Neil Graham's mindset came in handy this week.

The head coach of the Texas Stars was running the Dallas entry at the NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan, and his troops lost their first three games while allowing 17 goals in the process.

One of the great things about the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan, is that it gives players a chance to dip their toes in the competitive water.

The Stars took a day Saturday to reset and bond - players with players and coaches with front office staff - and that's a big part of the six-day trip to Traverse City, Michigan, to play in the NHL Prospect Tournament.

Every game that Wyatt Johnston gets to play right now is a delight.

The Stars' first-round draft pick in the summer (23rd overall) was unable to play last season in the Ontario Hockey League because of the COVID 19 pandemic. He was able to log seven games in the Under-18 World Championships in Frisco, but he has been biding his time waiting for this year.

Strange as it may sound, being a 6-foot-6 forward is a bit of a challenge for Riley Tufte.

Five years ago, when Tufte was drafted, the NHL (and the Stars) were focused on bigger players and felt that size would allow for advantages in battles along the boards and in front of the net. But as the game has gotten both faster and quicker, a few things that were great for bigger players now aren't huge advantages.

With a few days of practice under their belts, a group of young Dallas Stars players will finally get a chance to see a team in a different jersey Thursday on the first day of the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan. The games against prospects from other teams has been a September tradition for the Stars, and this year will be even more important as a group of players who had to fight through the pandemic last season will come together and battle for both team and individual glory.

FRISCO, Texas -- Thomas Harley said he's a patient man.

It might be one of the most important personality traits for the 20-year-old defenseman right now.

FRISCO, Texas -- Making the jump from the AHL to the NHL is difficult for any player. Making it for a skilled forward might be the toughest job in the sport.

While a goalie, a defenseman or a checking line forward will get a similar assignment in trying to make the big team, a skilled forward could have to prove himself in limited minutes while playing a strange role just to gain the confidence of the organization.

FRISCO, Texas -- Development camp and the ensuing trip to the Traverse City Prospect Tournament next week is a multi-faceted experience for the next generation of Dallas Stars players.

So, when Stars player development coordinator J.J. McQueen started camp Saturday in Frisco with a tribute to those who died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, it was a part of understanding what's important to the organization and the people within.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused all sorts of stops and starts with the NHL, but the decision to move development camp back to September might be a good one for the Dallas Stars.

The Stars will host 24 players for a development camp in Frisco this weekend and then send a team of prospects off to Traverse City, Michigan next week for four games against other team's prospects. That will lead directly into NHL training camp for Dallas, and the process should be a good thing, general manager Jim Nill said.