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It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third 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. Players over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re checking out the Dallas Stars.

A year ago, the Stars had two solid prospects leading the way in Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque. It wasn’t an entirely deep pipeline, but having those two go on to become full-time NHLers last year added some extra legitimacy.

But Stankoven is gone, being used as trade bait to land Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. It was a great move then and remains a great move today, even after Stankoven signed an eight-year deal to stay in Raleigh.

But beyond that, Dallas’ pipeline just lacks… everything. Lian Bichsel is the only one who’ll become a full-time NHLer this year, and then there’s a ton of other project players throughout the pipeline. The Stars won’t mind – they’re focused on another long playoff run. But don’t expect much value on the trade front if GM Jim Nill is forced to decimate the farm to bring in immediate help.

Biggest Strength

The Stars have some solid defensive depth, with Bichsel easily leading the way. While none of the others is a sure-fire NHLer, I do like what Christian Kyrou and Aram Minnetian bring to the table, in different ways. I won’t give up on Tristan Bertucci or George Fegaras, either. Those are two that I’ll always have time for and still think should be in the conversation for third-pairing jobs at some point in the next few years. There might not be much in terms of high-end defensive talent, but I like what they have.

Biggest Weakness

A year ago, the Stars had a legit top-six scoring threat in Stankoven. Now, most of the team’s top forward prospects look more destined to play bottom-six roles. Emil Hemming feels like the safest best to become an NHLer due to his versatility. Cameron Schmidt – the team’s top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft – is the most skilled forward in the pipeline, but his small stature could hold him back. Beyond that, there isn’t much in terms of offensive depth, and no one else who projects to become a top-six threat.

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

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Lian Bichsel (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)*

1. Lian Bichsel, LHD, 21 (Dallas Stars)

Acquired: Drafted 18th overall, first round in 2022

Bichsel had a fascinating season in 2024-25. He split the year between the NHL and AHL, and he seemingly played better in Dallas than he did with Texas. The 6-foot-7, 231-pound defender is absolutely massive. Like, there are few blueliners his age that are scarier to go up against. Offense has never been a big part of his game, but he actually reads plays in the attacking zone quite well. Bichsel’s name has been linked in trade rumors for a few years now and that’s because any major trade has to include him as a key target at this point. It won’t be long until Bichsel is a huge part of Dallas’ blueline.

2. Emil Hemming, RW, 19 (Barrie Colts, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 29th overall, first round in 2024

Hemming left Finland for the first time to play in the OHL last year, putting up 18 goals and 48 points with the Colts. Inconsistency seemed to be an issue – again – but it’s hard to not love the pro-level skills. He has a good 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame, and he loves to battle hard in front of the net. Scouts have also liked how much energy he seems to have late in games – he’s built for endurance. I like his wrist shot, and I think he plays with a bit more skill than he gets credit for. I hope to see more consistency and confidence in his games in his second year in North America – we’ll chalk up 2024-25 to a tough learning curve.

3. Ayrton Martino, LW, 22 (Texas Stars, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 73rd overall, third round in 2021

Martino was one of the top wingers in the NCAA this past year, pacing the Clarkson Golden Knights with 25 goals, 26 assists, and 51 points. He was named the ECAC’s Player of the Year and was a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, too. 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 has continued to add some muscle to his game, but don’t expect him to start knocking guys down. I’m not sure what type of NHL role he’ll have, but a year or two in the AHL could do wonders for him.

4. Cameron Schmidt, RW, 18 (Vancouver Giants, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 94th overall, third round in 2025

*Cameron Schmidt (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

It’ll never not be funny that the most exciting player on the Giants this year happened to be the most skilled “small” player in the 2025 NHL Draft. Schmidt might be 5-foot-8, but he makes up for it in pure skill. He started the season as one of the league’s most productive forwards. His numbers started to quiet down as the season wore on, but he still showed his incredible puck skills and play reads every single night. Schmidt is a pure offensive forward with great speed and likes being in front of the net. Of course, with any smaller player, you have to wonder if the skill will be able to translate over against tougher competition. But it worked with Stankoven, and the Stars are likely hoping it happens again here.

5. Christian Kyrou, RHD, 22 (Texas Stars, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 50th overall, second round in 2022

Kyrou has always played a high-risk, high-reward style game – and I love that. Back in his OHL days, he was never afraid to rush the puck from his own zone, and he had a great shot, too. That carried over to his game when he jumped over to Texas, although injuries limited him to just 15 points in 36 games this year. Kyrou needs to add some more muscle, and improve his defensive reads if he’s going to become an NHLer. But I really like where his game has been in the AHL so far. Next year, I want him to play the full campaign and earn an NHL call-up along the way.

6. Aram Minnetian, RHD, 20 (Boston College, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 125th overall, fourth round in 2023

*Aram Minnetian (Eric Canha-Imagn Images)*

There’s absolutely nothing sexy about Minnetian’s game. He doesn’t shoot a lot of pucks, he won’t pull off incredible, hair-raising moves and he’s best when you don’t notice him. But as an actual defenseman, Minnetian has so much going for him. He’s a mobile defender who takes space away and leaves you little room to work with. He can hit like a truck (which is impressive given he’s 5-foot-11) and always looks to make a good outlet pass. He had a solid year at Boston College, showing some improved chops as a puck-mover. Look for him to spend another year at BC before potentially transitioning to the AHL next spring.

7. Tristan Bertucci, LHD, 20 (Texas Stars, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 61st overall, second round in 2023

Bertucci’s numbers slipped in each of the two years after getting drafted, which is never ideal. I did like some of what I saw from him this past year, though – he had to do a lot of extra defensive work to make up for Gabriel Eliasson. I like that Bertucci calmed his decision-making down a bit, although I’d like to see the intensity with the puck that made him dangerous back in his GTHL days. He’ll have a solid opportunity to earn a lot of ice time in Texas this year, so we’ll see where his game’s at.

8. George Fegaras, RHD, 21 (Cornell University, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 83rd overall, third round in 2022

*George Fegaras (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

Yup. You saw that right – Fegaras represented Team Greece internationally last year. He was damn good, too, registering nine points in three games against teams like Jamaica, Lebanon and Puerto Rico (made up of a mix of junior, college and minor pro players). Back in the NCAA, Fegaras finished his sophomore year with Cornell, doubling his output from seven points to 14. Fegaras is much better defensively than offensively, but he has a great shot and a 6-foot-2 frame to boot. I’d like to see him become more involved in Cornell’s offense next year, but I still see a defenseman with No. 6/7 potential.

9. Brandon Gorzynski, C/LW, 18 (Calgary Hitmen, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 126th overall, fourth round in 2025

Gorzynski had an excellent second half of the year, making himself one of the biggest movers up draft rankings. The 6-foot-2 forward does an excellent job of making everyone around him better because he lets them focus on getting into scoring lanes. Gorzynski will never be a playdriver, but he works hard to win puck battles and is willing to compete in congested areas of the ice. He’s always moving and trying to chase down pucks. Gorzynski has the shot to be a solid producer at the junior level, but he also has the pure workman-like effort that teams absolutely crave. Look for another big season from the powerful skater.

10. Måns Goos, G, 18 (Farjestad BK, Sweden U-20)

Acquired: Drafted 158th overall, fifth round in 2025

It’s hard to miss Goos out there – he stands tall at a massive 6-foot-5. Teams love big goaltenders and he’s got good enough athleticism to work with. His inconsistency was an issue this year, in my opinion. But you can’t ignore the upside. If Goos can work on some more lateral speed, he’ll be in excellent shape to at least become an NHL backup. He’s raw right now, and he just needs to keep facing a ton of shots – and, eventually, move up to the SHL – to really push himself forward.

The rest: Kyle McDonald, RW (23), Justin Ertel, LW (22), Chase Wheatcroft, LW (22), Matthew Seminoff, RW (21), Angus MacDonell, C (20), Francesco Arcuri, C (22), Antonio Stranges, LW (23), Atte Joki, C (17), Dawson Sharkey, RW (18), Charlie Paquette, RW (19), William Samuelsson, C (19), Sebastian Bradshaw, LW (20), Jack Bar, RHD (22), Trey Taylor, LHD (23), Connor Punnett, LHD (22), Gavin White, RHD (22), Niilopekka Muhonen, LHD (19), Arno Tiefensee, G (23), Remi Poirier, G (23), Ben Kraws, G (24), Maxim Mayorov, G (21)

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