Heiskanen's skating ability on par with McDavid, Seguin says

TORONTO -- Miro Heiskanen made a strong impression as a rookie with the Dallas Stars last season, so much so that Tyler Seguin said the defenseman is up there among the top players in the NHL when it comes to his skating ability.

"He's at that same level as Connor McDavid], as Nathan MacKinnon," Seguin said on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio at BioSteel Camp on Tuesday. "His skating is next level. I skate with a lot of good players in the summer, like Connor McDavid, and Miro is special like that."
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Heiskanen, who was selected by Dallas with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, had 33 points and averaged 23:07 of ice time in 82 games last season, when he led NHL rookie defensemen in goals with 12. The 20-year-old had four points (two goals, two assists) in 13 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when his average ice time increased to 25:31, second on Dallas behind defenseman Esa Lindell's 26:58.

"I think you're going to see him keep improving," Seguin said of Heiskanen. "I'm excited to get back to Dallas to see how he's evolved over another summer of training, seeing the man he's going to become, and how strong he gets and how good of a player he can be."
Despite his impressive season, Heiskanen was not a finalist for the Calder Trophy, which is awarded annually to the NHL rookie of the year. Seguin said he did not think Heiskanen received anywhere near enough acclaim for how good he was but added that he's OK with him flying under the radar if he can continue to have the same impact he did with the Stars.
"I don't want him to get too much credit. I want to keep hiding him. That's my plan, to keep hiding him," Seguin said.