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Stars AHL prospects season review
Written by: Kevin Wey on 06/04/2006 
At forward, Swedish rookie Loui Eriksson established himself as one of the top offensive threats in the AHL in the second half of the season and could challenge for a spot in Dallas in training camp. Right winger Junior Lessard emerged from the depths in Houston in 2004-05 to representing the Iowa Stars at the 2006 AHL All-Star Game. In net, Mike Smith established himself as the No. 1 goalie for the I-Stars down the stretch and was named the AHL Goalie of the Month for April.
Other Dallas prospects did not make major impacts in the AHL, but they had fairly positive seasons nonetheless. On the blue line, free agent acquisition Mario Scalzo established himself as a legitimate NHL prospect defenseman after going undrafted out of the QMJHL. Swedish defenseman Nicklas Grossman also had a strong rookie AHL season by establishing himself as one of the team's most dependable defensive defensemen after being a scratch early in the season. At forward, Marius Holtet was able to expand upon the fourth-line role he had in Houston in 2004-05 to become a regular penalty killer for the I-Stars.
Other Dallas prospects in the minor pro ranks had mixed seasons. Dan Ellis had a fine season by any statistical measure, but he was on the losing end of the battle for time in the Iowa net down the stretch and in the playoffs. Vojtech Polak started the season on fire, but nagging injuries limited his effectiveness in the second half of the season. B.J. Crombeen started the season with a regular shift, but he found himself a scratch more and more often as the season progressed and was even assigned to the ECHL for a while. Yared Hagos had trouble staying on the third line and ended the season with a leg injury that forced him to miss much of the stretch drive and kept him out of the playoffs entirely. Janos Vas missed significant time with two major injuries and also had to regroup in the ECHL twice. Francis Wathier missed even more time, as a severe shoulder injury forced him to miss nearly the entire 2005-06 season. David Bararuk was assigned to the ECHL for nearly the entire season.
David Bararuk - LW
Age: 23 (3rd Year Pro)
Acquired: 5th Rd, 147th overall, 2002 NHL Entry Draft
Third-year pro David Bararuk needed to have a good season. But in the final year of his entry-level contract with Dallas, Bararuk saw the number of games he played in the AHL decrease for the second straight year. Bararuk started the AHL season with the Iowa Stars, but he was a healthy scratch the first game, played Oct. 8 against the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, and then reassigned to Idaho of the ECHL on Oct. 17, four days before the Steelheads’ season opener at the Bank of America Centre Oct. 24.
Bararuk was one of Idaho's top offensive players in 2005-06 and scored 10 goals and 11 assists in his first 18 games for the Steelheads before the I-Stars recalled him again Dec. 8. He played in Iowa's Dec. 9 game against the San Antonio Rampage, was scratched the next night against the Chicago Wolves, and subsequently reassigned again on Dec. 12 to Idaho, where he played the remainder of the season.
Although he was unable to crack the I-Stars, he was an impact player in the ECHL. Bararuk averaged over a point per game in the ECHL for the first time in his career by scoring 25 goals and 46 assists in 65 games, third in Idaho scoring and 16th overall in the ECHL. Bararuk was especially dangerous on the power play, where he was fourth in ECHL scoring with 13 goals and 26 assists. The Kelly Cup Playoffs started especially well for Bararuk, as he scored three goals and five assists in the first four games of the West Division Semifinals against the Las Vegas Wranglers. The ECHL subsequently rewarded Bararuk by naming him the In Glas Co Player of the Week. However, Bararuk and the Steelheads were unable to lasso the Wranglers after establishing a 3-1 lead in the series. Las Vegas won the final three games and Bararuk was held pointless in all three affairs.
What is fairly certain is that he will not be re-signed by the Dallas organization. In his limited action with Iowa in 2005-06, Bararuk was unable to adjust his scoring game at the ECHL level to a scrappier two-way game at the AHL level. Bararuk was able to hold his own in the AHL, but Iowa needed him to contribute more energy from the fourth line.
If Dallas had been the sole supplier of prospects to Iowa in 2005-06, Bararuk probably would have received more opportunities to prove himself at the AHL level, but the stiff competition for spots on the I-Stars between Dallas prospects, Edmonton prospects, and various ECHLers recalled during the season, meant Bararuk faced the difficult task of having to contribute something immediately, and each and every shift.
B.J. Crombeen - RW
Age: 20 (1st Year Pro)
Acquired: 2nd Rd, 54th overall, 2003 NHL Entry Draft
First-year pro B.J. Crombeen started 2005-06 as a regular, but as the season progressed, he found it more and more difficult to crack the Iowa line-up.
Crombeen played in all but two of Iowa's first 33 games, in which he scored four goals and five assists, but an injury suffered Dec. 31 knocked him out of the first five games of 2006. He returned Jan. 14 in Iowa's 1-2 loss to the Cleveland Barons, but was regularly scratched the rest of the month.
The 20-year-old right winger was assigned to Idaho Jan. 30 and scored two goals and one assist in three games before rejoining Iowa Feb. 4, as a scratch. Crombeen played in Iowa's next four games, but was assigned to Idaho again Feb. 16. In his second ECHL stint, Crombeen scored three goals and two assists in five games, demonstrating he had enough offensive potential to be a point-per-game player at the AA level. Crombeen rejoined Iowa Feb. 27, but was scratched in 10 of Iowa's 24 remaining regular season games. In 52 total games, Crombeen scored five goals and seven assists, but he only had two goals and two assists after Dec. 31. Crombeen started the playoffs by scoring a goal in Game 1 against Milwaukee in the West Division Semifinals, but he was scratched in Games 3 and 4 of the seven-game series.
As other players stepped forward, especially after missing games in early January due to injury, it became increasingly difficult for Crombeen to crack the line-up. To start the season, Crombeen had a regular shift as checking forward who provided size at 6'2, 212 pounds, and a strong presence along the boards. It was common to see Crombeen use his powerful stride on the forecheck and paste opponents into the glass in 2005, but he became less visible in 2006 and lost his identity as one of Iowa's most physical forwards.
Despite having difficulty cracking the Iowa line-up the second half of the season, Crombeen should be a regular in his sophomore season. Crombeen will provide much needed size and physicality along the boards next year, as well as a willingness to drop the gloves to defend his teammates. With two more seasons left in his entry-level contract, Crombeen still has a shot at developing into a fourth line right winger for the Stars.
Dan Ellis - G
Age 26 (3rd Year Pro)
Acquired: 2nd Rd, 60th overall, 2000 NHL Entry Draft
If a few pivotal moments had gone differently for Dan Ellis in 2005-06, he might have been the hero down the stretch for the Iowa Stars and in prime position to graduate to the NHL in 2006-07. Instead, Ellis' future is up in the air, despite a fairly solid season.
Ellis earned the first win in Iowa Stars history Oct. 16 in a 7-2 victory over the San Antonio Rampage, and Ellis was easily Iowa's best netminder in the first few games. However, Ellis opened the door for Smith by giving up six goals in two consecutive starts, Oct. 28 and Nov. 8, and giving up three goals in the first period against Peoria Nov. 13, after which he was pulled. Smith received the next two starts and Ellis then left the team for a week to tend to his mother, who suffered significant injuries when the bus she was a passenger in rolled.
Ellis got another opportunity to retake the Iowa net when Smith was summoned by Team Canada Dec. 11 for the Loto Cup in Slovakia. Smith's absence allowed Ellis to make five straight starts Dec. 10 through Dec. 23, all five of which he won. Shortly after Smith returned, Ellis was recalled under emergency conditions by Dallas Dec. 26 to back up Johan Hedberg against St. Louis. Ellis was returned to Iowa the next day.
After Ellis returned from his one-game recall with Dallas, Ellis and Smith platooned in net with neither taking a significant advantage over the other until Feb. 18, when Ellis allowed three goals on seven shots 3:58 into the game.
After the Houston game, Smith received more and more time in net. Ellis only received three starts in Iowa's 14 games in March, and he made only two starts in April before Smith was rested for Iowa's final two games of the season. The 26-year-old old Ellis had compiled a respectable .911 save percentage and 2.78 goals-against average in 1857 minutes of action, but Smith was Iowa's goaltender down the stretch and was the goalie named AHL Goalie of the Month for April. Smith was also the goalie that played every minute of the Calder Cup Playoffs for the Iowa Stars.
Even though Smith established himself as Iowa's No. 1 netminder, Ellis is still a fine goaltender in his own right. Ellis is technically solid, follows the puck well, reads the play well, and plays his angles accordingly. However, Ellis flops from time to time, which makes it difficult for him to freeze and control rebounds. Ellis can handle the puck reasonably well, and he plays his odds better than Smith, but Smith is the more-talented puckhandling goalie of the two.
Because of the lockout, Ellis is a Group II restricted free agent again this summer, instead of a Group VI unrestricted free agent. If Ellis were an unrestricted free agent, he could sign with another NHL team where he would have a chance of being their third-string netminder. Instead, Ellis has to wait and see if Dallas qualifies him, and which goalies Dallas keeps and where they send them. Marty Turco is signed, and Tobias Stephan is signed and due to come to North America from Switzerland, but Smith is a Group II restricted free agent and Hedberg is a Group III unrestricted free agent.
Loui Eriksson - LW
Age: 20 (1st Year North America Pro)
Acquired: 2nd Rd, 33rd overall, 2003 NHL Entry Draft
It's amazing what confidence can do for a hockey player.
Loui Eriksson started his AHL career with three goals and four assists in his first eight games, but the points stopped coming in November. Eriksson went on a six-game pointless drought from Nov. 3 through Nov. 18, and was scratched Nov. 19. However, in mid-December, Eriksson started to find his form. He scored two goals and four assists in the final eight games of December, and then began scoring in earnest in January.
As Vojtech Polak's season started to flag, Eriksson assumed his spot on the first line with Toby Petersen and Junior Lessard. In the I-Stars 12 games in January, Eriksson lit the lamp seven times and assisted on three goals. The Iowa Stars went through a team-wide drought in February, losing 10 of 12 games, including three shootout losses, but Eriksson helped turn the tide in March and April. Iowa won nine of their 14 games in March, and Eriksson won AHL Rookie of the Month honors by scoring six goals and 11 assists. The 20-year-old left wing maintained his torid scoring pace by adding eight goals and three assists in April, helping Iowa clinch the final playoff spot in the West Division by winning seven of their nine regular season games in April. Eriksson's 14 goals and 14 assists in March and April helped him finish second in Iowa scoring with 31 goals and 29 assists in 78 games. Iowa's top offensive threat down the stretch, Eriksson tied Junior Lessard in Iowa playoff scoring with two goals and five assists in seven games.
Averaging over a point per game in March and April, Eriksson established himself as Dallas' top prospect with his performance in 2005-06. Playing with confidence, Eriksson was able to use his speed to create a lot of breakaway opportunities on passes from Petersen and Lessard. Eriksson is also very adept at using his body to shield the puck when cycling and has the vision to make plays off of the cycle along the boards or in the open ice. Not only does Eriksson have offensive awareness, he has defensive awareness as well, which helped him lead the Iowa Stars in plus/minus at +20. Like many Swedes, Eriksson positions himself well in the defensive zone and does not take long in breaking the puck out of the zone, as Eriksson saves his flash for the offensive zone.
The only real improvement Eriksson needs to make is to tack on some additional muscle. However, the 6'1, 183-pound Swede has a naturally thin frame that may only top out around 195 pounds. Even at his current size, Eriksson did not miss any games due to injury in his first season of North American hockey.
After ending 2005-06 in such fashion, Eriksson enters 2006-07 as a prime candidate for graduation to Dallas. He has the speed and skill to contend for a spot on Dallas' second scoring line, but he has the defensive awareness to play on the third line if needed. Whether it comes this October, mid-season, or later, Eriksson will play in the NHL.
Nicklas Grossman - D
Age: 21 (1st Year North American Pro)
Acquired: 2nd Rd, 56th overall, 2003 NHL Entry Draft
Large defensive defensemen typically take time to develop, often as much time as goaltenders, but Nicklas Grossman made significant strides in 2005-06 toward becoming an NHL defenseman.
Grossman was a scratch in seven of Iowa's first 15 games, and he suffered a shoulder injury Nov. 18 that kept him out of the line-up until Dec. 16, a difficult start to his first season of North American hockey. When he returned, hard-hitting defenseman Matt Greene had been recalled by Edmonton, Shawn Belle was out with a knee injury, and Patrick Traverse was out with an ankle injury, giving Grossman the opportunity to play regular minutes.
Grossman took the opportunity and quickly become one of Iowa's most reliable defensive defensemen, second only to fifth-year AHL veteran Dan Jancevski. At 6'4, 201 pounds, Grossman provided needed size along the boards, in the corners, and in front of the net, but his mobility helped make him that much more effective. When Iowa lost Greene to NHL recall, the I-Stars desperately needed somebody to step up, and Grossman was that man. He's not the pure hitter that Greene is, but he angles opponents toward the boards and can eliminate them there. The 21-year-old battles hard along the boards but still does a good job of avoiding obstruction penalties.
Offensively, Grossman has much more talent than his two goals and three assists in 61 games would indicate. He makes a reliable first pass out of the zone, but he also can use his power to get some momentum when skating the puck out of the zone as well. In addition, Grossman has a cannon from the point, which he might be able to use on Iowa's second power-play unit in 2006-07, if given the opportunity.
The level of improvement that Grossman showed in 2005-06 earned him the I-Stars Most Improved Player award from the Iowa coaching staff, and he looked pretty good in October and November despite losing the numbers game early in the season. Of course, Grossman still has more improving to do. He must continue to work on his quickness, typical of big defensemen, and also must work on his backwards acceleration, but additional leg strength should help give him the power to cover a lot of ground in his first few strides when skating backwards from a standstill. Filling out his considerable frame would also help make him that much more dominant along the boards.
Grossman hopes to become similar to Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mattias Norstrom, and he's well on his way.
Yared Hagos - C
Age: 23 (1st Year North American Pro)
Acquired: 3rd Rd, 70th overall, 2001 NHL Entry Draft
After four full seasons of professional hockey in Sweden, the expectations for Yared Hagos were higher than those of some of his younger European counterparts, but it quickly became evident that the 2005-06 season would be a transition year for the Swedish center.
Known as a two-way player in Sweden, Hagos demonstrated his defensive awareness by positioning himself to break up plays and his offensive awareness is some of the creative plays he made transitioning the play from defense to offense. However, Hagos struggled early in the season by sometimes trying to be too creative instead of making the simple play. At other times, he struggled from a lack of power. Hagos has fairly quick feet, but his stride needs more power to produce the velocity needed to beat opponents or fight through checks. Too often, especially in the first half of the season, the 6'1, 205-pound pivot would be knocked off the puck too easily.
A knee injury that caused him to miss seven games in early January gave him time to reassess his game, and he returned as a much better player. Even though he was scoreless in his first six games back from the January knee injury, Hagos began to play a more physical game. Hagos was already a good faceoff man, but he became chippy in the faceoff circle and along the boards as he tried to establish a role for himself. In an 18-game stretch from Feb. 4 through March 19, Hagos scored three goals and nine assists, over half of the 22 points he put up in 2005-06. However, on March 25, Hagos suffered another leg injury, one that would keep him out the rest of the season.
In order for Hagos to play in the NHL one day, his game will have to resemble the aggressive and physical game he played from Feb. 4 through March 19. One of the most defining moments of Hagos' 2005-06 season was on Jan. 29 against the Grand Rapids Griffins, when Detroit Red Wings prospect Valtteri Filppula skated in on the forecheck to hit a stationary Hagos only a few feet away from the Iowa net. In a Peter Forsberg-like move Hagos left the puck, let Filppula skate in, and proceeded to thrust up and into the Finn and level him. Hagos then took the puck and made the breakout pass to start the attack. If Hagos can rehab his legs and increase his power, he could become a strong fourth line center for the Stars. To do it, he will have to outduel fellow Swede Joel Lundqvist, a physical 24-year-old center whom the Stars drafted in 2000 and signed May 23.
Marius Holtet - RW
Age: 21 (2nd Year North American Pro)
Acquired: 2nd Rd, 42nd overall, 2002 NHL Entry Draft
After a difficult 2004-05 with the Houston Aeros, Marius Holtet looks ready to take his game to the next level after the 2005-06 season.
Holtet was only a fourth-line role player for the Aeros last season and was even assigned to the Louisiana Ice Gators of the ECHL for four games, but the second-year pro found his confidence as the 2005-06 season progressed. The 21-year-old Norwegian only scored six goals and three assists in his first 41 games of the season, and he was scratch for five games in that time period, but when Yan Stastny was traded by Edmonton to the Boston Bruins and and the Oilers also recalled Kyle Brodziak, Holtet took the advantage of the opportunity.
In a period of seven games from Feb. 4 through Feb. 18, Holtet scored a goal and added five assists, showing some of the limited glimpses of playmaking he had flashed throughout the season. He missed six games in late February and early March due to injury, but he returned with a goal and three assists in his first five games back. His hot hand cooled for the final month of the season, but Holtet showed the offensive potential was there. The 21-year-old winger finished the season with nine goals and 13 assists in 68 regular season games and then scored two goals in Iowa's seven playoff games.
Iowa's season may have ended April 30 in their Game 7 loss to Milwaukee, but Holtet's season continued at the World Championships for Team Norway. The Hamar native skated on Norway's second line for much of the tournament and scored a goal and an assist along the way, helping Norway to a respectable 11th place finish. The tournament was the first time Holtet had represented his country at a major international tournament since the 2004 DI World Junior Championships, and only the second time he had played for the Norwegian senior national team at a major tournament.
The confidence Holtet gained in 2005-06 should help him break out in 2006-07. Holtet became much more confident with the puck as the season progressed. He has a hard shot, which he isn't afraid to use, but he also has the offensive awareness to make plays. The “Nasty Norwegian” also has the speed, strength, and skating ability to lay out some hard hits along the boards. Holtet plays an aggressive forechecking game and he finishes his check regularly and with force. His consistent effort on the forecheck, even if he sometimes ran around too much early in the season, earned him a regular shift on the Iowa penalty kill, where speed and hustle count.
Holtet was never an impact offensive player in Swedish J20's or in the Allsvenskan League, but he has shown the skill and speed to put up decent numbers. He also plays an energy game that makes him a contributor even when he's not scoring, which could be his ticket to Dallas' fourth line someday. He's closer to the NHL than his stats would indicate.
Junior Lessard - RW
Age: 26 (2nd Year Pro)
Acquired: Signed as Free Agent April 15, 2004
No Dallas Star prospect could have been any happier to play for the Iowa Stars in 2005-06 than Junior Lessard.
The 2004 Hobey Baker Award winner only scored 11 goals and 11 assists in 71 games for the Houston Aeros in 2004-05, but he got off to a good start in 2005-06. Lessard started the season with Iowa, but was recalled with Vojtech Polak on Oct. 21 and made his NHL debut Oct. 22 against Calgary. Dallas reassigned Lessard to Iowa the next day, but he was recalled again Oct. 31 for four more NHL games. On Nov. 7, against the Edmonton Oilers, Lessard scored his first NHL goal 17 minutes into the first period on a pass from Mike Modano. Despite scoring the goal against Edmonton, Lessard was reassigned to Iowa Nov. 8. Ten days later, Lessard suffered a shoulder injury against Hamilton Nov. 18 and was shelved for the next nine games.
Despite the shoulder injury, Lessard returned stronger than ever. After finishing December with three goals and four assists in eight games, Lessard was named the AHL Player of the Week Jan. 8. Lessard finished the month of January with seven goals and eight assists in 12 games and was named to the Canadian AHL All-Star Team on Jan. 24. Just over a week later, Lessard played in the AHL All-Star Game Feb. 1 and scored the game-winning goal and added an assist.
After the All-Star Game, Lessard never went more than two games without scoring a point, and that only happened in back-to-back games in San Antonio Feb. 24 and 26. Skating on Iowa's first line from mid-December on forth, Lessard finished with 26 goals and 32 assists in 66 games. Lessard also tied Eriksson in I-Stars playoff scoring with three goals and four assists, thanks primarily to his three-goal, one-assist performance in Game 2 against Milwaukee April 22, which Iowa won 5-3. In the course of a year, Lessard went from third and fourth line duty with Houston to being an AHL All-Star with Iowa.
Lessard's breakout season came down to taking advantage of the ice time head coach Dave Allison gave the second-year pro. Given the 32 goals and 31 assists Lessard scored with the University of Minnesota-Duluth his senior season, some might expect Lessard to be a flashy player. In contrast, Lessard is a forward with average speed who hustles, crashes the net, and is willing to take a beating to score. Lessard also lives by the credo that "100 percent of the shots you don't take don't score." Despite missing 14 games between NHL recall and injury, Lessard finished sixth in the AHL in shots with 276 during the regular season.
Despite his scoring at the AHL level, Lessard will likely be a third or fourth line player in the NHL. His relentless pursuit of the puck, albeit it with average speed, and his willingness to crash the net could make him an effective energy line player. His goal scoring touch around the net and his hard shot might help him graduate to the third line. However, before he can skate for the Stars, he will need to be re-signed by the Stars. Lessard is a Group II restricted free agent this summer, and the odds are extremely low that Dallas does not tender him a qualifying offer.
Vojtech Polak - RW
Age: 20 (1st Year North American Pro)
Acquired: 2nd Rd, 36th overall, 2003 NHL Entry Draft
Early in the 2005-06 season, it appeared as if Polak was a shoo-in to lead the Iowa Stars in rookie scoring, but the physical North American game took its toll on the 20-year-old Czech.
Polak impressed in Dallas training camp and started the season with a goal in his first game and a three-point performance three games later in a 7-2 victory over the San Antonio Rampage. Five days later, before the Iowa's next game, Polak and Junior Lessard became the first I-Stars to be recalled by Dallas. Although he was held without a point in his three games with Dallas before being reassigned to Iowa again Oct. 30, he had taken an early lead among the Stars rookie pro prospects.
Polak missed nine games in the first three months of the season, five of which came during his call-up to Dallas, but he still scored eight goals and 11 assists in his first 24 games. Skating on Iowa's first line, Polak had a great deal of confidence through December, but his production began to drop in the New Year. The goal-scoring well went dry in an 18-game stretch from Dec. 28 through Feb. 10. Polak was still electric in shootouts during the stretch, as he scored on three straight shootout attempts in late January and early February with the same move to the backhand, but he did not have the same confidence in games that he had earlier in the season. The former first-liner became a checking line player as the season wore on, when nagging injuries didn't force him out of the line-up. Scratched due to injury in eight of Iowa's final 16 games of the regular season, Polak finished the season with 12 goals and 22 assists in 60 games. Injuries also limited Polak to just three playoff games against Milwaukee.
The 6'0, 183-pound Czech will need to put on additional muscle over the offseason in order to take the rigors of the AHL and NHL season, but there is reason for optimism with Polak. He's a good-natured player, with a contagious smile who will do whatever the coaches ask him to do, even if it's becoming a checking line player. Dropped to the third and even the fourth line late in the season, Polak attempted to contribute by forechecking hard and finishing his checks. This attitude should help Polak eventually become an NHL player.
However, Polak's potential future in the NHL isn't as a checking line player, it's as a scorer. When Polak is healthy and on his game, he drives to the net and uses his quick and accurate shot to light the lamp or his playmaking abilities to create scoring chances for others. He doesn't shy away from traffic, he'll just need to bulk up some in order to continue playing that way throughout an entire season. Additional leg strength should also help him improve his acceleration and top speed to break away from opponents.
Polak was a pleasant surprise early in the 2005-06 season, but Iowa will need him healthy throughout 2006-07, as the team will need his scoring prowess without any Edmonton prospects to buttress the I-Stars line-up. If Dallas can give him a center in 2006-07 the caliber of Toby Petersen, there's no reason Polak shouldn't average a point per game if he's healthy.
Mario Scalzo - D
Age: 21 (1st Year Pro)
Acquired: Signed as Free Agent Aug. 5, 2005
Diminutive defenseman Mario Scalzo proved the doubters wrong in 2005-06 with an impressive rookie AHL season.
Despite being named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team in 2003 and to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team in 2004, Scalzo went undrafted both years. After scoring 27 goals and 71 assists in 62 games between Victoriaville and Rimouski, earning a spot on the QMJHL First All-Star Team, and the Memorial Cup with the Oceanic, Scalzo earned consideration from Dallas and signed a free agent contract Aug. 5, 2005.
The 5'9, 187-pound blueliner was a healthy scratch on five occasions early in the season, but he established himself as a regular in the Iowa line-up as he worked on improving his physical play. Routinely outmatched in one-on-one battles early in the season, it was not uncommon to see Scalzo lay out the body to stand up opponents at the blue line. While Scalzo became better physically, his improvements in defensive positioning were the biggest key in becoming reliable in his own zone. Like many small defensemen, Scalzo will have to utilize his considerable skating skills with defensive positioning to play in the NHL, and he made significant strides in that direction in 2006-07. Scalzo wasn't a +15 by accident.
His plus/minus was also greatly aided by his considerable offensive skills. Only veteran defenseman Patrick Traverse was able to match Scalzo in offensive talent among Iowa Stars defensemen in 2005-06, and Traverse was injured for most of the season. The 21-year-old has excellent speed, quickness, and agility, useful in skating the puck out of the zone, through the neutral zone, and maneuvering at the point with the puck. Scalzo has a hard point shot, despite only scoring four goals in 74 games, but puck distribution is where his game lies. Scalzo routinely uses his skating and stickhandling to evade opponents in all three zones and his offensive awareness and pinpoint passing make him an excellent playmaker at even strength or on the power play. Despite playing for a low-scoring team, the I-Stars were 17th in AHL scoring, Scalzo managed to finish sixth in scoring among AHL rookie defensemen with 33 points, with 20 of his 29 assists coming in Iowa's 47 games after Jan. 1.
After a solid rookie season in the AHL, Scalzo has established himself as a legitimate NHL prospect. He won't crack Dallas' line-up out of training camp in September, but he has the potential to be an NHL puckmoving defenseman and a secondary quarterback on the power play. Scalzo has NHL-caliber skating and stick skills, he just needs additional AHL experience to further improve his defensive positioning so that he can become similar to Nashville's Kimmo Timonen.
Mike Smith - G
Age: 24 (4th Year Pro)
Acquired: 5th Rd, 161st overall, 2001 NHL Entry Draft
Mike Smith is NHL-ready after the 2005-06 season, it's just a matter of Dallas finding him a spot.
Smith's season got off to a slow start, though. He was given the nod in net for the first regular season game in Iowa Stars history, but lost 5-4. After a 6-3 loss to Milwaukee Nov. 11, Smith only had a .861 save percentage and a 3.87 goals-against average after six games. However, Smith's season seemed to turn around after he replaced Dan Ellis 10:04 in Iowa's Nov. 13 game against Peoria. Smith got the loss, even though Iowa was never ahead after he was put in net in the 5-3 defeat, but he saved 15 of 16 shots. Ellis left the team briefly shortly thereafter, which gave Smith the chance to start seven straight games to end November. In that time, Smith had two shutouts and never gave up more than one goal only once, a 3-1 loss to Omaha Nov. 25. The streak allowed Smith to compile a .930 save percentage and a 2.06 goals-against average for November.
After finishing November so strong, Team Canada called upon Smith to play in the Loto Cup in Slovakia and Dallas obliged, so the Kingston, Ontario, native was reassigned to the Canadian national team on Dec. 11. Smith returned to the team Dec. 20, but his time away allowed Ellis to reel off five straight wins Dec. 10 through Dec. 23. Smith platooned with Ellis in January before being recalled Jan. 18 to Dallas under emergency conditions to back up Johan Hedberg that night against Atlanta. He was returned to Iowa Jan. 20.
Known for his puckhandling abilities, Smith equaled an AHL record in a March 3 victory over the Peoria Rivermen by recording three assists in one game. The last goalie to set the mark was a certain Martin Brodeur of the Utica Devils on Jan. 23, 1993. Smith finished the 2005-06 season with six assists in 50 games, which placed him ahead of Iowa regulars Nicklas Grossman and Jason Platt in points.
Smith not only claimed an AHL record in March, he claimed the Iowa net. Smith started 17 of Iowa final 24 games (March 1 through April 16) and went 11-4-2 in that stretch. The 24-year-old netminder won the AHL Goalie of the Month Award for April for his 5-1 record to close the AHL regular season and to lead Iowa to fourth place in the West Division, earning the team a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs. In his 3000 minutes of action during the regular season, Smith compiled an AHL seventh-best .917 save percentage and a fourth-best 2.50 goals-against average.
Smith was rested in the final two games of the regular season, but he played every minute of the Calder Cup playoffs for the I-Stars. Iowa lost the best-of-seven series against the Milwaukee Admirals, but Smith finished with a respectable .907 save percentage and a 2.74 goals-against average.
The keys to Smith's success are his crease movement, his size, his glove hand, and his puckhandling abilities. The 6'3, 210-pound Smith takes up much of the net and his lateral movement and his ability to get down and up quickly make him difficult to beat. Smith also has a quick glove hand to snag any shots that don't hit him in the chest or the pads. Like Turco, Smith is an excellent puckhandling goaltender. He can launch passes to send players on breakaways and to merely clear the zone. With the new puckhandling trapezoid, Smith's skating ability allows him to race to beat pucks before they cross the goal line and negate the rule. However, Smith's tendency to play the puck can also get him into trouble, as pucks take odd bounces off the boards or other objects that leave Smith out of position. One of the few areas Smith needs to improve on is reading the play so that he more wisely picks and chooses when he leaves the net to handle.
Despite this area of improvement, Smith is an NHL-caliber netminder. The question is whether Dallas re-signs unrestricted free agent Johan Hedberg or trades Marty Turco to make room for the 24-year-old Smith. Smith himself is a Group II restricted free agent this summer, but he's certain to be re-signed and to challenge for a spot in Dallas in 2006-07, whether it's to begin the season or during the season.
Janos Vas - LW
Age: 22 (1st Year North American Pro)
Acquired: 2nd Rd, 32nd overall, 2002 NHL Entry Draft
Of the five European Dallas prospects playing their first season of North American hockey with the Iowa Stars in 2005-06, none needed a full season of development worse than Janos Vas, which made the fact that he missed 24 games due to injury and played over a dozen more with a brace on his hand all the more frustrating.
Unlike Eriksson, Grossman, Hagos, and Polak, Vas had little experience in European elite leagues. The Hungarian had moved to Sweden in 2000, but he only played 21 games with Malmo in the Swedish Elite League. He spent the 2004-05 season with the Halmstad Hammers of the Allsvenskan League, Sweden's second highest professional league. Vas hadn't been an impact offensive player since his third season of Swedish juniors with Malmo in 2002-03.
The 2002 second round pick started 2005-06 with Iowa, but was assigned to Idaho Oct. 26 to get more ice time. Vas skated in 5 games for Idaho and scored 2 goals and 3 assists before being recalled Nov. 7. The ECHL assignment seemed to work, as Vas returned with more confidence on offense and an increased dedication to defense. However, a slash by Peoria's Rocky Thompson Dec. 3 broke Vas' wrist and forced him to miss 11 games. Vas returned to the line-up Jan. 5, but it was clear that his hand was not 100 percent and by the end of the month he was a frequent scratch.
Needing another boost of confidence, Vas was assigned to Idaho again on Jan. 30. Five games, two goals, and two assists later, Vas was recalled to Iowa again Feb. 9. Although he was scratched in five of Iowa's next 13 games after he was recalled, Vas' game had begun to resemble the hardhitting, forechecking game of Marius Holtet. Then, injury struck again in the form of a sprained MCL on March 5 against the Manitoba Moose, cause Vas to miss 13 games down the stretch in a one-month period. The 22-year-old left winger returned to the line-up on April 8 and finished the season with two goals and nine assists in 35 games.
The 2005-06 season was not a lost cause for Vas. The progress Vas had made in becoming an energy line forward received a ringing endorsement when he was dressed for all seven playoff games, scoring a goal and an assist.
To make the next step in 2006-07, Vas must improve his acceleration and quickness. He has a hard shot, wrist or slap shot, and he's a decent stickhandler who can make smart plays. However, it's rare to see Vas beat an opponent one-on-one in open ice, as he does not have the separation or the top speed to do so. As the season progressed, Vas became part of a high-energy wing pairing with Marius Holtet, whose style Vas adapted in order to receive regular ice time. Vas also became a regular on the penalty kill with Holtet. Additional leg strength should give Vas the speed and acceleration he needs to utilize his offensive talents in the quicker North American game, but he established in 2005-06 that he could one day become a fourth line winger who'll play a forechecking game but who has the stick skills, the shot, and awareness to create some offense in the turnovers he creates.
Francis Wathier - LW
Age: 21 (1st Year Pro)
Acquired: 6th Rd, 185th overall, 2003 NHL Entry Draft
When the Iowa Stars started 2005-06 with fighters Zack Stortini, Garrett Burnett, and Francis Wathier, it seemed like overkill. By late January, it was painfully evident that the I-Stars needed Wathier.
The 6'3, 198-pound Wathier started the season as a physical forward who was willing to play an aggressive defensive game, but his season came to an end when he separated his shoulder against the Peoria Rivermen Nov. 12. Wathier had season-ending shoulder surgery in late November, but he stayed around the team the rest of the season and was named the Iowa Stars American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year for all of the work he did in the community.
While Wathier was injured, the Stars reassigned Burnett to the Phoenix Roadrunners of the ECHL on Dec. 9 and then the Edmonton Oilers reassigned Stortini to the Milwaukee Admirals Jan. 18, leaving Iowa without a big fighter. Barch took the role down the stretch, but Wathier's long reach would have come in handy in many of Barch's bouts.
Wathier isn't just a fighter, he can play a reliable defensive game and provide size on the forecheck, which gives him an outside shot of becoming a depth forward for the Dallas Stars someday. Before that happens, Wathier will have to improve his offensive awareness by knowing what he's going to do with the puck before he even gets it. This also means adjusting to the quickness of the AHL game, which was hindered by the shoulder injury suffered only five weeks into the season. Wathier may only have had one assist in 11 games in 2005-06, but Iowa desperately needs him to stay healthy in 2006-07.
| Dallas Stars AHL/ECHL Prospect Stats 2005-06 | ||||||||||||
| Player | Team | Leag. | GP | G | A | TP | +/- | PIM | PG | SG | GW | SH |
| David Bararuk | Idaho | ECHL | 65 |
25 |
46 |
71 |
+3 |
30 |
13 |
0 |
5 |
234 |
| Iowa | AHL | 2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
|
| Idaho | ECHL* | 7 |
3 |
5 |
8 |
-4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
15 |
|
| B.J. Crombeen | Iowa | AHL | 52 |
5 |
7 |
12 |
+4 |
97 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
108 |
| Idaho | ECHL | 8 |
5 |
3 |
8 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
36 |
|
| Iowa | AHL* | 5 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
+1 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
| Loui Eriksson | Iowa | AHL | 78 |
31 |
29 |
60 |
+20 |
27 |
12 |
0 |
4 |
143 |
| Iowa | AHL* | 7 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
+1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
| Nicklas Grossman | Iowa | AHL | 61 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
+10 |
49 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
28 |
| Iowa | AHL* | 7 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
| Yared Hagos | Iowa | AHL | 57 |
7 |
15 |
22 |
+1 |
40 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
110 |
| Iowa | AHL* | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| Marius Holtet | Iowa | AHL | 68 |
9 |
13 |
22 |
-1 |
61 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
143 |
| Iowa | AHL* | 7 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
-2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
| Norway | WC | 5 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
+2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
|
| Junior Lessard | Iowa | AHL | 66 |
26 |
32 |
58 |
+4 |
30 |
8 |
0 |
6 |
276 |
| Dallas | NHL | 5 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
|
| Iowa | AHL* | 7 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
+2 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
| Vojtech Polak | Iowa | AHL | 60 |
12 |
22 |
34 |
-5 |
41 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
142 |
| Dallas | NHL | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
| Iowa | AHL* | 3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
| Mario Scalzo | Iowa | AHL | 74 |
4 |
29 |
33 |
+9 |
42 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
113 |
| Iowa | AHL* | 7 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
-2 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
- |
|
| Janos Vas | Iowa | AHL | 35 |
2 |
9 |
11 |
0 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
47 |
| Idaho | ECHL | 10 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
+1 |
15 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
31 |
|
| Iowa | AHL* | 7 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
-1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
- |
- |
|
| Francis Wathier | Iowa | AHL | 11 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
-1 |
26 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
15 |
| Iowa | AHL* | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
* = Playoffs
| Dallas Stars AHL/ECHL Prospect Goalie Stats 2005-06 | ||||||||||||
| Goaltender | Team | Leag. | GP | MIN | W | L | SL | SO | SV | GA | SV% | GAA |
| Dan Ellis | Iowa | AHL | 34 | 1857 | 16 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 883 | 86 | .911 | 2.78 |
| Mike Smith | Iowa | AHL | 50 | 3000 | 25 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 1387 | 125 | .917 | 2.50 |
| Iowa | AHL* | 7 | 417 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 186 | 19 | .907 | 2.74 | |
Copyright 2006 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
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