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Stars 2005 draft review
Written by: Courtney Wagner on 08/10/2005 
With the new CBA bringing forth a new-look NHL, the high-spending Dallas Stars will need to focus more on player development. The team could benefit from more offensive talent and players with strong playmaking abilities. With their seven choices in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft the Stars selected five forwards, one defenseman and one goaltender. Three of their selections were Canadian, two American and two European.
Matt Niskanen, D
Round 1, 28th overall
Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl (USHSW)
With their first selection, Dallas chose Matt Niskanen, a defenseman from Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl. He was instrumental in the Blue Devils success, helping them to the Class A state tournament. The Minnesota native was a Mr. Hockey finalist, named to the AP All-State first team, and was a member of the 2003 US U-18 Select team and was one to watch at the Minnesota Ted Brill Great 8 Festival. Niskanen is an all-round athlete; he was a four-time all-conference pitcher and infielder for the baseball team and was the first player to double as the Duluth News-Tribune's player of the year for hockey and football, where he played as a quarterback.
Niskanen is a smooth two-way player who is quick on his skates and can move well with the puck. He has a hard shot and is experienced in controlling the flow of the game. His experience has made him a very poised player who knows when to jump into the play and he is a solid hitter who can be utilized in all situations.
Niskanen is committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for the fall.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Virginia H.S. | 29 | 27 | 38 | 65 | 34 |
James Neal, LW
Round 2, 33rd overall
Plymouth Whalers (OHL)
Five selections after their first pick the Stars chose James Neal at 33rd overall. He made his debut with the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL in 2003-04 where he had an impressive showing with six points in nine games. He continued his strong play in his rookie season with the Whalers in 2004-05 where he had 18 goals and 44 points. Neal started the season strong and had 36 points by the end of January, but he struggled down the stretch and only added eight more points to his total. Despite his lack of production in the second half of the season, Neal was invited to play with Team Canada at the U-18 world championships where he had a goal and an assist in six games.
Neal has the potential to be a power forward at the next level with his size and offensive skills. He is a physical player who will go hard to the net. He sees the ice well and will compete for the puck down low.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Plymouth | 67 | 18 | 26 | 44 | 32 |
Richard Clune, LW
Round 3, 71st overall
Sarnia Sting (OHL)
The Stars third choice in the draft was Richard Clune from the Sarnia Sting in the OHL. In his rookie season with the Sting, he was limited in his playing time because of the number of veteran forwards the team had, but despite that he was chosen to play for Team Ontario in the Under 17 tournament in 2003 where he had one goal and eight assists in six games en route to the gold medal. He then played for Team Canada at the Under 18 tournament in 2004 where he had one goal in five games in another gold medal winning effort. His second season with the Sting saw him get more ice time as the team was rebuilding and had traded away some veterans. Clune spent time on the top two lines and on the special teams and had a solid year statistically.
A gritty, aggressive player, Clune plays hard every night. He skates well and is not afraid to go into the corners hard. He could benefit from adding muscle, which would help him put up big numbers. His experience internationally shows that he is able to compete well with his peers with a short amount of preparation time. Clune should be able to increase his point production in the future. He has the potential of developing into a checking or power forward at the next level and could progress to a second line forward, depending on his physical progression.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Sarnia | 68 | 21 | 13 | 34 | 103 |
Perttu Lindgren, C
Round 3, 75th overall
Ilves Jr. (FNL)
Four selections later Dallas had their fourth pick and they chose Perttu Lindgren out of Finland. He was a top scorer for his nation at the Under 17 level and he helped his Finnish Jr. A team Ilves win the championship by setting a new scoring record. Lindgren was a disappointment during the Under 18 world championships in 2005 where he failed to produce until the relegation series.
A finesse player with good vision, Lindgren is a strong skater and stickhandler in his native Finland. A solid playmaker, he is now going to the net more and developing sniper instincts. He has good size and can take care of himself on the ice, but he isn't a physical force. Lindgren's two-way game consists of cutting passing lines and directing transitions in the play. He could use a little more control in the offensive side of his game, but is still quite strong in this area. Lindgren could benefit from spending more time in Finland to hone his skills and lead his team in production.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Ilves Jr. | 38 | 12 | 29 | 41 | 2 |
Tom Wandell, C
Round 5, 146th overall
Sodertalje Jr. (Sweden)
With their fifth choice the Stars took a gamble on Tom Wandell from Sodertalje Jr. in Sweden. Wandell missed most of the 2004-05 season recovering from an ACL injury. A technically skilled player, when healthy he is one to watch with his strong offensive play.
Wandell's future will depend on how he recovers from his injury and if he can regain the offensive skill he has displayed in the past.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Sodertalje Jr. | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Matt Watkins, RW
Round 5, 160th overall
Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
With their second pick in the fifth round the Stars selected Matt Watkins. The Saskatchewan native was the 2003-04 Midget AAA offensive player of the year in his home province and also the top scorer. The sniper moved on to the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL and continued his strong offensive production with 74 points in 60 games. He also played in the 2004-05 BCHL All-Star game.
A smart player with good vision, Watkins has good speed and skill. Patient with the puck, he sees the ice well and is also strong on the power play. He has committed to play for the University of North Dakota this fall.
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| 2004-05 | Vernon | 60 | 36 | 38 | 74 | 53 |
Pat McGann, G
Round 7, 223rd overall
Illinois AAA (USMHL)
In the seventh round, with their last selection, the Stars picked goaltender Pat McGann from Illinois. McGann will be moving from midget hockey to the USHL. Beyond that, he will likely attend an NCAA program, which will give him plenty of time to develop.
| Year | Team | GP | W | L | T | GAA | SV% | SO |
| 2004-05 | Illinois AAA | 10 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2.70 | .880 | 3 |
Eric Vegoe, Jason Ahrens, Pekka Lampinen, Jesse Gill and Johan Nilsson contributed to this report. Copyright 2005 Hockey's Future. Do not duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
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