Seeking skill: Cameron Schmidt hoping to become latest “draft day steal” for Stars

The Stars in recent years have been focused on finding skill in the NHL Draft, and that strategy has paid off in selecting players like Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque.

The hope is Cameron Schmidt is the latest in a line of draft day “steals” who might have holes in other areas of his game but can make up for it on the scoresheet.

“You have to find ways to maximize your value,” said Joe McDonnell, director of amateur scouting for the Stars. “You look at players who score goals or get high point totals, and those players have value in the league. While it’s important to have depth forwards or defensive defensemen, you can usually find them in free agency at reasonable prices. It’s tough to get the scorers.”

The Stars’ current crop is a great sign of that. Jason Robertson, taken 39th overall in 2017, is in the final year of a contract that pays him $7.75 million per year. He could get a new deal that exceeds $10 million. Roope Hintz was taken 48th overall in 2015. He’s in the middle of an eight-year deal that averages $8.45 million. Johnston is a little different, but he was a skill pick late in the first round and he is starting a five-year deal that averages $8.4 million. Stankoven was the key trade piece to get Mikko Rantanen from Carolina and just signed an eight-year deal that averages $6.0 million with the Hurricanes.

Value, to be sure.

“You have to take some big swings sometimes and see if they pay off,” McDonnell said.

Schmidt is a bit of a big swing. Like Stankoven, he’s listed at 5-8. Like Stankoven he has speed and skill.

“The kid can skate,” said Jordie Benn, who is in player development with the Texas Stars and recently helped run the Stars development camp in Frisco. “He is very smooth on the ice. He’s a nice guy. It will be nice to get to know him well.”

That also seems to be a common thread in these draft picks. Because these players have some dings on their resumes, they tend to work a lot harder. Schmidt plays for the Vancouver Giants in the WHL. Last season, he posted 78 points (40 goals, 38 assists) in 61 games and added 9 points in 5 playoff games. He slid in the draft because of his size, but the Stars jumped when he was still available in the third round (94th pick overall).

“I was going through the first-round picks and he’s as skilled as any of them,” said Rich Peverley, the Stars director of player development. “Speed, skill, tenacity, we’re lucky we got him. Obviously, the size is a knock, but there are lots of comparisons to Logan. They’re similar players. I would say he’s a faster player. He’s a heck of a talent and we hope we can develop him into a player for us.”

Development camp is a big part of that, Peverley said. The Stars feel they have done a good job of not only finding players with skill, but honing that skill to get them ready for the NHL. Robertson had 87 points (41 goals, 46 assists) in the OHL in his first year after the draft. He then pushed up to 117 points (48 goals, 69 assists) in 62 games the next season. Johnston dominated the OHL in the year after his draft with 124 points (46 goals, 78 assists) in 68 games. Stankoven was a WHL powerhouse with 104 points (43 goals, 59 assists), and Bourque battled injuries but produced 111 points (39 goals, 72 assists) in 59 games over two seasons in the QMJHL.

In fact, Stars prospects have been some of the leading scorers in junior hockey over the past seven years. That used to not be the case.

“That’s where it’s so important to have the process,” Stars GM Jim Nill said at development camp last week. “It’s not just the drafting, but what happens now. We’ve got a great staff that works on the development part. We’ve had results from it, so we’re pretty comfortable.”

Schmidt will be the latest with that kind of potential. Will he be among the WHL leaders? Can Vancouver make it to the Memorial Cup? Could Schmidt play for Team Canada at the World Juniors? It’s a big year. Schmidt said he felt good about his experience in Frisco and hopes to take his “homework” back to B.C. for the summer and get better.

“It’s just learning. This week is all about learning,” Schmidt said. “Just listen. Just taking the little things from them and focusing on that.”

He said he has already done that by watching smaller players like Stankoven.

“I grew up watching those guys,” Schmidt said. “Stanks played in Kamloops, so I went and watched him in the playoffs. To see what he has done to be able to make it to this level and then maintain his spot, it’s kind of cool. The way smaller guys use their speed and use their bodies to protect the puck, I’m trying to model my game after that.”

That sort of fits the Stars’ strategy right now.

“If you can even get one player a year, you can build a team from that,” said McDonnell. “Then, it makes it a lot easier to fill in around that.”

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 X @MikeHeika.