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Mavrik Bourque

Stars Recall Forward Mavrik Bourque

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The Dallas Stars have recalled top forward prospect Mavrik Bourque to the NHL roster (Twitter link). Bourque currently carries a seven-point lead on the AHL’s scoring title, with 26 goals and 72 points through 66 games. It’s a title he’s hung onto all season, battling for it with partner-in-crime Logan Stankoven prior to his recall. Bourque now gets a call-up of his own, marking the first in-season call-up of his career.

Bourque has been electric this season, continuing to dominate AHL scoring after posting 20 goals and 47 points in 70 games as a rookie last season. He formed a formidable duo with Stankoven this season, serving as the star prospect’s centerman and building a tempo that opponents simply couldn’t handle. But Bourque has proven plenty effective without him as well, boasting 17 points in 19 games since Stankoven left the lineup. He’s a feisty centerman that doesn’t shy away from the low slot or corners, even despite his smaller frame. Bourque compliments that with a great understanding of how to exploit space high in the zone, and a strong ability to work east-to-west just as well as he works north-to-south.

Dallas drafted Bourque with the 30th-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Every pick ahead of Bourque has so far made their NHL debut, with 29th-overall Brendan Brisson becoming the latest to break into the league. Bourque will look to continue the order and crack the lineup in Dallas’ final six games of the season.

Big Hype Prospects: Bourque, Levshunov, Fowler, Koivunen

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The hockey season is coming to a close across the world, bringing about the exciting time of year when top prospects are winning awards and loaded teams are winning championships. It’s the perfect time to borrow the Big Hype Prospects series from over at MLB Trade Rumors and break down some of the rising stars across the hockey world – including drafted prospects and U18 players eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft.

Four Big Hype Prospects

Mavrik Bourque, C, Dallas Stars (Texas Stars, AHL)
60 GP – 23 G – 44 A – 67 TP – 18 PIM – 0 +/-

Dallas Stars fans are currently relishing in the success of first-year-pro Logan Stankoven, who has a dazzling six goals and 10 points through the first 12 games of his NHL career. But the best is still yet to come, with Stankoven currently separated from his partner in crime – Mavrik Bourque. The two formed an unstoppable pair in the AHL, battling each other for the league’s scoring title all season long. They simply played faster than anyone else, zipping around defensemen and creating plays in the blink of an eye. And Bourque has done plenty to show his capabilities in Stankoven’s absence, with 14 points in 14 games and a confident 12-point lead on the league’s scoring title. He can still look undersized amid a scrum and will certainly need to adjust to the NHL’s physicality before he’s able to bring his full tempo. But it’s just a matter of time before Bourque receives the first in-season call-up of his career and Stars fans should be eager to see if he and Stankoven can pick up where they left off when it finally comes.

 

Artyom Levshunov, RHD, 2024 NHL Draft (Michigan State University, NCAA Big Ten)
35 GP – 9 G – 23 A – 32 TP – 42 PIM – +25

Artyom Levshunov is living large right now – clinching a spot in the Big Ten Championship, the Big Ten Rookie of the Year Award, and the Big Ten Defenseman of the Year Award all in one week. And while the season isn’t over just yet, he’s already done more than enough to prove his draft value. Levshunov joined the Spartans late in the summer, announcing his departure from the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers just five weeks before the league’s pre-season. It was a well-choreographed surprise that paired Levshunov with second-year head coach Adam Nightingale. And it was a big adjustment – especially considering this is just the second season that Levshunov has played in North America. There were certainly growing pains, with the Belarusian defenseman showing an overeagerness to leave his position in favor of chasing the puck or joining the offensive rush. But Nightingale was able to reel in his protege quickly, helping Levshunov better wield his aggression and building his confidence in leading the offense. The mentorship gelled well with Levshunov’s eagerness to take on more and more responsibility, ultimately averaging 22:33 in ice time and scoring at a near-point-per-game rate. It’s been an impressive season that came from a surprise commitment – and Levshunov’s ability to make flashy plays in all three zones certainly has the attention of NHL execs. He’s expected to be one of the first names called in the looming 2024 NHL Draft, and he could continue to build acclaim with hot performances in the Big Ten Championship or the Frozen Four!

Jacob Fowler, G, Montreal Canadiens (Boston College, NCAA Hockey East)
34 GP – 28 Wins – .924 Save Percentage – 2.19 Goals-Against-Average

Jacob Fowler is running out of room in his trophy closet quickly, a finalist for Hockey East’s Goaltender of the Year award and competing for the Hockey East championship after winning the same award, and a league championship, in the USHL last season. He has made himself a focal piece of every team he’s played for, setting the record for save percentage as both a 17-year-old and 18-year-old across his two seasons in the USHL and now saving the highest percentage of shots for Boston College since Spencer Knight in 2020. It’s clear to see why Fowler is so effective when watching him play. He’s a powerful skater, keeping a wide frame and moving across the crease quickly. And he carries plenty of bravado, showing clear confidence in facing down opponents and staying locked in through the entirety of plays. As any fan of Jon Gillies will attest, a high save percentage and a stocked trophy cabinet aren’t always indicative of future stardom. But Fowler’s continued dominance certainly elicits plenty of excitement.

Ville Koivunen, LW/C, Pittsburgh Penguins (Kärpät, Liiga)
59 GP – 22 G – 34 A – 56 TP – 26 PIM – +7

The Pittsburgh Penguins moved on from a franchise staple at the Trade Deadline, sending Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. It was a huge change, breaking up a Penguins top-line that’s been together for the better part of seven seasons. And while there’s no good way to rebound from a move that grand, Ville Koivunen represents a great consolation prize. The 20-year-old winger has been fantastic in Finland’s top league, the Liiga, this season – showing a great ability to read the ice and work with his teammates. He’s a smooth-moving forward that’s very tough to knock off the puck, thanks to beautifully-smooth puckhandling. And while he needs space to use it, Koivunen’s shot can be fantastic. He’s emerged as one of Kärpät’s key players this season, averaging nearly 18 minutes of ice time each game and ranked second on the team in scoring. Moving to North American pros poses a unique challenge, something Koivunen learned when he managed just one goal in 12 games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves last season. But he’s found a new groove in his return to Finland. Koivunen has the wind behind his sails, a new NHL organization to embrace, and an open role to eye after Guentzel’s departure – making his return to the United States highly anticipated.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Latest On Alex DeBrincat

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The trade market will only heat up over the next few weeks, and Ottawa Senators winger Alex DeBrincat is expected to be high on the list of most trade bait boards. Reports late last week suggested Ottawa will want to get a move in place by next week’s draft, as the 25-year-old sniper isn’t willing to sign a long-term extension with the Sens after heading to the Canadian capital via trade at this time last year. Today, we have some more clarity on where DeBrincat could end up by the end of the month: the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and the Detroit Red Wings are on his preferred list of teams where he’d sign a long-term extension, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports.

Ottawa acquired DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks just before the first round of last year’s draft, conceding the seventh overall pick (used on Kevin Korchinski), the 39th overall pick (used on Paul Ludwinski), and a third-round pick in 2024. How much of that value Ottawa can recoup in a secondary trade remains to be seen.

Garrioch mentioned last year’s Kevin Fiala trade between the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings as a comparable, with the Kings sending high-end defense prospect Brock Faber and the 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft in return for Fiala’s RFA rights (he then signed a long-term extension). Garrioch argues that Senators general manager Pierre Dorion should be in a position to get a better return, given DeBrincat is a two-time 40-goal scorer at the time of the deal.

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli seemed to pour cold water on that today, however, suggesting an offer from the Detroit Red Wings of winger Filip Zadina (whose time to develop into a full-time NHLer is quickly running out) and futures as a likely return in terms of value for DeBrincat. What does seem clear is that Ottawa likely won’t be receiving a significant roster player in this deal – nor will they be getting the value of picks they gave up for DeBrincat in the first place.

If Ottawa is able to get a prospect closer to Faber’s caliber in return for DeBrincat, though, they should be aiming for a winger who could replace DeBrincat’s spot long-term. The team’s gamble on Tyler Boucher at 10th overall in 2021 doesn’t look like it will pay off, and the team is quickly running out of forward prospects with top-six ceilings with Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig graduating to full-time NHL roles. That could be someone like Mavrik Bourque from Dallas, Fedor Svechkov from Nashville, Mackie Samoskevich from Florida, or Brendan Brisson from Vegas.

Expecting a first-round pick along with Brisson from Vegas may be too much to ask, but the team is slated to pick with the last selection of the first round after winning the Stanley Cup, so it doesn’t quite hold as much value. Dallas and Florida do not have their first-round picks in this year’s draft, while Detroit holds the ninth overall selection, and Nashville holds the 15th and 24th overall picks.

Dallas Stars Announce Seven More Black Aces

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Dallas Stars radio announcer Bruce LeVine tweeted this afternoon that the club has announced seven more Black Aces that will join the club for the remainder of their playoff run. The Stars already announced this morning that they would be recalling Mavrik Bourque and Rhett Gardner from the Texas Stars, now they will have seven additional teammates joining them with the big club. Texas was eliminated from the AHL playoffs this past Sunday night by the Milwaukee Admirals.

Joining the Stars from the AHL will be forwards Oskar Back, Matej Blumel, Marián Studenič, and Riley Tufte. Defensemen Alexander Petrovic, and Ryan Shea will also join the fray, as well as goaltender Matt Murray. The Black Aces generally don’t dress for games; however, they do stay ready for action just in case. They will also practice with the club as well as soaking in the experience of being around the NHL playoff atmosphere.

The addition of Petrovic is an interesting coincidence given that in the 2017 Vegas Golden Nights expansion draft the Florida Panthers gift wrapped Jonathan Marchessault along with Reilly Smith to Vegas so they could protect Petrovic and three other defensemen. Marchessault has gone on to become the Golden Knights all-time scoring leader while Petrovic struggled to stay in the NHL and has spent the past four seasons in the AHL.

These Black Aces could have a short stay with the big club as Dallas can be eliminated as early as this evening should they drop game 4 to the Golden Knights.

Dallas Stars Recall Mavrik Bourque, Rhett Gardner

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The Dallas Stars announced the recall of two forwards from the AHL’s Texas Stars this morning: Mavrik Bourque and Rhett Gardner.

Additional depth is needed on the team’s roster, especially among forwards, after a two-game suspension for captain Jamie Benn and a potential injury to Evgenii Dadonov could knock them to just 12 healthy forwards available to play. With the AHL Stars’ season ending a few days ago after losing to the Milwaukee Admirals in the Central Division Final, Bourque and Gardner were initially slated to be “Black Aces” for the NHL club. Now, if the Stars face more injury issues today or manage to extend their season, these two may be thrust into unexpected playing time.

Bourque, a 21-year-old out of Plessisville, Quebec, continued a solid first pro season in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He contributed one goal and four points in eight playoff games, finishing tied for tenth on the team in playoff scoring. His offensive abilities were evident as he tallied an assist in his AHL postseason debut and recorded points in three consecutive games in the series loss against the Admirals.

Throughout his first full professional season, Bourque exhibited strong potential with 47 points in 70 regular-season games, ranking ninth among AHL rookies. He ranked fourth on the AHL Stars in goals and fifth in points, a strong showing after Dallas selected him 30th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Gardner, 27, led the Texas Stars in postseason scoring with eight points in eight games. His offensive consistency was evident as he notched points in six of the eight playoff games, including a five-game point streak to kick off the Calder Cup Playoffs. This was Gardner’s first season since turning pro in 2018-19 that he didn’t see any NHL action.

Gardner posted 10 goals and 40 points in 71 regular-season games from Texas, a solid offensive rebound after a poor showing on the scoresheet last season. The 2016 fourth-round pick has become a solid two-way forward at the minor-league level and remains high on Dallas’ list of call-up options.

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