Graduating two star skaters and a starting goalie would crater most pipelines, but the Stars still have solid young depth. They had arguably the best forward in each of the three CHL leagues this season.
Key graduates: Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson, Jake Oettinger
Key addition: Lian Bichsel
2021 ranking: No. 11
2022 NHL Draft grade: B
Full 2022-23 NHL Pipeline Rankings
Player Ranking
1. Thomas Harley, d
20 years old | 6-foot-3 | 188 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 18 in 2019
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup players
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Harley was a go-to player for his AHL team this season in Texas, and got a lot of NHL games as well. His skill set looks like that of a clear top-four defenseman in the NHL. When you have Harley’s frame along with NHL mobility and puck-moving skill it’s easy to get excited about the player. He’s better offensively than he is defensively given he’s not that physical. I think as he matures though he’ll be fine defensively to go with his strong offense.
2. Wyatt Johnston, C
19 years old | 6-foot-1 | 178 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 23 in 2021
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup players
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Analysis: Johnston had as good a season as you could have hoped for as a Stars fan. He scored at nearly a two-point-per-game rate as the best player in the OHL. Johnston is a true play-driving two-way center. He has the size and compete to play at both ends and win battles, combined with flashy hands and playmaking ability to create offense in bunches. Johnston can create off the perimeter and in the hard areas of the ice. His only flaw is a lack of true NHL speed, but even without that, I see a potential good top two-line center in the league.
Wyatt Johnston during a preseason game in 2021. (Matthew Pearce / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
3. Logan Stankoven, C
19 years old | 5-foot-8 | 170 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 47 in 2021
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup players
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: High-end
Analysis: Stankoven had a huge WHL season, being the top player in that league and leading the WHL playoffs in goals and points. He’s an extremely skilled and energetic forward. Stankoven isn’t a blazing fast skater, but he’s quick and has such a good motor that it feels like he’s among the fastest players on the ice. He combines that with great, quick hands, good vision and an even better shot to make him a constant threat. Stankoven’s 5-foot-8 frame will be an issue in the NHL, but I think there’s so much good in his game that he’ll be a top-six forward, likely on the wing.
4. Mavrik Bourque, C
20 years old | 5-foot-10 | 178 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 30 in 2020
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup players
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Analysis: Bourque put up huge numbers in his QMJHL career, and capped it off by being the playoff MVP in leading Shawinigan to a title. Bourque is an exceptionally smart playmaker who carves up defenses with the way he finds seams and makes creative plays. He’s not the biggest player, and while he’s quick, he doesn’t have blazing speed. Bourque does work hard though at both ends of the ice and his skill projects to be good enough to score in the NHL. I could see him sticking down the middle, but likely he’ll be at his best as an excellent top-six winger.
5. Lian Bichsel, D
18 years old | 6’6″ | 225 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 18 in 2022
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Analysis: Bichsel’s physical tools are quite evident. He’s a 6-foot-6 defenseman who skates well for his size, is physical and has some offensive touch. He can carry and create through the neutral zone due to his feet and skills and shows some creativity from the offensive blue line. He has good hands but there isn’t much playmaking or poise in his puck play. Defensively he’s quite good due to his reach, feet and physicality. He closes gaps like a pro and can be trusted to play hard minutes as he advances levels. Bichsel projects as a top-four defenseman with the potential to play higher in a lineup if the offense translates.
6. Ty Dellandrea, C
21 years old | 6 feet | 184 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 13 in 2018
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Dellandrea had a productive second pro season with the Texas Stars, playing on both special teams. He has a clear pro toolkit due to his speed and a decent-sized frame. He plays fast and competes well at both ends of the rink. The debate on Dellandrea has always been about how much offense he has. I think he has good hands and can shoot it, but I’m not sure he’s a true driver/playmaker in the NHL, thus I see him as a bottom-six center.
7. Matej Blümel, LW
22 years old | 6 feet | 198 pounds | Shoots left
Signed to ELC
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Blumel was a productive pro in Czechia and did well at the world championships, leading to a second NHL opportunity after the Oilers passed on his rights. Blumel is a quick winger with strong puck skills who can play at an NHL pace. I don’t see him as an overly offensive player who makes many plays, though. He works hard enough off the puck, so I can see him getting some games. I’m not sold he’s an everyday NHLer yet but he’s trending up.
8. Riley Damiani, RW
22 years old | 5-foot-10 | 161 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 137 in 2018
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Damiani didn’t repeat the scoring numbers of his first pro season, but he was still a solid pro and got a couple of NHL games. He’s a very smart forward who can make plays and works hard enough off the puck. He’s not that big and he’s more quick than he is fast. I think he can be a useful depth piece for a team, but I’m not sold he’s an everyday NHLer.
Has a chance to play (listed alphabetically)
Francesco Arcuri, F
19 years old | 6-foot-2 | 201 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 175 in 2021
Analysis: Arcuri has a very high skill level, can shoot the puck and has a solid offensive IQ. Whether he can skate at an NHL level is the main question in his game.
Jack Barr, D
19 years old | 6-foot-2 | 193 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 138 in 2021
Analysis: Bar is a big right-shot defenseman who plays hard. Whether he has enough of a natural puck-moving game or enough NHL mobility is up for debate, even if I’ve seen it in flashes.
Artem Grushnikov, D
19 years old | 6-foot-1 | 198 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 48 in 2021
Analysis: Grushnikov’s size, mobility and physicality are quite interesting from a pro projection standpoint, as he looks like a defenseman who will make a lot of stops. His natural skill and hockey IQ are the debates on his game though.
Christian Kyrou, D
18 years old | 5-foot-10 | 172 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 50 in 2022
Analysis: Kyrou is a very skilled defenseman with a good point shot. He can make plays through opponents routinely and shows great creativity as a handler and passer. He is, overall, a threat on the man advantage. He projects to provide offense as a pro, but whether he can provide all-around value is the question. Unlike his brother Jordan who is an explosive skater, Christian’s skating is just fine. For a 5-foot-10 defenseman though, it’s not the kind of mobility you’d like for the NHL.
Daniel Ljungman, C
20 years old | 6 feet | 168 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 154 in 2020
Analysis: Ljungman isn’t the flashiest center, but he’s a smart, competitive two-way player. If he gains an extra step in his skating he has a real shot to play games.
Ayrton Martino, LW
19 years old | 5-foot-11 | 160 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 73 in 2021
Analysis: Martino has great individual skill and playmaking ability, but isn’t the biggest or fastest forward.
Maxim Mayorov, G
18 years old | 6-foot-5 | 176 pounds | Catches left
Drafted: No. 147 in 2022
Analysis: Mayorov is an intriguing prospect due to his massive 6-foot-5 frame and strong numbers in junior. He is a smart goalie, but his technique needs work and he has a heavy lower half.
Conner Roulette, LW
19 years old | 5-foot-11 | 180 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 111 in 2021
Analysis: Roulette is a highly-skilled puckhandler who can generate offense but isn’t the fastest forward and can be inconsistent.
Matthew Seminoff, RW
18 years old | 5-foot-11 | 180 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 179 in 2022
Analysis: Seminoff is a talented winger who can make plays. He’s not the most dynamic undersized player you’ll ever see in terms of speed or skill, but he plays hard. Seminoff can create off the rush and around the net. The overall package may not be enough to have a long career, but because he works hard, I think he plays some games.
Antonio Stranges, LW
20 years old | 5-foot-10 | 168 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 123 in 2020
Analysis: Stranges’ pure skill and creativity are NHL quality. He’s a powerful, yet awkward skater who plays a lot on the perimeter.
Player Eligibility: All skaters who are 22 years old or younger as of Sept. 15, 2022, regardless of how many NHL games they’ve played, are eligible. Player heights and weights are taken from the NHL.
Tool grades: Tool grades are based on a scale with six separate levels, with an eye toward how this attribute would grade in the NHL (poor, below-average, average, above-average, high-end and elite). “Average” on this scale means the tool projects as NHL average, which is meant as a positive, not a criticism. Skating, puck skills, hockey sense and compete for every projected NHL player are graded. Shot grades are only included if a shot is notably good or poor.
Tier Definitions: Tiers are meant to show roughly where in an average NHL lineup a player projects to slot in.
(Illustration: Wes McCabe / The Athletic; photo of Thomas Harley: Glenn James / NHLI via Getty Images)
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