Stars aren't just shining bright at NHL level - the kids are alright, too

FRISCO, Texas -- As the Stars continue their push for the playoffs, the organization's next wave of players is shining brighter than ever.

Top prospects Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven, Mavrik Bourque and Antonio Stranges are having breakout seasons with their respective junior clubs, with three of them leading all three Canadian Hockey Leagues in points per game.
Keeping tabs on the organization's prospects is a team effort that includes Stars director of player personnel Rich Peverley, along with player development coordinator J.J. McQueen and player development coordinator/European pro scout Pär Johansson. Once a player is drafted, the player development staff is instrumental in providing the young players with guidance on taking the next step in their hockey careers.
While the four prospects mentioned might not be household names just yet, what they've been able to accomplish this season is worth highlighting.
Of the four, Bourque might be the most well-known. Selected in the first round (30th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, the 20-year-old made his pro debut with the Texas Stars during the 2020-21 campaign, recording five points (one goal, four assists) in six games on an amateur tryout. Despite being only 19 years of age at the time, Bourque wasn't overwhelmed.
"He's got an elite hockey mind and he's willing to do anything it takes," said Peverley. "When it comes to playmaking and ability to rise to the occasion, Mavrik's always been there. He's an elite playmaker and rises to the challenge."
Bourque attended main camp this past September and played in five of the Stars' seven preseason games. The right-shot center had three assists over that span and was one of the last cuts leading up to the opening night roster.
Though injuries this season have limited him to just 25 games, Bourque has amassed 50 points (13 goals, 37 assists) over that span, leading the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with an average of 2.00 points per game. In four seasons with the Shawinigan Cataractes, the Plessisville, Quebec native has racked up 218 points (86 goals, 132 assists) in 166 regular-season games.

"I feel for Mavrik this year because he had an injury in the fall having never had injury issues before," said Peverley. "Then he goes to World Juniors and that gets shut down, which might've been his last opportunity to play [in that tournament], which is what we thought at the time. Then, he goes back to the QMJHL, and that league gets shut down when every other league is still going. Then, he gets injured again.
"He was really frustrated, but I'll give him a ton of credit. It's hard on someone mentally when you're injured and then you're playing and not playing, and other circumstances that were out of his control. Whenever he's come back, he's been outstanding."
Bourque was a member of the U20 Team Canada squad that competed in the 2022 World Junior Championship that was unfortunately cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bourque recorded a goal and three points in two games for Team Canada.
Bourque signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Stars in March 2021.
Also selected in the 2020 draft, Stranges has been a regular on the highlight reel for the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights. Known for his 10-and-2 "mohawk" skating style, Stranges has gone viral with several of his end-to-end rushes this season, leaving defenders in his wake with his skating stride to blow past them at full speed.

And while his elite edgework and offensive skills are fun to watch, Peverley said the improvement in Stranges' two-way game is proof he's committed to taking the next step.
"He's probably got the best 10-and-2 skating I've ever seen," Peverley said. "It's really incredible what he can do. It makes him very hard to check. But the thing about Antonio is he's really come along in his two-way game. He listened to what we wanted. If you're going to play professional hockey and be successful, you have to be trusted by the coaches."
As the saying goes, Stranges understood the assignment.
"He's done everything we've asked and everything London's asked," said Peverley. "He's gone from a guy who wouldn't see the ice in the last five minutes of the game to the guy on the ice at the end of the game. He's realizing that if he wants to be successful, he has to be trusted in 5-on-5 and in your own zone. He's adjusted to that, and he's come a long way."
Taken in the fourth round (123rd overall), the 20-year-old this season has earned OHL Player of the Week honors (Nov. 8-Nov. 14, 2021) and CHL Team of the Week accolades (Feb. 14-20, 2022).
With 82 points (30 goals, 52 assists) in 59 games, Stranges helped the Knights clinch the Midwest Division title for the third consecutive season and 11th in the past 18 years.
"He's taken his game in the second half to another level," said Peverley. "You have to give him a ton of credit. He's done an outstanding job, and he listened. That's what you want. If you have deficiencies or weaknesses in your game, you want to show you can improve. He did that, and that's great to see."
The Plymouth, Michigan native signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Stars on March 1 and skated in nine games with the Texas Stars last season, earning an assist.
Moving on to the 2021 selections, the Stars' top two picks from this past July are dominating their leagues.
We'll begin with Stankoven, whom the Stars chose with the 47th overall pick in the second round. The 19-year-old is having an outstanding season with Kamloops, leading the Blazers and ranking second in the Western Hockey League with 102 points (44 goals, 58 assists) in 57 games. He stands atop the WHL leaderboard in points per game, averaging 1.79 with the Blazers.

"With Logan, you don't ever worry about the off-ice stuff," Peverley said. "He's very committed. He incredibly works hard. He just seems like a guy who's going to get it. He wants to get it. He's very determined. He has an NHL shot, and we knew that going in when we drafted him. This year, he's put himself in situations to become more of a playmaker. He's been playing in the middle most of the year, but he's played on the wing a little bit."

The 5-foot-7, 170-pound forward is a two-time WHL Player of the Week this season, earning the honor for the week ending Jan. 30 and again on April 3. He's the first Blazer to reach 100 points in a season since Colin Smith put up 106 in 72 games during the 2012-13 campaign and could become the first player in Kamloops history to win WHL Player of the Year since Hockey Hall-of-Famer Jarome Iginla did so in 1995-96.
Two months before he was drafted by the Stars, Stankoven skated for Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship and scored this beauty of a goal at Comerica Center in Frisco.

His stocky physique and willingness to go hard into the dirty areas earned him the nickname "little bowling ball" from his teammates at the 2022 World Junior Championship, where he scored in his debut with Team Canada on Dec. 28 vs. Austria.

"When you watch his games, he's a little different than Wyatt because Wyatt's elusive and hard to check," said Peverley. "Logan just doesn't stop motoring. He's a shark on the ice, and he's always looking to attack. He's looking to attack, shoot and create plays on the ice every time he's on the ice. He's a sniper and someone who's going to continue to work to get better. We're lucky to have him and Wyatt. They're pretty outstanding players."
That leads us to Johnston, Dallas' first selection in 2021. The 18-year-old, taken with the 23rd overall pick in the draft, is tearing up the OHL in his second full season with the Windsor Spitfires.
Having one of the most impressive seasons in Spitfires history, Johnston's numbers this year are staggering. With 123 points (including 45 goals), Johnston has the fifth-most points in a single season in Spits franchise history -- the first time a player has reached that mark since 1993-94 (Bill Bowler).

Peverley admits neither he -- or anyone on staff -- expected him to have the kind of record-setting year he's having. It should be noted that he missed the entire 2020-21 season because of the OHL's COVID-19 shutdown.
"A lot of his play was based on the U18 last year," Peverley said. "At that tournament, he was put into a defensive role. I've seen him as a 16-year-old. Knowing him as a player and seeing between the lines, you have to give a ton of credit to [Stars director of amateur scouting] Joe McDonnell and the scouting staff for picking him where we did."
Here's Johnston getting on the board at the U18s in Frisco.

Producing at such a rate as an 18-year-old is even more impressive.
"As an 18-year-old to lead the OHL in scoring, it's an incredible feat," said Peverley. "When I saw him as a 16-year-old, the last half of the year he was a point-per-game player. He was a really good player. You saw the skill and elusiveness. What we've seen with him this year is his ability to not only create for himself, but also create for others. He's very hard to check. He's an incredible stick handler and very quick in tight spaces. He's elusive with the puck and he does a really good job getting into areas where he can get his shot off."
Johnston's ability to produce offense on his own is also noteworthy.
"You look at this team, and the next guy is like 40 points behind him [Matthew Maggio ranks second on Windsor with 84 points, 39 behind Johnston]. It's not like he's got one guy on the other side, like Mitch Marner in London when he had Christian Dvorak and Matthew Tkachuk. I'm not comparing Wyatt to Marner. Wyatt has a fantastic linemate in Will Cuylle, and he's a really good player. But to be that far ahead of someone else shows how much he's doing it on his own."
Johnston's earned OHL Player of the Month honors three times this season, most recently in March when he tallied 13 goals and 30 points in 15 games. He was the first player in the OHL to reach 100 points this season, the first Spitfires skater to reach the century mark since defenseman Ryan Ellis had 101 during the 2010-11 season and the first Spitfires forward to reach it since Taylor Hall's 106-point season in 2009-10.

Prior to his season in Windsor, Johnston had a standout performance in the Traverse City prospect tournament in September. He was arguably the Stars' best player in the four-game tourney, finishing with four goals, five points and a plus-4 rating.
A day after signing his three-year, entry-level contract, Johnston made his preseason debut with the Stars, earning an assist in a 4-3 shootout loss vs. Florida at American Airlines Center.
Two additional prospects having strong seasons are 2021 picks Artem Grushnikov and Albert Sjoberg.
Grushnikov was taken one pick after Stankoven, 48th overall, from CSKA 2 of the Russia-Jr. league. The 19-year-old defenseman made the switch to the OHL this season playing for Hamilton.

"Grushnikov's a great example of a guy who, although he might not be putting up the points, his defensive game has been outstanding," said Peverley. "Hamilton was by far the best team in the OHL during the regular season, and he's a main reason for that. He shut down other teams' top lines, and he's one of the best defensive players in the league. I'm really happy with his progress."
Sjoberg, taken in the seventh round (207th overall), could turn out to be a late-round success story. Here's a goal of his from the 2021 U18s in Frisco.

"You have to give a lot of credit to our European scouting staff," said Peverley. "Sjoberg was a seventh-round pick, makes the Swedish World Junior team and scores in the tournament. He had 12 goals in the second division of men's hockey in Sweden as an 18-year-old. He's a guy who's come a long way and looks like he's going to be a real good player in the future."
Though he's not considered a prospect anymore, Peverley said the season Jacob Peterson's had in his rookie campaign with the Stars should serve as motivation for the organization's up-and-comers.
"For a guy, who, two or three years ago was barely playing in the SHL, he really took a major step last year with Farjestad," said Peverley. "He went from third-line center to first-line center and played big minutes. He scored a lot of big goals for that team. Ever since Traverse City, he kept kicking the door down. When you have as many goals as he has as an NHL rookie, that's an outstanding feat.
"I'm really happy for him. Another fifth-round pick we did well on. He's a great person, too. We try to use players like him as examples every time. We've had a lot of guys, as later picks, go on to have success. Those are great examples for anybody, drafted or undrafted. We're willing to take players that work, compete and want to get better. You just have to prove yourself. The ones who do that are the ones who are going to get opportunities. Jacob's a prime example of that."
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Kyle Shohara is the Digital Manager for DallasStars.com and writes about the Stars/NHL. Follow him on Twitter @kyleshohara.