Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re looking at the Dallas Stars.

The Dallas Stars, man. They nearly made it to the Stanley Cup Final, while also boasting an impressive prospect pool with options at every position.

What a time to be alive.

Like the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas has managed to keep their pipeline fresh and competitive while still being a legitimate contender. They’ve shown they don’t need to draft high to find value – Logan Stankoven was a second-rounder. Instead, they chase upside, and it’ll pay off in a big way with Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque expected to become full-time NHLers this season.

Dallas had a quiet draft in Vegas last month, making just three selections – Emil Hemming, Niilopekka Muhonen and William Samuelsson. I like Hemming and his ability to play a variety of different roles, but it was an otherwise quiet draft for the club. And that’s fine, they’re in-it-to-win-it. The fact is there’s a good chance at least five to six of these players will be NHLers in the next three to four years, potentially giving the team some quality cap relief midway through their Stanley Cup contention window.

Not a bad spot to be in, huh?

Biggest Strengths

The Stars have two NHL-ready forwards set to play big roles right out of the gate in Stankoven and Bourque. Stankoven had an excellent 24-game run with the team, putting up some impressive numbers while also finding the time to win AHL Rookie of the Year honors. Bourque, meanwhile, was the best player in the AHL this past season, and I’m glad the Stars let him chase the honor instead of calling him up just to give him limited ice time. Stankoven has a chance to be a top-six threat right out of the gate, while Bourque could slot in as the team’s third line center alongside Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment. They’re both ready, and Stars fans are excited for a reason.

Biggest Weakness

There’s a strong argument to say goaltending here, but they have Jake Oettinger signed long-term and he’s not losing the starting gig anytime soon. So I’ll go with needing some more scoring depth. I think Hemming is a good prospect, but he’s still a few years away and might project more in a bottom-six role. Once Stankoven becomes a full-time big-leaguer, there isn’t really another winger that looks close to NHL ready, or more than just an occasional call-up. This is nitpicky given they’ve been picking in the second half of the first round for a while now, but they don’t have a ton of options I feel fully confident in.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Jim Nill
Dir. Amateur Scouting: Joe McDonnell
Dir. of Player Development: Rich Peverley
AHL Affiliate: Texas Stars
ECHL Affiliate: Idaho Steelheads

*Mavrik Bourque (Seeger Gray-USA TODAY Sports)*

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Logan Stankoven, RW, 21 (Dallas Stars)

Acquired: Drafted 47th overall, second round in 2021

Stankoven made a huge impression in his first pro season, scoring 24 goals and 57 points in 47 games with the Texas Stars. That was enough to win Rookie of the Year honors, which, given he also played 24 games with the big club, tells you just how dominant he was. Stankoven is small at just 5-foot-8, but that hasn’t slowed him down in his pursuit to become one of the best prospects in the game. He had 14 points in 24 games and was a great secondary producer during Dallas’ playoff run. Stankoven is still eligible for the Calder Trophy, and with him projected to play a top-six role next year, he should be a serious challenger alongside Philadelphia’s Cutter Gauthier and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.

2. Mavrik Bourque, C, 22 (Dallas Stars)

Acquired: Drafted 30th overall, first round in 2020

For as good as Stankoven was, Bourque was even more impressive. After a solid rookie campaign in 2022-23, he blew the doors open with 26 goals, 51 assists and 77 points in 71 games to lead the AHL in scoring and take home MVP honors. Bourque made his NHL debut, too, and now has nothing left to prove in the minors. A late first-rounder in 2020, Bourque finished his QMJHL career two years ago producing at a wild rate and hasn’t slowed down since turning pro. That momentum and confidence in himself is going to take him far, and while he might end up being a third-liner with this current group, I feel like they’ll easily be able to put him in anywhere and get production.

3. Lian Bichsel, LHD, 20 (Texas, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 18th overall, first round in 2022

*Lian Bichsel (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)*

Well, what a wild year that was for Bichsel. After starting the year with some decent showings in the preseason, he began the season with Texas before returning to Sweden to finish the year. In my viewings, I liked him a bit more on the smaller NHL-sized ice than with Rogle, but we still saw how physically dominant the 6-foot-6 defender could be when he’s on his game. Bichsel is set to re-join Texas after nearly getting into NHL duty during the playoffs, and I think this could be the year where he shows just how good of a defenseman he actually is.

4. Emil Hemming, RW, 18 (TPS, Liiga)

Acquired: Drafted 29th overall, first round in 2024

While I’m not sure Hemming has enough high-end upside, there’s still so much to like here. He’s capable of getting creative offensively, but I feel like he’s a future bottom-six forward who can outmuscle players while staying disciplined and grinding it out all game long. His defensive game is nice, too. If he improves his skating, I can see Hemming playing a more prominent role in the NHL, but at a minimum, I think he works hard enough to earn himself a spot deeper down. With Dallas already boasting a top-heavy front end, Hemming gives the team some flexibility and versatility that few in the system can.

5. Christian Kyrou, RHD, 20 (Texas, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 50th overall, second round in 2022

Kyrou quickly shot up Dallas’ depth chart after putting up 20 goals and 77 points in the OHL in 2022-23. This past year, he had an impressive rookie season with Texas, showing some good offensive skills while also adjusting to a more calm, calculated game compared to the free-flowing style he dominated with in junior. With the puck, Kyrou is one of the more purely talented players in Dallas’ system. But at 5-foot-10, he’s not big and can struggle in more physical situations. I hope he can add a bit more muscle because you won’t find many AHL defenders his size with the ability to move the puck and make the plays he can.

6. Aram Minnetian, RHD, 19 (Boston College, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 125th overall, fourth round in 2023

*Aram Minnetian (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

I was a big fan of Minnetian during his draft year and was excited to see him make the move to college. He didn’t put many points on the board, but that’s not his game. Instead, it’s about being a mobile defender who takes space away and leaves you little room to work with. He can hit like a truck and always looks to make a good outlet pass. There’s nothing that really stands out at a high level in Minnetian’s game, but he’s not going to cost you games with bad mistakes or costly play reads out there.

7. Ayrton Martino, LW, 21 (Clarkson University, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 73rd overall, third round in 2021

Martino saw his point production fall a bit in his junior year with Clarkson, but he did finish with seven points in his final five games. Overall, it was another solid year for the third-rounder who does an excellent job of reading plays and beating opponents in 1-on-1 situations. From watching him play in the OJHL as a 17-year-old, you could tell he’s a smart player who’s calculated in his decision-making and can beat opponents in tight areas. He’s also a bit stronger than I recall seeing him earlier in his junior career, although don’t expect him to land massive hits. I’m not sure what type of NHL role he’ll have, but I think he will be challenging for a spot on the roster shortly once he’s done with school.

8. Tristan Bertucci, LHD, 19 (Flint, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 61st overall, second round in 2023

*Tristan Bertucci (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Bertucci’s numbers dropped this past season, but he was one of the few bright spots on a bad Firebirds squad. He played significant minutes, played through injuries and still had a solid year. The Stars inked him to an NHL entry-level contract, so they must be happy with what they saw given the circumstances. I like Bertucci, so I get it. I think he’s got a great reach, moves well enough and while he is a capable offensive threat, I think he has some shutdown potential, too. He just needs to keep getting a bit stronger and make smarter, more effective decisions with the puck to become a serious roster threat one day.

9. Remi Poirier, G, 22 (Texas, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 185th overall, sixth round in 2020

It wasn’t always easy to be a goaltender with Texas this year, but Poirier was the best of the crop. His numbers aren’t special by any means, but I think he has shown enough in the past two years with Dallas’ system to suggest he’s a decent depth option with the potential to be the team’s new Matt Murray – a call-up option that won’t completely fall apart out there. I don’t think he’s anything more than a backup in the NHL, but I feel like he battles hard and is hard to beat laterally. If you’ve watched him enough the past two years, you see a guy who can handle a heavy workload, too.

10. Antonio Stranges, LW, 22 (Texas, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 123rd overall, fourth round in 2020

Stranges is one of the more entertaining prospects in hockey, with an ability to create highlight-reel plays on a dime. He did it with the London Knights, and that has carried over to Texas, too. But being fun doesn’t mean being effective, and that’s where I’m a bit more concerned about Stranges’ game. Sure, his hands are incredible, but the work ehtic isn’t always there and he can be lazy away from the puck a bit too much for my liking. Stranges has gotten better at limiting that, but we’ve seen players like him come up often with so much skill but not enough overall ability to make themselves useful when they’re not dangling the pants off someone. He’s also only 5-foot-10, which doesn’t help. With Stankoven and Bourque moving up, it’s time for Stranges to show what he’s capable of before the end of his entry-level contract next summer.

Other notables: Justin Hryckowian, C (23), Arttu Hyry, RW (23), Kyle McDonald, RW (22), Justin Ertel, LW (21), Chase Wheatcroft, LW (22), Matthew Seminoff, RW (20), Francesco Arcuri, C (21), William Samuelsson, C (18), Sebastian Bradshaw, LW (19), Brad Gardiner, C (19), Angus MacDonell, C (19), Albert Sjoberg, RW (21), George Fagaras, RHD (20), Jack Bar, RHD (21), Niilopekka Muhonen, LHD), Luke Krys, RHD (23), Connor Punnett, LHD (21), Gavin White, RHD (21), Ben Kraws, G (23), Arno Tiefensee, G (22), Maxim Mayorov, G (20)

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