First Shift 🏒
While losing Seguin and Mason Marchment to injury creates some difficulties for the 2024-25 Stars, it also creates opportunities.
All you have to do is look at recent call-ups like Arttu Hyry, Matěj Blümel and Justin Hryckowian to see the impact.
That trio of forwards has spent differing times in the organization with differing results, but it’s clear to all three that playing at the NHL level is a huge carrot. Blümel (24) is a 2019 Oilers draft pick (100th overall) that fought his way through three years overseas post-draft, as well as two and a half years in the AHL, so getting a chance to play against Ottawa on Sunday in just his eighth career NHL game was a big deal. Hyry (23) is a free agent from Finland. He is in his first year in North America, but he has already played 29 games with the Texas Stars and has 26 points (14 goals, 12 assists) in that span. He has enjoyed his time hanging with the Finns in the NHL. Hryckowian (23) is a free agent signed out of Northeastern. He has 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 32 games in the AHL this year.
The trio is a big part of the Stars churning their soil. Since the draft haul of 2017 brought in Heiskanen, Robertson and Jake Oettinger, Dallas has been able to not only lower the overall age of the NHL team, but also throughout the organization. Thomas Harley was taken in 2019, Mavrik Bourque in 2020, Johnston and Logan Stankoven in 2021 and Lian Bichsel in 2022. Four of those players are lineup regulars and Bichsel is a heartbeat away.
Stankoven and Bourque were AHL leaders last season, so by moving up this year, they have created space on the Texas Stars that players like Blümel, Hyry and Hryckowian are filling. Blümel had 31 goals in 72 AHL games last season. He already has 18 in 32 this year.
Now, the path isn’t straightforward. None of the callups have really lit it up in their brief NHL appearances. It’s a big step. Stankoven had 57 points (24 goals, 33 assists) in 47 AHL games last season. He has 20 (4 goals, 16 assists) in 40 NHL games this year. Bourque had 77 points (26 goals, 51 assists) in 71 AHL games last year. He has 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in 37 games in his first NHL season.
“That’s always the million dollar question,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said when asked about bringing up the organization’s most skilled players and then using them in depth roles in the NHL. “Especially with young players who have been used to using that skill and have had more time and space at lower levels.”
That said, the team has weathered this process before, turning Roope Hintz, Robertson and Johnston into three of the team’s top scorers. And with older players such as Joe Pavelski moving on, players like Bourque and Stankoven can step up. If they do that, then the next wave can start pushing up from Cedar Park.
“Every organization, you get to this point in the season, and your depth starts to get tested,” DeBoer said. “Those guys have to come up and contribute. We’ve got a good American League team and the guys we’ve called up have done a really good job. The list is long. We’ve got a lot of contributions from that group of guys.”
And when Marchment (facial injury) and Seguin (hip surgery) eventually return, that will make the team even better.
“It’s a great opportunity for everybody,” DeBoer said. “Now, we have to take advantage.”