Heiskanen ready to make impact with Stars

TORONTO --Miro Heiskanen is confident he can step in and make an impact with the Dallas Stars this season.

"I've had a great summer of training and I've practiced so hard," Heiskanen told NHL.com at the NHL Players' Association Rookie Showcase on Sunday. "I had a really good last season in Finland, so I think I'm ready to make that jump and play in the NHL."
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Stars coach Jim Montgomery is also expecting Heiskanen to play a big role, telling NHL.com earlier in August that he feels Heiskanen has the potential to grow into a role as a top-four defenseman at some point this season.
"Of course, that's really nice to hear that he trusts me and says that much," Heiskanen said. "Of course, I want to play in the NHL as soon as possible and I'll do everything I can to make that possible."
Heiskanen, who was selected by Dallas with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, had 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 30 games last season with HIFK in Liiga, Finland's top league, and won the Pekka Rautakallio Award as best defenseman.
But one area he knows he still needs to improve is his play in his own zone.
"Maybe defensive game, and being a little bit harder in front of the net and in the corners, being a bit more physical," Heiskanen said. "I try to play positional with my stick so I don't have to go in corners too much."
Heiskanen has not spent a lot of time playing in North American rinks (smaller than those in Europe) apart from in a few tournaments growing up, so he knows that will be another adjustment.
"There's a little bit of difference, there's more time I find on European rinks," Heiskanen said. "You have to be a little bit faster and do everything a little bit faster in North America than on European rinks."

With such lofty expectations before ever playing an NHL game, it would not be unexpected for Heiskanen to feel some pressure to live up to them immediately. But he said he has never been one to let pressure get to him.
"I don't think about that too much," Heiskanen said. "I just try to make sure I'm doing my thing and am playing as good as I can. I try not to think about things like that too much."
That included last winter when Heiskanen had one goal in five games with Finland at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. He also played with Finland at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship and 2018 IIHF World Championship.
"I didn't have any pressure. I just did my thing and didn't think about it too much, like it being the Olympic Games," Heiskanen said. "I just try to think of it like another game. I've always been like that, don't be nervous and just try to have fun and don't think about it too much. It's a game, and I just try to play as good as I can. It was a real nice experience. I liked it very much. It was one of my dreams to play in the Olympic games. It was a big tournament for me."
While Heiskanen considers himself to be a two-way defenseman who can advance the puck effectively from the defensive zone, he said an improvement in his skating has helped him become a more productive offensive player.
"It wasn't that good about two years ago," Heiskanen said. "But I've been getting it all the time better and better. I'm a little bit stronger now which helps to get more power in my legs. It's helped me have a little bit more time by being able to get to pucks more quickly."
Heiskanen has spent time studying Marc Methot and Stephen Johns after Montgomery said earlier in the offseason that he intends to pair him with one of the veteran defensemen early in the season.
"Yeah a little bit I have watched them. They're very good defensive players," Heiskanen said. "I think it's really good if I had one of those guys with me. It makes it easier to help me out playing with someone like them."