CHL Notes: Ritchie, Mrsic, Gardiner, Ekberg
A blockbuster trade in the Western Hockey League got across the finish line today involving a pair of prospects taken in this year’s draft. The Medicine Hat Tigers have picked up Wild second-rounder Ryder Ritchie from the Prince Albert Raiders, per a team announcement, sending Blues fourth-rounder Tomas Mrsic and draft picks the other way.
Ritchie, who just turned 18 earlier this month, was a consensus late first/early second-round prospect but fell to Minnesota at No. 45. The 6’1″, 176-lb right-winger was the WHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2022-23 and continued to perform well last season without much of a supporting cast in Prince Albert. Injuries limited him to 47 games on the season, but he still showed out with 19 goals, 25 assists, 44 points, and a -1 rating. He closed out the campaign on a high note, scoring four goals and four assists in seven games while winning gold with Canada at the U18 World Juniors. In Medicine Hat, the Calgary native will likely star on a first line centered by 2024 fourth-overall pick Cayden Lindstrom and projected 2026 first-overall selection Gavin McKenna at left wing.
Mrsic isn’t an afterthought in this deal, though. The 6’0″, 170-lb sniper can play all three forward positions and went within his expected range to the Blues at No. 113. He fell just short of a point per game on a strong Tigers team last season, posting 23 goals and 39 assists for 62 points in 63 games – fourth on the team. Both players are likely due for another pair of seasons in juniors before turning pro with their respective NHL clubs in 2026-27.
Some other notable Canadian Hockey League moves today:
- The Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts continue to be a popular destination for Stars prospects this summer, today acquiring center Brad Gardiner from the Ottawa 67’s for a quartet of draft picks. Gardiner, 19, was a Dallas third-rounder in 2023 and had 49 points in 67 games with the 67’s last season. Barrie selected 2024 Stars first-round pick Emil Hemming in this year’s CHL Import Draft and got him inked to an agreement last month, bringing him over to juniors from his native Finland. A strong season with the Colts will be crucial for Gardiner, who risks becoming a free agent if the Stars don’t sign him by June 1, 2025.
- The 67’s will replace some of Gardiner’s roles with top 2025 draft-eligible prospect Filip Ekberg, who the team confirmed today has signed a Scholarship and Development Agreement. Ekberg, 17, is a likely late first-round selection in next year’s draft after posting 29 points in 33 games last year in his native Sweden with Almtuna IS’ U20 club. The left winger stands at 5’10” and 168 lbs and won a bronze medal with Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup earlier this month.
Summer Synopsis: Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars didn’t have much to worry about this summer. They went to the Western Conference Finals last season, and while they were trumped by the Oilers in six games, all signs point towards Dallas only improving more as young stars like Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven, and Thomas Harley get another summer of training under their belt. That’s permitted a quiet off-season, though the Stars were still clearly intentional with every step they took – leading to notable additions through the draft, free agency, and re-signings. That should set Dallas up for yet another year of full-season success – and potentially a last hoorah, with 11 pending free agents next summer, including long-time star Jamie Benn and starting goaltender Jake Oettinger.
Draft
1-29: F Emil Hemming, TPS (Finland)
5-158: D Niilopekka Muhonen, KalPa (Finland)
7-222: F William Samuelsson, Södertälje SK (Sweden)
Dallas’ quiet summer kicked off with a quiet draft. They made just three selections, including a return to the first round after no day-one action last year. They made the most of their top pick, reeling in impressive power forward Emil Hemming. Hemming graduated to TPS’ Liiga roster this season, playing in their first 40 games and scoring the first 11 points of his professional career. He looked confident while doing so, doing well to match pro-level physicality and pace and still finding space to unleash a booming shot. A quiet World Juniors – two points in seven games – kept Hemming low on many scouting lists, but he made up for it with four goals and six points in five games at the World U-18 Challenge. He showed that his heft, positioning, and shooting were clearly above many peers, but he needs to improve his ability to create plays for himself before he’s ready for a starring role.
Still, it’s hard to doubt Hemming’s upside if the smart-drafting Stars were willing to bet on him. The same can be said for Muhonen and Samuelsson, who both sat outside the public view thanks to low-scoring U20 seasons. That meant just 11 points in 27 games for Muhonen, though his daunting 6’4″, 194-lb frame gave him physicality and reach that was hard to beat. He’s smart on loose pucks and knows how to spark a breakout, though Muhonen will need to continue getting faster if he wants to match pro pace. Samuelsson was a bit more productive as his team’s top center, netting 44 points in 50 games while showing proficiency in every role. He’s well-built and not scared of physical play but is subject to getting a bit sucked into play. That holdup, and a lack of any breathtaking traits, pushed Samuelsson into the draft’s final few picks – but his hockey IQ and two-way ability will keep him a name to watch in Dallas’ system.
UFA Signings
F Cameron Hughes (one year, $775K)*
F Kole Lind (one year, $775K)*
F Matt Duchene (one year, $3MM)
F Sam Steel (one year, $1.2MM)
F Colin Blackwell (one year, $775K)
D Brendan Smith (one year, $1MM)
D Ilya Lyubushkin (three years, $9.75MM)
D Kyle Capobianco (two year, $1.6MM)*
D Nils Lundkvist (one year, $1.2MM)
D Alexander Petrovic (two years, $775K)*
D Matt Dumba (two years, $7.5MM)
G Casey DeSmith (three years, $3MM)
G Magnus Hellberg (one year, $775K)*
* denotes two-way contract
Dallas was plenty busy during free agency, though their string of moves didn’t culminate in too much of an NHL impact. The re-signing of Matt Duchene headlines
their moves, giving Dallas another year of their second-line center at a major discount. Duchene scored 25 goals and 65 points in 80 games last season but will now spend his age-34 season on the cheapest salary since his entry-level contract ended in 2012. That’s likely a show of Duchene’s confidence in the Stars’ lineup next season and an acknowledgment of how much he wants to play there. Duchene’s career has seen a resurgence since he returned from a 2021 injury – kicked off by a dazzling 46 goals and 86 points in 78 games with the Nashville Predators in 2021-22. He hasn’t reached that scoring since but has tallied two 20-goal seasons and continued to hold a strong second-line role. His discounted salary should lock him into that role again next year, though he’ll face more and more competition from starring youngsters like Wyatt Johnston and Mavrik Bourque.
Dallas’ other moves mostly served to overturn their blue line, bringing in players like Ilya Lyubushkin, Brendan Smith, and Matt Dumba to help replace Jani Hakanpaa and Christopher Tanev. The trio will join Nils Lundkvist, Alexander Petrovic, and Esa Lindell to help fill the numerous holes on Dallas’ blue line. The right side is entirely open, offering great opportunity for Dumba, Lundkvist, and Lyubushkin – though none of the three seem poised to match Heiskanen’s energy on the top pair. How Dallas’ newly-constructed blue-line clicks will underline what their Achilles’ heel is this season or how active they need to be on the trade market.
The remaining free agent signings will shuffle into their respective lineup roles – with DeSmith preparing for 20 to 30 games behind star starter Jake Oettinger, Sam Steel and Colin Blackwell holding up the fourth-line, and the list of two-way deals all seemingly set for the minors. Training camp can turn premature planning onto its head, though Dallas’ lineup seems fairly easy to project.
RFA Re-Signings
F Mathias Emilio Pettersen (one year, $775K)*
F Matej Blumel (one year, $775K)*
F Oskar Back (one year, $775K)*
The Stars’ management had to find a vacation somewhere, and their time off showed in their RFA signings, which stayed limited to the minor leagues. Matej Blumel stands as the most notable of the three after posting an impressive 31 goals and 62 points in 72 AHL games this season. He was the final piece of Texas’ red-hot top line, alongside AHL MVP Mavrik Bourque and NHL call-up Logan Stankoven. It was a promising follow-up to Blumel’s AHL rookie year last season when he managed 44 points in 58 games and earned the first six games of his NHL career. He isn’t often listed as one of Dallas’ top prospects, but he could be a dark horse for making the jump to the Dallas lineup if the team runs into injuries or struggles.
Emilio Pettersen is another notable re-signing after posting eight points in 12 games with the Texas Stars following a mid-season trade from the Calgary Wranglers. He continued that momentum into the postseason, netting five points in seven games and bringing his season totals up to 43 points in 73 games. That’s a promising step in Pettersen’s young career, and he’ll now be positioned to challenge Oskar Back as the Texas’ second-line center. Back managed 36 points in 59 games last season, continuing the modest AHL scoring he’s seen for the last three years. He and Pettersen face a golden opportunity to earn major minor-league ice time this season but don’t seem likely to jump off the page much more than that.
Departures
F Ty Dellandrea (traded to San Jose)
F Radek Faksa (traded to St. Louis)
F Max Ellis (unqualified, unrestricted free agent)
F Craig Smith (Chicago, one-year, $1MM)
F Fredrik Karlstrom (Islanders, one-year, $775K)*
F Scott Reedy (unrestricted free agent)
D Chris Tanev (traded to Toronto)
D Derrick Pouliot (Tampa Bay, one-year, $775K)*
D Gavin Bayreuther (signed with Lausanne, NL)
D Jani Hakanpaa (Toronto, two-years, $3MM)
G Cole Brady (unsigned, unrestricted free agent)
G Scott Wedgewood (two-years, $3MM)
Dallas traded a second-round pick and defense prospect Artem Grushnikov to the Calgary Flames for 38 games of Tanev but had to say goodbye when it became clear that the stud defensive-defenseman wouldn’t re-sign with the team. Where he’d go next became a bit of a saga, ending with Tanev’s rights being traded to Toronto for a future sixth-round pick. That kind of turnaround is never ideal, especially when the rental doesn’t end in a Stanley Cup win. But Dallas quickly reigned in control of their off-season, only parting with a handful of fringe-lineup pieces – and being the ones to make the call on trading Faksa and Dellandrea, allowing both to find better opportunities elsewhere. Their departures have opened a few menial holes in Dallas’ lineup, which could prove a good opportunity for some of Dallas’ many top prospects, though likely won’t result in much of a change to the 2024 roster. The same can be said about the string of depth defenders departing Dallas – Hakanpaa, Pouliot, and Bayreuther – who were easily replaced by new signees and top prospects. How Dallas chooses to deploy those prospects will be among the most important questions facing their next campaign, but the list of departures helps give Dallas plenty of options.
Salary Cap Outlook
The Dallas Stars have an impressive $6.244MM in open cap space entering late-August, but that number will soon be zapped up by the inevitable extension to RFA Thomas Harley. Harley is Dallas’ final RFA headed into the new season and should command nearly all of the Stars’ remaining budget. That could push Dallas into a tight cap squeeze when the season rolls around – but with full control over Harley’s negotiations, it’s unlikely that the Stars back themselves into too much of a corner.
Key Questions
Where Will the Prospects Fit In? It’s no secret that next year’s Stars lineup will prominently feature top prospects. Each of Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven, and Thomas Harley should earn confident roles on Dallas’ top lines – but there’s plenty of talent pushing for top ice time behind them. Mavrik Bourque is the reigning AHL MVP after posting 26 goals and a league-leading 77 points in just 71 games. He formed an incredible tandem with Stankoven through the first half of the year and could be poised to reprise the role next season. Lian Bichsel also seems poised to push for NHL ice after serving as a top option on Rogle BK’s deep run into the SHL playoffs. Bichsel already has seven points and 16 games of AHL experience under his belt and could fast-track his climb into Dallas’ lineup with a hot return to North America. Even recent draftee Emil Hemming seems capable of making a late-season push. Hemming is expected to join the OHL’s Barrie Colts next season but isn’t limited by the NHL/CHL Agreement and could find his way into the pro heights after Barrie’s season. The trio of Bourque, Bichsel, and Hemming are just three of the numerous Stars prospects that look poised for a breakout next season, but they’ll have to break through a thick ceiling to work into a Dallas roster largely dedicated to veterans.
When Will Harley Sign? It may be a bit premature to count Harley on
the Stars roster. After all, he’s still without a contract for next season – standing as Dallas’ last remaining RFA before the new year can really begin. There’s no question that Harley deserves a new deal. He broke out in a big way last season, netting 47 points through 79 games in what was the first full NHL season of his career. He was a proud member of the Dallas top-four, averaging over 21 minutes of ice tie through the regular season and nearly 24 minutes in the playoffs. It’s clear Dallas trusts him, but to what extent will his next deal indicate this? Will Harley lock himself to Dallas with a deal akin to Mattias Samuelsson and Kaiden Guhle, or will he ink a short-term bridge deal and look for a raise after a few more strong seasons? Those questions might not influence Dallas’ 2024-25 campaign too much – but they’ll have major implications as the Stars look to turn a dazzling prospect pool into a legacy.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Tristan Bertucci Traded To OHL Barrie
- Stars defense prospect Tristan Bertucci is on the move as OHL Flint announced they’ve moved him to Barrie as part of a three-team swap. The 19-year-old was a second-round pick by Dallas in 2023, going 61st overall; he has already signed his entry-level contract. Bertucci played in 61 games with the Firebirds last season, notching 10 goals and 34 assists while adding four helpers in four playoff contests. He also was able to make his professional debut, suiting up once for AHL Texas after Flint was eliminated from the postseason.
Snapshots: CHL/NCAA, Hovorka, Tiefensee
The NCAA is facing major pressure to lift one of its biggest barriers to entry for men’s ice hockey after a class-action lawsuit was levied against them on Monday, alleging the association is “violating antitrust laws by preventing hockey players who appeared in Canadian Hockey League games from competing for NCAA teams.”
Today, Sean Gentille of The Athletic broke down the potential implications of the suit. The elimination of the rule preventing CHL players from making the jump to Division I hockey has been in discussion for a while, at the very least dating back to a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet in March.
However, if CHL players were allowed to move to NCAA play at any given time, it would likely necessitate a revision of the NHL’s transfer agreements with both organizations. Players drafted out of the three CHL sub-leagues have a two-year exclusive signing window after being drafted by an NHL club. In contrast, players on the college track have their signing rights stay with their NHL team until Aug. 15, following the year they’ve graduated from their program.
The suit’s basis alleges that the NCAA’s rule barring CHL players from entrance isn’t to protect amateurism. It’s to “harm the CHL — the NCAA’s primary competition for elite young players — and that, in practice, it constitutes a ‘group boycott’ that violates U.S. antitrust law. It’s also a ‘carve-out’ of sorts that exists in men’s hockey and skiing, but no other sport,” Gentille writes.
Yet removing the rule would severely handicap other high-level junior leagues in North America, such as the USHL and other Canadian junior leagues, who routinely have their players go on to have successful Division I careers. They’d be at greater risk of losing their primary talent to the three CHL leagues. “Avoiding that, along with more generally making changes during what has been a profitable and positive run for college hockey, would seem to be the reason the rule is still on the books in 2024,” Gentille says.
Elsewhere from around the sport:
- The Panthers are looking for undrafted free-agent signing Mikulas Hovorka to take major strides in his development in his first season in North America, AHL head coach Geordie Kinnear told George Richards for NHL.com. “His size is obvious, but his passion to practice and to play is infectious,” Kinnear said. “The coaches just gravitated to him due to his willingness to be coached. He may have been going against teammates and peers, but you could see his physicality, which is how we want him to play. We think he will take a big step, but we also know it is a process.” Hovorka, 23, is a right-shot defenseman who checks in at 6’6″ and nearly 230 lbs. He spent last season in his native Czechia, recording 16 points and a +14 rating in 51 games with Extraliga club Motor Ceske Budejovice.
- Early into his post-playing career, Stars player development coordinator Ben Bishop is already making an impact. The two-time All-Star netminder has been working closely with Dallas 2023 fifth-rounder Arno Tiefensee, he tells NHL.com’s Taylor Baird, traveling to the player’s native Germany to work with him throughout last season. It’s panned out so far, as the 22-year-old took over as the starter for the DEL’s Adler Mannheim last year with a .907 SV% and 2.43 GAA in 32 games. Tiefensee must put pen to paper on an entry-level contract before June 1 of next year before the Stars lose his signing rights.
Stars Sign Magnus Hellberg To Two-Way Deal
Aug. 14: Hellberg’s deal carries an NHL salary of $775K and an AHL salary of $450K with a $475K guarantee, PuckPedia reports.
Aug. 13: The Stars have signed UFA goaltender Magnus Hellberg to a two-way contract, per a team announcement.
Hellberg’s appealing size, at 6’6″ and 209 lbs, helped him get drafted by the Predators in the second round in 2011. The 33-year-old has since solidified himself as a journeyman, dressing for six NHL teams, five AHL teams, and six different pro teams in China, Russia and Sweden.
After his first stint in North America, split between the Predators and Rangers organizations from 2012 to 2017, Hellberg headed to the Kontinental Hockey League for a five-year span. Suiting up for Kunlun Red Star, SKA St. Petersburg and HK Sochi, he put up a 2.00 GAA, .927 SV%, 24 SOs, and an 81-64-14 record before returning to the NHL with the Red Wings at the end of the 2021-22 season, recording a win in his lone appearance.
The two-time KHL All-Star landed with the Kraken as a free agent a few months later, kicking off a tumultuous 2022-23 campaign. Seattle attempted to assign him to the AHL to begin the season, but he was claimed off waivers by the Senators. He played once for Ottawa, recording a .935 SV% in a win, before landing on waivers again in early November and being re-claimed by the Kraken. He dressed as a backup for Seattle on multiple occasions but never entered a game before he was placed on waivers for a third time around Thanksgiving, returning to where his NHL comeback started six months ago in Detroit.
Hellberg remained in Hockeytown as a backup/third-string option for the remainder of the season, only seeing AHL ice on a conditioning stint. He struggled behind a porous Red Wings defense in his longest look at the NHL level, posting a 4-8-1 record, .885 SV%, 3.29 GAA, and -8.2 GSAA in 13 starts and four relief appearances.
He then signed with the Penguins upon becoming a free agent again in 2023, and this time cleared waivers to begin the season. He did well as Pittsburgh’s third-string netminder, posting a .905 SV% in 19 games with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and a .922 SV% in three NHL games before the Panthers acquired him at the trade deadline to shore up their goaltending depth. Hellberg didn’t see any NHL looks with Florida and ended the season with their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, where he had a 2.34 GAA, .898 SV%, 1 SO, and a 5-2-0 record in eight appearances.
The big Swede now joins his seventh NHL franchise. He’ll likely hit the waiver wire again during the preseason, and if he clears, he’ll head to Dallas’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, to serve as their starter. He’ll sit third on the organizational depth chart behind starter Jake Oettinger and UFA signing Casey DeSmith, who’ll serve as his backup.
Financial terms of Hellberg’s two-way deal weren’t disclosed, but it likely carries a league-minimum NHL salary of $775K.
Poll: Who Is The Early Favorite For The 2025 Calder Trophy?
The hockey world is in for a treat with the 2024-25 rookie class. A long list of top prospects seem destined for NHL roles, including former high-end draft picks and controversial prospects. Their pursuit of meaningful NHL ice time will be undercut by what’s sure to be an exciting race for the 2025 Calder Trophy. The NHL’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ award stands as perhaps the most coveted and exclusive award in the league, having previously gone to franchise-defining talents like Connor Bedard this year, Kirill Kaprizov in 2021, and Cale Makar in 2020. With such a star-studded cast of contenders this year, the winner may have to reach the heights of that trio to win over voters.
That could prove an easy feat for the pair of Macklin Celebrini and Matvei Michkov – likely the leading favorites as things currently stand. Celebrini was the first overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft and is coming off a dazzling junior hockey career. After winning both the USHL’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ and ‘Most Valuable Player’ awards as a 16-year-old in 2022-23, Celebrini became the youngest player to ever win the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player this season. His prowess is undeniable. He’s a defiantly special playmaker, with all of the tools needed to match top speeds. Celebrini is set for a top-line role with the San Jose Sharks, while Michkov will fight for the same recognition from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Michkov is making the jump to the NHL a year earlier than expected, after being released from his contract with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg this summer. He makes the move to North America after proudly leading HK Sochi. Despite playing on a farm club to SKA, Michkov has still managed 61 points in 77 KHL games over the last two seasons. His 41 points in 47 games this year marked the most of any U20 KHL skater since Kaprizov, the record holder, potted 42 points in 49 games in 2017. Where Celebrini is a quick-thinking and quicker-moving playmaker, Michkov is an all-skill scorer, capable of using a mix of incredibly agile skating, great stickhandling, and a knockout shot to embarrass opponents in the offensive end. The sky is the limit for the Russian phenom, who should finally receive proper support after spending the last two seasons on muddling rosters.
Celebrini and Michkov will be challenged for their spot by a long list of high-end forwards, including Will Smith – who could find himself playing second-fiddle to Celebrini in San Jose. Anaheim Ducks center Cutter Gauthier could also break into the conversation – undermining yet another boost to the Flyers’ prospect pool. But of the many contenders, it’s the dynamic duo of Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque who seem most overlooked in early Calder talks.
Stankoven was a lightning bolt in his first taste of the NHL. The first-year pro fought his way to an NHL call-up with a then-league-leading 57 points in his first 47 AHL games. The scoring didn’t stop in Dallas, as Stankoven proceeded to score 14 points in 24 games – the highest scoring pace (0.58) of any first-year Star since Jason Robertson in 2021 (0.88) and John Klingberg in 2015 (0.58). Stankoven was just one game shy of losing rookie eligibility when Dallas’ season ended, though he was quickly slotted back into the lineup during the playoffs – which don’t count against Calder Trophy eligibility. He continued to hone his game in the race for the Stanley Cup, netting eight points in 19 games and earning a routine role in Dallas’ middle-six.
If not Stankoven, then it’ll be his electric centerman Bourque who wins the title for Dallas. The two forwards were unstoppable with the AHL’s Texas Stars last season, playing with a pace and chemistry that opponents simply couldn’t keep up with. Bourque stayed red-hot even after Stankoven’s call-up, ultimately leading the AHL in scoring with 77 points in 71 games and earning the Les Cunningham Award as the league’s MVP. That was despite last season being just the second pro year of Bourque’s career. He was impressive, and found a way to score consistently despite his oft-criticized frame.
Even with all of the acclaim of the aforementioned forwards, the award could still find its way to other hands. Shakir Mukhamadullin in San Jose, Lane Hutson in Montreal, and Olen Zellweger in Anaheim are all prime candidates from the blue-line, while Dustin Wolf in Calgary and Yaroslav Askarov in Nashville stand as favorites in net – though the latter will have to fight his way above Juuse Saros. It seems the Calder Trophy debate could go in one of countless directions when the first puck is finally dropped – but who do you think will win out? Will it be dazzling star prospects Celebrini or Michkov? Will defensive supports overtake the top scorers? Or will a player like Brad Lambert subvert everyone’s expectations? Let us know by voting in the poll below and discussing in the comments!
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Stars Confident Thomas Harley Will Re-Sign Soon
The Dallas Stars are still mulling over contract details with defenseman Thomas Harley, the team’s final restricted free agent. Stars general manager Jim Nill isn’t fazed by negotiations carrying into August, sharing with Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News that he’s confident talks will ramp up soon and Harley will re-sign. Nill added, “We’re having healthy communication. We’re having talks… We’re going to get him signed. I’m not too concerned.”
Harley will be signing the first real contract of his NHL career, after doing more than enough to earn an NHL role on his three-year entry-level contract. Dallas selected Harley 18th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and signed him to his first pro deal just three months later. He returned to the Mississauga Steelheads following the draft but found his way into an unexpected NHL debut during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, after joining Dallas’ taxi squad following the end of Mississauga’s season. Harley went without a point in the debut but impressively kept up with a high-tempo Colorado Avalanche offense. He spent the next three seasons finding his footing, and then a top-line role, with the AHL’s Texas Stars – though a pair of extended recalls in 2022 allowed him to play out his rookie NHL season, marked by one goal and four points in 34 games.
The Stars were patient with Harley’s development, keeping him in the minor leagues through 131 games despite promising production to the tune of 70 points. But the long wait paid off, and Harley exploded in his first full NHL season this year. The 22-year-old defenseman managed 47 points in 79 games – just seven points back from Miro Heiskanen, who led the Stars defense in scoring. What’s more, Harley’s 15 goals were the most from a Stars defender since Trevor Daley in 2015. Harley managed the impressive scoring while averaging 21 minutes of ice time every night, serving as the haymaker behind Heiskanen in Dallas’ lineup.
That breakout performance is likely what makes Harley difficult to extend. He entered this season with just 40 NHL games, and six points, under his belt – then joined the heights of players like Noah Dobson, Zach Werenski, and Justin Faulk with his U23 scoring. Both Dobson and Faulk continued on bridge deals, with cap hits around $5MM, after their breakout years, though they both had longer stints in the NHL than Harley’s been afforded. The lack of NHL games played could hold Harley back from the $5MM mark, though a bridge deal would give him a chance to prove his worth next season.
It’s hard to deny that Harley is set for a long and fruitful career – especially granted his cushy role behind Heiskanen. Dallas will have to put a figure to their confidence in the young defender in the next few weeks. If, and presumably when, he finally re-signs – Harley will return to a Stars lineup that looks like it could be dangerous for years to come, on the back of incredibly talented young stars like himself.
Snapshots: Bourque, Ohgren, Hurlbert
It’s becoming abundantly clear that Mavrik Bourque will be on the Stars’ opening night roster after being crowned the AHL’s Most Valuable Player last season.
The 22-year-old center is “ready for the NHL,” and it’s his “turn to start grabbing it,” Dallas general manager Jim Nill told NHL.com’s Tracey Myers. Bourque, a late first-round pick by Dallas in 2020, exploded to lead the AHL with 77 points (26 G, 51 A) in 71 games last season with the Texas Stars. It was just his second professional campaign after completing his final season of junior hockey with the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes in 2022, where he won a league championship and was crowned playoff MVP.
Bourque has just one regular-season NHL game under his belt, going without a point in 10:56 of ice time against the Blackhawks on April 6 last season. But he’ll likely get a crack in a top-nine role come opening night as the team attempts to replace veteran Joe Pavelski, who confirmed his retirement last month, by committee. The Stars hope Bourque will be the latest in a string of prospects that become impact players immediately upon landing NHL minutes, following Wyatt Johnston and the recent graduation of Logan Stankoven to a full-time role.
More notes from around the league:
- Sticking in the Central, the Wild find themselves in a similar spot with recent first-round pick Liam Ohgren, who feels he’s ready to land a spot on the roster out of training camp. “I’m here to take a spot,” he said to NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce. “I want to play in the NHL next year. Not only that, I want to make an impact so we can go on and win a Stanley Cup. That’s my main goal.” Ohgren, the 19th overall selection of the 2022 draft, signed his entry-level contract a while back but only arrived from his native Sweden near the end of last season. He played four games for the Wild down the stretch, scoring a goal and an assist while averaging 14:31 per game. It’s important for the cap-strapped Wild to get value out of players on entry-level contracts, something they could do this season by sticking Ohgren in a top-nine role.
- It’s already time to start looking at some top names for the 2026 NHL Draft. One of the early top targets is 16-year-old forward JP Hurlbert, who announced on his Instagram today that he’s committed to Michigan. Hurlbert will spend the next two seasons in the U.S. National Team Development Program before heading to the Wolverines as a freshman in 2026-27. The Allen, Texas native has lit up the youth ranks with the Stars’ youth club, recording 76 points (40 G, 36 A) in 45 games with their U-16 squad last season.
No Extension Talks Planned For Stars And Evgenii Dadonov
Veteran winger Evgenii Dadonov proved to be a valuable addition for the Stars at the 2022 trade deadline, adding another offensive threat to a deep roster. He made a good enough impression to land a two-year, $4.5MM extension a few days before free agency opened up last year.
As he’s now in the final year of that agreement, Dadonov is now technically extension-eligible. However, it doesn’t appear as if he’s interested in holding any extension talks, telling Sport-Express’ Mikhail Skryl that he wants to wait and see what happens after the season.
The 35-year-old wasn’t quite as impactful offensively as he was when he was first acquired. He missed 31 games due to a lower-body injury; his 51 games played were his lowest since the 2011-12 campaign. Nevertheless, Dadonov was still a capable secondary contributor, notching 12 goals and 11 assists while logging a little over 13 minutes a night in what was a largely bottom-six role. He chipped in with seven points in 19 playoff appearances before Dallas was eliminated in the Western Conference Final.
At this point, it’s likely that Dadonov will be deployed in a similar role in 2024-25 with the Stars returning the bulk of their forward group from the playoffs. Accordingly, he could be in line for more limited playing time once again compared to what he played with Florida, Ottawa, and Vegas in recent years.
To that end, Dadonov didn’t rule out the possibility of returning to Russia after this coming season. Going back overseas is something he’s already done once as he left for the KHL in 2012, only returning in 2017. Finishing up his career back home in a role he’s more accustomed to could certainly be tempting. At this point, Dadonov would only say that he expects to field both NHL and KHL interest next summer but it appears the prospect of leaving the NHL is already on his mind.
Nill Believes Stars Are Better Than Last Year
After losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals in last year’s playoffs, the Dallas Stars went through numerous changes this summer — especially on the blue line. However, general manager Jim Nill does not believe the team has taken a step backward as referenced in an interview with Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the NHL.
In the interview, Nill is quoted as saying, “I think our team might be a little bit better than we were last year at this time, and now let’s see. Let’s get the season started. Let’s see where we’re at“. The Stars will bring back one of the best offenses in the league next year even while losing veteran Joe Pavelski to retirement. The emergence of Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven should give Dallas some continuity in their offense and create one of the deeper lineups in the league.
It’s difficult to imagine Nill believes the defense has gotten better than last season as the team effectively swapped Chris Tanev, Jani Hakanpaa, and Ryan Suter for Mathew Dumba, Brendan Smith, and Ilya Lyubushkin. The organization will have a little financial wiggle room after getting Thomas Harley locked into a new deal but it may not be enough to round out the top four. If the Stars cannot make it to the Stanley Cup Final again next season, it would not be surprising if defense is the culprit.