
Davis Stats: Kootenay | 49 GP | 16 G | 20 A | 36 PTS | -7 | 17 PIM
D Ondrej Vala(Free agent/2016) had no points in three games for Everett in the WHL over the past week. Vala has 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) in 40 WHL games this season.
Vala Stats: Kamloops/Everett (WHL) | 40 GP | 7 G | 16 A | 23 PTS | +11 | 32 PIM
Europe
LW Valeri Nichushkin (1st round/2013) will not play for Russia at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. Last week it was announced that Nichushkin was among a group of Russian athletes barred from competing at this year's games. Sergei Plotnikov, Anton Belov, Alexei Bereglazov and Mikhail Naumenkov were the other Russian hockey players on the list of athletes not allowed to participate at the Olympics.
According to the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, Nichushkin and the four hockey players others were not guilty of violating anti-doping rules. The International Olympic Committee did not give a reason for the players not being allowed to compete other than the IOC considered a "wide range of factors."
"Those who are disconnected and not allowed to experience, are in shock. This is a strong blow," Vladislav Tretiak, president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, said in a statement. "They were preparing for this tournament, and at the last moment they found out they could not go. It's very hard psychologically."
Nichushkin has 24 points (14 goals, 10 assists) in 48 games for CSKA in the KHL this season.
Nichushkin Stats: CSKA (KHL) | 48 GP | 14 G | 10 A | 24 PTS | +9 | 14 PIM
C Jacob Peterson(5th round/2017) scored two goals in one game in Swedish juniors last week, giving him 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 28 games. He also dressed for one game in the Swedish Hockey League. Peterson has no points in six SHL games.
Peterson Stats: Frolunda (Sweden, Jr.) | 28 GP | 13 G | 18 A | 31 PTS | E | 16 PIM
Frolunda (SHL) | 6 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 PTS | -1 | 0 PIM
D John Nyberg (6th round/2014) had no points in two games for Frolunda in the SHL last week. Nyberg has 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists) in 40 games.
Nyberg Stats: Frolunda (SHL) | 40 GP | 2 G | 10 A | 12 PTS | -4 | 38 PIM
LW/C Fredrik Karlstrom (3rd round/2016) had no points in three games with Linkoping in the SHL. Karlstrom has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) in 31 games.
Karlstrom Stats: Linkoping (SHL) | 31 GP | 1 G | 3 A | 4 PTS | -1 | 6 PIM
Linkoping (Sweden, Jr.) | 3 GP | 2 G | 0 A | 2 PTS | -3 | 4 PIM
D Jakob Stenqvist (6th round/2016) had no points in one game for Bjorkloven in Sweden's second league. He missed time this week due to illness. Stenqvist has 19 points (4 goals, 15 assists) in 36 games.
Stenqvist Stats: Bjorkloven (Allsvenskan) | 36 GP | 4 G | 15 A | 19 PTS | E | 12 PIM
Frolunda (SHL) | 2 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 PTS | E | 2 PIM
G Markus Ruusu (6th round/2015) started two games in Finland's second league, posting a 1-0-1 record and stopping 42 of 45 shots. Ruusu is 6-0-3 in the second league with a 2.48 goals against average and .900 save percentage.
Ruusu Stats: Ilves (Liiga) | 5-6-0 | 3.75 | .851
Ilves (Finland, Jr.) | 0-2-0 | 2.57 | .924
TUTO (Mestis) | 6-0-3 | 2.48 | .900
D Miro Karjalainen (5th round/2014) continues to serve a suspension for a hit to the head in Finland's top league. He has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) in 23 games this season.
Karjalainen Stats: HPK (Liiga) | 23 GP | 1 G | 3 A | 4 PTS | -4 | 133 PIM
This story was not subject to approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club. Mark Stepneski is an independent writer whose posts on DallasStars.com reflect his own opinions and do not represent official statements from the Dallas Stars. You can follow Mark on Twitter @StarsInsideEdge.
