Dallas Stars Week 1 Recap: Young Players Help Pave The Way To A 2-0 Start

Freshly 24 and on a contract year, Thomas Harley has had a red-hot start to the season. Even though he is currently deployed on the second power play unit, he has taken full advantage of his chances at even strength. Through two games, he has one goal and three assists. This is good for tied first among the Stars, which caps off an amazing first week for the second-pairing defensemen. He and Nils Lundkvist have come out of the gates blazing offensively, as they have hands down been the Stars’ best pairing, offensively and defensively.

2. Wyatt Johnston

The 22-year-old sensation, Wyatt Johnston, has proven that he earned every bit of the elevated role he’s gotten to start the season. Now on the Stars’ second line alongside Jason Robertson and Mavrik Borque, he has two goals in each of Dallas’ first two games. He has also been stout defensively, picking up where he left off last year as one of the league’s best young two-way players. At such a young age, it is clear that he has captured the respect of head coach Glen Gulutzan, who has deployed Johnston the second most among forwards, averaging 20:47 minutes throughout the first two games. The future continues to look bright for the young center.

3. Nils Lundkvist

This has been the best possible start to the young defenseman, who has had a rocky four-year tenure with the Stars. Nils Lundkvist has been blazing out of the gates with a goal and a pair of assists throughout Dallas’ first two games. It’s clear that he is playing with a type of confidence that he hasn’t had in the past, and it is rewarding him immensely. Coach Gulutzan is seemingly rewarding Lundkvist’s play, as he is averaging 16:57 minutes a night, which is by far the most of his career.

His three points through two games are almost as many as he had last year in 39 games (he had 5, none being goals). This level of offensive output probably isn’t sustainable. If Lundkvist can stay consistent on defense while adding the occasional offensive production, the Stars won’t have to worry about their second-pairing right-handed defensemen.

4. Lian Bichsel

Lian Bichsel has officially started his first season with the Dallas Stars. While he has had his fair share of mistakes through the first week of play, his physicality has been felt. He shares the team lead for hits with five, and has also been able to stay out of the box, which is good for a bigger guy who can easily get caught up in on-ice antics. He hasn’t had any real contributions on offense, but on a physical third pairing, he has impacted the game in different ways. As long as he can be reliable defensively and continues to develop, the Stars won’t have to worry about the youngster making many more mistakes.

5. Justin Hryckowian

Making the opening night roster by the skin of his teeth, Justin Hryckowian has shown that he deserves at least a chance to continue playing on the fourth line. He hasn’t been great by any stretch of the imagination, but he did outperform Colin Blackwell against the Winnipeg Jets. Hryckowian leads the Stars in penalty minutes, five of which are from a fight against the Colorado Avalanche after a hit on Miro Heiskanen. That is a type of presence that isn’t often seen from young rookies, but it does earn respect among teammates and potentially a spot in the lineup.

Hryckowian has also flashed his blazing speed and has recorded the fastest skating speed among Stars players. It’s clear that he still needs adjusting and development time, but the path towards being a full-time NHLer is there.

End Of My Young Stars Players Rant

After a rollercoaster of games that had Stars fans, players, and coaches alike nervous, they are 2-0 heading into the second week of the season. A big reason for this undefeated start is because of these five young players listed above. Without them, likely, the Stars don’t win one or even both of their games. Youth stepping up is an incredibly important part of a cup-winning team, and it’s looking like the Stars won’t have to worry much about their young players.

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