Summer School: Can Stephen Johns take another big step forward for Stars?

As players get ready for the 2018-19 season under new head coach Jim Montgomery, let's take a look at what they did last season and where they can improve in a series we'll call "Summer School." Next up, DallasStars.com senior staff writer Mike Heika takes a look at defenseman Stephen Johns.
Previous installments:Jason Spezza, Tyler Seguin, John Klingberg, Mattias Janmark, Radek Faksa, Jamie Benn

Stephen Johns

Position: Defenseman
Age:26
Height:6-foot-4
Weight:221 pounds
Shoots: Right
2017-18 Stats: 75 GP, 8 G 7 A, 15 Pts, plus-10, 41 PIM
2018-19 Status:
Under contract for $2.35 million

What happened last year

Johns made a huge step forward as he started training camp among nine defensemen and quickly won a regular job over Patrik Nemeth (lost to Colorado on waivers) and Jamie Oleksiak (sent to Pittsburgh in a trade). Johns played in 75 games, logged 17:33 in time on ice per game and led the team in both hits (201) and blocked shots (155). He also tied John Klingberg for the team lead in goal scoring among defensemen with eight.

Heika's outlook

The whole battle for playing time among Johns, Oleksiak and Nemeth was hard on all three, and Johns had to really overcome some mental challenges in the process. However, he showed last season that he was able to focus on his game and not worry about making mistakes -- and he became a much better defenseman because of it. Johns is an interesting combination in that he is big at 6-foot-4, 221 pounds, and can still skate and move the puck. He is the most physical of Stars' defensemen, and yet he also could be a perfect fit in Jim Montgomery's aggressive attacking system that requires a lot of skating. Mix in the fact he is a right-handed shot and he could be the perfect partner for young lefty Miro Heiskanen or for veteran lefty Marc Methot. He even has a shot that could be used on the power play, but the addition of Heiskanen and the expected increase in ice time for Julius Honka could limit Johns' time on the man advantage. Still, the rare mix of tools could make Johns one of the more important players on the Stars this season at a time when he seems ready to take on even more responsibility.
BE LOUD, WEAR GREEN, GO STARS: [Single Game Tickets for all 2018-19 preseason and regular-season games are on sale now]

They said it

"Last year was huge. I think I got my confidence back and I learned how to play the game at the NHL level. You have to prepare for every game the same way. It's a grind, but it's a good grind. Everybody is going through the same grind and you just have to stay committed to doing it every day."-- Stars defenseman Stephen Johns on what he learned last season.

"What I see from him is great athleticism. He skates well and there's great length to him. I think he can cause a lot of turnovers for us. He understands how we want to defend rushes and how aggressive we want him to be." -- Stars coach Jim Montgomery on how he assesses Johns after watching film from last season.

"I couldn't be happier. I'm ready to go right now. We've got a big fire in our bellies right now. I think we're all excited to get back to camp and finish off better than last year." -- Johns after signing a three-year contract extension in the summer.

"That's something that is to be determined, because I wasn't able to see it on film. I think his skating ability to get up ice will be a big help, because I'm going to ask our defensemen to sprint up ice hard and then make a decision on whether the offense is on or off. He has the athleticism to do that for us." -- Montgomery on whether he might try Johns on the power play.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.
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