Catching up with Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen

Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen will turn 22 on July 18th. A third overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, the Espoo, Finland native has already played 205 regular-season games for the club, tallying 95 points (28 goals, 67 assists) spanning three seasons. Heiskanen also led the Stars in playoff scoring in 2020 with 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 27 games.

In need of a new contract, Heiskanen's agent Ian Pulver and the Stars are trying to negotiate an extension this summer for the silky smooth blueliner.
During a break in the action of
a ball hockey game
with teammate Joel Kiviranta at St. Philip's School and Community Center in Dallas on Wednesday, Heiskanen sat down to answer a few questions about his offseason, the 2020-21 season, his contract negotiations and more.
Q: How are you feeling physically after the season?
Heiskanen: Well-rested and started working out.
Q: In your three years with the Stars, you've played in 245 overall games and also made trips to the World Juniors and Olympics before you got here. This past year, you played 27 playoffs games in the bubble and then appeared in all but one contest in a crammed 56-game schedule, averaging more than 25 minutes of ice time in the process. Do you look at the best way to optimize your fitness, and do you look forward to having a schedule which allows more rest and practice next season?
Heiskanen: I really just go with the flow. I don't think too much. I never have. I take care of myself, eating, sleeping, working out, but when it comes to the actual games, I just play and do whatever they ask. I really don't think about all of that. I have a summer coach and Jelly (Stars strength and conditioning coach Brad Jellis), and they give me plans, but I can read my body and I always work out, so I feel good. When I'm tired, I know it. Most of the time, I'm feeling really good and don't have to think about it. As for next year, I think we have a little more time with practice and time to recover, but I just think that's next year. It'll be different, but we'll deal with that then.
Q: How do you look at the negotiations for your contract extension?
Heiskanen: I let my agent do all the talking. That's more of his job right now. I'm not too worried about it. I want to get a deal done, but I don't know when.
Q: Do you favor a shorter-term deal or a longer-term deal?
Heiskanen: We'll see what happens. I let my agent take care of it.

Q: How did you view your performance this season?
Heiskanen: I think I played really well defensively, but of course I want to do more offensively and be more effective. That's the one thing I want to be better at. I think I had really good chances during the season where I didn't score, and I want to be better at that.
Q: Do you look at the scoring in the playoffs (26 points in 27 games) and the scoring during the regular season (27 points in 55 games) and wonder what was different?
Heiskanen: Not really, no. I'm a defenseman and the first thing I want to do is play defense. That's what I want to do best. I think when you play well, you're going to get points. Sometimes there is bad luck, but I think if I play well, the points will come.
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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.