Stars prospect camp report

The Dallas Stars prospect camp was held for six days from July 22 to July 27 in Dallas. In attendance were a good number of prospects from overseas, especially Finland, as well as most of the Stars prospects playing in North America. There were also some veteran players and players from the local NAHL team, the Texas Tornado, on hand. The camp opened with a focus on skill-oriented drills for the skaters and work on technique and positioning for the goaltenders. Some more competition-style drills were spaced throughout the camp, such as two-on-two play restricted to one zone of the ice.

After five days of intensive drills, the players on hand for the Stars prospect camp finally got a chance for a bit more competition. Split into Team White and Team Black, the players went at one another for two periods of unconventional hockey. The first period was played three-on-three, and the second period was played four-on-four.

Team Black consisted mostly of the Stars higher quality and more experienced prospects. In goal for Team Black was large Swiss goaltender Tobias Stephan. The blue line was anchored by top prospects Trevor Daley from Sault St. Marie of the OHL and Martin Vagner from Hull of the QMJHL. There was also a defenseman from the Texas Tornado on Team Black. The prominent forward skaters were top prospects Steve Ott and Antti Miettinen from HPK in Finland. From Dallas’s AHL affiliate, the Utah Grizzlies, came Jeff Bateman, Justin Cox, Brett Draney, and Barrett Heisten. 2003 second round pick Brandon Crombeen and Tuomas Mikkonen from JYP in Finland skated for Team Black as well. 

Team White had a few notable prospects as well, and this team contained current Star Aaron Downey. On the blue line for Team White were Utah defenseman Dan Jancevski and 2003 eighth round Finnish draftee Niko Vainio. The forward corps was based on several players from Europe, specifically center Yared Hagos from Timrå in Sweden, Jussi Jokinen from Kärpät in Finland, and Marius Holtet from Bofors in Sweden. Other Stars prospects among the forwards were recently signed Moose Jaw left wing David Bararuk and 2003 sixth round pick Francis Wathier from Hull of the QMJHL. The remainder of the team was composed by minor leaguer Mike Sgroi and a few players from the Texas Tornado, including the goaltender.

At the end of the game, Team Black had skated to a 9-6 victory. Team White held a 5-4 lead after the first frame, but Team Black outscored its opponents by a margin of 5 to 1 in the second frame. Unofficial scoring for each team follows in the tables at the end of the article. Players are only mentioned if they recorded a point.

Over the balance of the camp, Hagos was the most outstanding player. He flourished in the drills and had a very strong showing in the scrimmage. For a player that stands at 6’1" and weighs 205 lbs, Hagos showed very quick feet, giving him remarkable agility, acceleration, and speed. His puck control was good, though sometimes in attempts to make flashy moves he would lose his handle on the puck. Hagos was consistently among the players giving the most effort and to good effect. He was very solid defensively and quite dominant physically. He displayed crisp passing and a good shot among his offensive talents. In the scrimmage, this well-rounded package helped him to stand out from the other players on his team even if he did not lead them in scoring. Overall, it was an excellent showing for the large Swede.

The other forwards that shone at the camp were Jokinen and Heisten. Jokinen was very good in all the events from the skill-based drills to the scrimmage. His puck control was very smooth, and he was excellent on offense. He was able to get shots off seemingly at will and showed good power and accuracy with his shot. Jokinen’s passing was also noticeable, but he was a far better sniper. He worked hard and was reliable on defense, so much so that he frequently played on the back end during the scrimmage. Heisten was a bit of a surprise despite being a former first round pick. During the skill-based drills, Heisten did not appear to be the most skilled individual, but all around, his talents were respectable. Whenever a bit of competition was involved, however, Heisten stood out. He appeared very driven and was putting in a tremendous amount of effort to be the best. He managed just that in the scrimmage, where he was the top scorer. While no one particular thing stood out about Heisten’s game, he did put everything together in a package that made him among the best in competition. Hopefully, he can carry this on and improve on last season. 

Unlike Jokinen, who was reliable at both ends, Holtet exhibited dazzling offensive talent but had lapses in his defensive coverage. During the drills, Holtet was among the most visible players because of his high-tempo, skilled game and outstanding shot and release. His skating was also quite good, and he was making moves at high speed. During the scrimmage, however, Holtet shirked his defensive responsibilities, and as a result, he was nearly invisible since he hardly left his zone.  

Top forward prospects Ott and Miettinen were also noticeable at the camp. Ott seemed to be everywhere at once, bringing his trademark kinetic style to the camp. He was giving it his all and was often the first player to complete the drills. While he did not have the success of some of his counterparts, Ott was still impressive. He displayed his good package of skill and energy in both the drills and the scrimmage. If he did not seem to be fighting the puck at times, he probably would have stood out more. In the scrimmage, Ott probably missed three or four chances he normally would have buried. In stark contrast to Ott’s style of play, Miettinen was impressive because of his relaxed style. His game just seems to flow naturally. Miettinen was not left behind on the skill drills, but he did not have one particular skill that was significantly better than the others were. He does not really do anything flashy, but the mistakes were rare. Miettinen was usually in perfect position and seemed to have no problem gaining or retaining control of the puck. His offensive skill was admirable in all facets, but he does not look like a true playmaker or sniper. Overall, Miettinen appeared a very well-rounded player, and it was hard to tell if he was even trying since his game was so smooth.

Recent picks Crombeen and Wathier were on different ends of the spectrum regarding their skills. Crombeen may have been a reach in the second round of the 2003 draft, but he did show nice fundamentals. His straight-line speed, shot, and work ethic were terrific. His play along the boards and defensive coverage were also things that stood out. However, Crombeen does need significant work on his agility and puck control. In the scrimmage, Crombeen was among the best players since he drove the net and used his shot to great success. It is way too early to tell if he will ever be anything in the NHL, but he should be one to keep an eye on. Wathier was a different matter entirely. He is an extremely raw player whose real upside appears to be that of a crash and bang player on the lower lines. He did not appear significantly skilled, nor were any aspects of his game outstanding, except for his effectiveness when playing in traffic. 

The remaining forwards, most of who will be playing in Utah this year, all had rather average camps with some outstanding moments. From Utah, Bateman, Draney, and Cox all have made strides since last year, but their talents at this point are still better tailored for the AHL, especially when the Stars depth is considered. Making the team will probably be difficult for these guys, but their enthusiasm was contagious. They gave everything they had. Bararuk appeared to have put on some bulk from last year, but he did not appear as dynamic an offensive player, perhaps because he bulked up. He is a one who will probably benefit from some playing time in the minors. The last forward from Europe, Mikkonen looks like an intriguing pick. Overall, he did not stand out, but there were moments where he looked like he had another level. With the Stars system the way it is, there should be ample time for him to play in Europe to see if that is true.

On the back end, both Trevor Daley and Martin Vagner were flying. Daley was perhaps the most gifted player offensively at the camp. Certainly, his speed and agility were unmatched by any in attendance. That he was able to keep the puck under control at full flight was impressive. Once in the offensive zone, he was more of a shooter than a passer, but he does have excellent vision to go with a great shot. His defensive coverage is improved a little over what he showed last year, but it still is not really NHL level. Though he will push hard for a spot at camp, time in the AHL may help with this. Oddly, Vagner, another defenseman, was the closest to matching Daley’s speed. Vagner had a tough year, but there still looks to be a ton of promise. His main problems at the camp were his gap control and puck control. He can rush the puck, but he cannot hold on to the puck like Daley can. He is more suited to being a first pass defenseman who jumps into the play. His physical play was up a notch from the year before, and he still had the same good shot. Hopefully, he starts to use it more because it could only add to his game. Likely, his problems are mostly mental, and if he can resolve them, who knows how good he could be.

While not to the level of Daley or Vagner, Jancevski had a very good showing as well. Jancevski’s main issue is a lack of straight-line speed. Once a player is by him, they are gone. However, his lateral movement is much better since he was able to keep up with Daley going one-on-one. Able to handle opposing players physically or with positioning, Jancevski looked very solid in his own zone. Once he managed to get into the offensive zone, he also showed a very hard slap shot that managed to find the net a few times.  John Erskine, who is from the same mold of defensemen as Jancevski, attended for a few days of the camp, but did not compete in the scrimmage. He was not spectacular, but the no-frills way that he got things done made him appear to be more NHL-ready than the other defensemen present. He was there more for a tune-up than actual competition.

The last Stars defensive prospect in attendance was young Finn Vainio. That he managed to produce in the scrimmage was somewhat surprising since he was not that great in the drills. He was very raw and awkward-looking. A lot of this probably has to do with his extremely lanky body, being 6’1" and only 180 lbs. At times, he was nearly falling over himself, and this showed itself most in his puck control. His defensive coverage was poor, and he was often being beaten to the outside. The one shining hope was in his skating, which was very smooth. He will definitely need development time in Finland before a better assessment of his potential can be made. That he was willing to come over so soon, however, says a bit about his aspirations.

The only Stars goalie prospect on hand was Stephan. His height made him stand out quite a bit since few of the skaters approached or matched it. Bent at the waist, his back was even with the crossbar. Being a big goalie, it would be expected that his agility may suffer, but that was not the case with Stephan. His lateral mobility was excellent. Couple that with his size, and he was nearly impossible to beat low once he was down. Stephan appeared to be quite adept with his glove hand though he was rarely tested there. He also showed proficiency with his poke check. Perhaps his biggest asset was his calmness; even after allowing what could be considered a weak goal, he rarely seemed ruffled. The one big problem in his game was a tendency to allow goals through his five-hole. He had issues with his angles as well, but that is somewhat expected since he is used to a different ice surface. 

The camp really was a great learning experience for those involved. It gave the North American players a little more focus on improving skills while giving the European players a taste of the North American style of play. Hopefully, all the players involved can make this have a positive impact on their games.

Prospect News and Notes

In the month since the draft, some changes have come in the Stars system. The most notable changes are the additions of SM-Liiga regular season MVP Antti Miettinen and Swedish forward Mathias Tjärnqvist to the North American ranks. Both will be in training camp with the Stars and should make the race for the final few spots on the Stars roster all that more interesting. Miettinen signed a two-year contract and is willing to work his way through the AHL ranks if necessary. Tjärnqvist signed a one-year contract and is now working out in Sweden with his former team. In this same line, defenseman John Erskine was recently re-signed to a one-year contract.

Scrimmage Scoring

Team Black