Heiskanen works with new coaching staff, adding 'layers to his game'

When Miro Heiskanen was drafted third overall in 2017, scouting experts said at the time that the skilled defenseman was far better defensively than offensively.
Because defense is much harder to teach than offense for a young defenseman, Heiskanen was ahead of the game. Now, 299 games later, the offense might finally be catching up.

As Heiskanen prepares to plat his 300th career regular season game Saturday against Detroit, he sits 11th in the league in defenseman scoring with 21 points (5 goals, 16 assists). That's a points per game average of 0.88, which is a huge leap from the 0.51 he had last season (42nd among defensemen) or the 0.48 he had in his career before this year.
It's a sign Heiskanen could be taking the next step in his maturity as one of the best blueliners in the NHL.
"Miro is adding layers to his game," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said after Heiskanen scored twice Thursday in a 4-3 overtime victory against Ottawa. "We're asking an awful lot from him - defend, score, play 28 minutes, do everything. I'm a little worried about wearing him out, asking too much from him, because it is a long season, but he's a great player and he can do just about anything out there."
The process for Heiskanen has been intriguing this year. Not only has the new coaching staff incorporated a more aggressive style of play, which asks for more "attack mode" from the defensemen, but the dynamic of the group has also changed with the departure of John Klingberg to Anaheim. Klingberg ran the first power play and took key minutes, and those minutes have fallen to Heiskanen this season. To deal with that, since training camp DeBoer has implored the 23-year-old defenseman to go ahead and take control of the blueline.
"I think, for him, it's just going to be being a little more selfish and taking the shot when it's there, as opposed to just being a distributor up top," DeBoer said in training camp. "I think the best power play guys in the world have both those elements. He has the capability of that. We've talked about that."
Heiskanen has five goals in 24 games this season. That's the same amount he scored in 70 games last season.
He said he is reading the play more and getting pucks to the net more, just like coaches have told him to do. As much as he is coached to do it, he executes in his own way.
"We're working with Miro, but also as a team," said assistant coach Alain Nasreddine. "We want to be aggressive and have a plan and structure to help with our offensive game. I think it starts with our breakout and having a guy like Miro going back for pucks really helps us. He has the ability to make a good first pass and then his skating allows him to join the rush. All of those things allow him to get more involved offensively."
As a result, the team has gone from 21st in scoring at 2.84 goals per game to third overall at 3.78. The rising tide has lifted Heiskanen's numbers, but it also means they need the talented blueliner to help do what's needed.
"Skating ability is what you're going to notice first," Nasreddine said. "He's a very smooth skater and can skate all game. And then the hockey sense is on both sides of the puck. He understands the game offensively and defensively, and that's huge."
Of course, playing this brand of hockey is fun, so it's not too hard to convince the players to buy in. But what Nasreddine likes about Heiskanen is he wants to do what's right for the team.
"He's very coachable. I admire that in a player," Nasreddine said. "A guy who is talented and knows he's talented, but always wants to get better. That's probably the No. 1 thing for me."
Heiskanen should be good. He was selected third overall and came in with glowing scouting reports. The fact he has ranked in the low 20's in scoring for most of his career so far is probably the surprise. But DeBoer said even now he doesn't see Heiskanen as one of the players who will battle for the lead in defensemen scoring.
"I don't know if he's going to be a big point guy," DeBoer said. "The way we want to play and the offense we want to create as a group and the space we want to open up for our defenseman, I felt confident that was going to help his point totals, but I don't think he's ever going to be a big point game."
Still, if Heiskanen continues at this pace for a full season, he'll probably be around 70 points - and that would be an impressive feat. Bottom line, he has the ability to be that guy, and he's taking steps under the new coaching staff to get there.
"Sometimes, it's hard, but I know what I need to do," Heiskanen said when asked about seizing control more often. "Of course, I need to be more selfish, I know that."
Thursday was a good example of why the Stars will continue to push that idea.
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.