The Dallas Stars kick off a new week of our NHL prospect pool overview series.
Tony Ferrari digs into the Stars’ strengths and weaknesses, latest draft class, positional depth chart, next player in line for an NHL opportunity and more. A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for these exercises, with some exceptions.
Initial Thoughts
The Stars put on a masterclass of how to usher in a new era while their older core ages. They’ve drafted and developed high-end talent, such as Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson, Jake Oettinger and Roope Hintz, and they’ve bolstered that group by bringing in Mikko Rantanen.
Wyatt Johnston highlights the Stars' young core. He’s a high-level center who has scored over 30 goals in each of the past two seasons. Heading into his age-22 season, Johnston is poised to eclipse the point-per-game mark.
Thomas Harley is an emerging defender who played well in the spotlight when he joined Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. His mobility and length defensively, along with his puckhandling and passing offensively and in transition, allow him to impact the game at every level. He and Johnston are the centerpieces of the next generation, but they aren’t prospects anymore, so let's dive into the pipeline that will help bolster the Stars' winning ways.
The back end has solid players on their way through the system.
Lian Bichsel technically isn’t a rookie anymore, having played 38 NHL games this past season, but he still feels like one. The heavy-hitting blueliner has developed into a solid defensive player who uses his skating and size to impede offense for the opposing team. His puckhandling and passing are simple but steady, never looking to play above his head.
Aram Minnetian is one of the most promising players on their way through the system. He’s been a solid part of the Boston College blueline, using his skating and intelligent, timely play to ensure he puts his team in excellent positions. With a bigger role next season, he should be a key piece to a very good BC squad.
Tristan Bertucci jumps to the AHL after a solid OHL career. Despite not winning the league title, Bertucci finished his OHL career with 18 points in 16 playoff games, which was an offensive level he’s never reached before. While that isn’t expected at the next level, he’s known for his defensive game and physicality. He moves well, and that’s allowed him to showcase some transition ability as well. Bertucci is the kind of defender who flies under the radar at the next level, but they can be undoubtedly valuable.
On offense, Emil Hemming is one of the more promising forwards in the Stars’ system. Although he didn’t have the best season in the OHL, he has a great shot and plays the game with urgency. He gets involved in the forecheck and engages physically when needed. He isn’t the most refined attacker, but he exhibits some solid habits that could translate to the second or third line.
Ayrton Martino broke out in the NCAA as a senior, jumping from 27 points to 51. His speed makes him such an attractive prospect. He was finally able to show off his shooting talent at the college level. Martino has some rounding out to do, which will be addressed at the AHL level.
Key U-23 Players Likely To Play NHL Games This Season
Lian Bichsel (D), Wyatt Johnston (C)
2025 NHL Draft Class
Round 3, 94th overall - Cameron Schmidt, RW, Vancouver (WHL)
Round 4, 126th overall - Brandon Gorzynski, C/LW, Calgary (WHL)
Round 5, 146th overall - Atte Joki, C, Lukko Jr. (Fin.)
Round 5, 158th overall - Mans Goos, G, Farjestad Jr. (Swe.)
Round 6, 190th overall - Dawson Sharkey, RW, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
Round 7, 222nd overall - Charlie Paquette, RW, Guelph (OHL)
The Stars are known for taking swings at the draft, and they did exactly that with Cameron Schmidt. He was widely ranked as a first-round pick, but his size and lack of defensive commitment were major issues because he could get pushed around a bit, and he wasn’t always committed to playing in his own zone. With that said, his shot was as good as anyone in the draft, and he was a flash of lightning on the ice, flying around and bursting up ice with speed. He also has a bit of a nasty side, getting into it after the whistle and showing he has the fight in him that smaller players need. He must incorporate that into his game between the whistles a bit more.
To mitigate some of the risk from Schmidt, they went the safe route and drafted Gorzynski. He plays like your prototypical third-liner. Gorzynski looks to pressure opposing players with speed and effort, closing down the space they have to make plays and force mistakes. He doesn’t have the high-level skill to dictate play, but he has enough to advance play to teammates with the puck and find pockets to finish when given the chance.
In the fifth round, the Stars had two picks. The first of which was Atte Joki, a Finnish center who has displayed some really solid two-way ability and a crafty scoring touch at times. He’s likely destined for bottom-six duties at the pro level, but there is a level of intrigue that comes from his intelligent off-puck offensive play. Joki will need some time to develop, but the Stars have a knack for drafting solid Finns.
Mans Goos is a Swedish netminder with some hype back home. He’s got great size, and he cuts down the angle really well, taking away any light behind him in 1-on-1 situations. Goos must improve his lateral quickness, but he is a solid bet as a netminder with some solid pedigree.
When the Stars picked Dawson Sharkey, it felt like a swing on an energetic forward who plays with some physical intensity. He showed a decent touch around the net, finishing pucks in tight and even showing off a decent shot off the rush. Sharkey has a few tools but isn’t always able to put them together. Grabbing a player like this late is a bet on tools, which is better than drafting strictly for size, as some teams do.
With their final pick, the Stars drafted Charlie Paquette, who scored 70 points in 68 games as a 19-year-old OHLer and an overage draft eligible. He throws some hits, gets shots off from good spots and tries to get involved all over the offensive zone. He’s a good net-front presence as well. He strikes me as someone who will be a very good junior player and even a solid AHLer, but he has too much to put together, including passing and defensive play, to really challenge for an NHL job.
Strengths
The Stars’ pipeline has some promising defensemen. Bichsel is ready to roll in the NHL now, but with Minnetian and Bertucci on the way and some other nice swings in the pipeline, the Stars found ways to add a plethora of defensemen to the system.
Christian Kyrou is an offensive defenseman with a couple of years of experience in the AHL, having shown flashes of the skill and passing that made him a lethal OHL defender. Niilopekka Muhonen has an interesting blend of mobility and physicality. He had a solid season in which he helped the Medicine Hat Tigers capture a WHL title. The Stars have nice bets throughout their blueline.
Weaknesses
The Stars are weak down the middle in the prospect pipeline. Drafting Joki helps, but there aren’t any solid centers who could be much more than a fourth-line pivot. With that said, the Stars have Johnston and Bourque, who can play center at the NHL level. Dallas must replenish and continue to bring in centers to ensure long-term success.
Hidden Gem: Antonio Stranges, LW
Antonio Stranges is one of the most curious cases in hockey. His pure skill and creativity are incredible. Stranges has often been called a pre-game or practice all-star. Stranges has some of the most unorthodox but entertaining skating of any prospect in the last half-decade. His ability to deke, dangle or pull off tricks outside of the game was incredibly fun for people to watch. Last season, Stranges began to put the skill and mobility together at the AHL level. Whether he can continue to grow and eventually prove his skill at the NHL level will be the biggest question.
Next Man Up: Lian Bichsel, D
The Stars have missed the presence of Chris Tanev since he left in free agency. Tanev was a stout defensive force who helped keep the blueline steady in his limited days with the Stars. They are hoping that Bichsel can help fill that void after a season in which the Stars tried to patch the hole with unreliable veterans. Bichsel can lay the boom, and he can skate to shadow opposing players. Bichsel is young, but he might be the missing piece on the blueline.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Ayrton Martino, Antonio Stranges, Brandon Gorzynski, Justin Ertel
C: Angus MacDonell, Atte Joki, Francesco Arcuri
RW: Emil Hemming, Cameron Schmidt, Charlie Paquette, Matthew Seminoff
LD: Lian Bichsel, Tristan Bertucci, Niilopekka Muhonen
RD: Aram Minnetian, Gavin White, Christian Kyrou, Connor Punnett
G: Maxim Mayorov, Mans Goos, Arno Tiefensee, Remi Poirier, Ben Kraws
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News in print.
Eric Samulski
