Prepping for first pro season, Colton Point embraces challenge with Stars

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. --Dallas Stars goaltending prospect Colton Point decided to turn pro this past summer, and he is getting his first taste of the next level this weekend at the NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan.
The tournament features top prospects of eight NHL teams, several with pro experience, including some at the NHL level, and it is a good test.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: [Get the latest news and live-stream information from the Traverse City Prospect Tournament]
"Absolutely. This is his first pro minutes ever. You've got to walk before you run," said Jim Bedard, the Stars' goaltending development coach. "Normally with exhibition situations with a team, you will play half a game to start, but he is being thrown right in there.
"We are going to find out where he's at and how he is going to be."
Point has been thrown right in there at the tournament, playing 60 minutes Friday and then 60 minutes Saturday. After some ups and downs in Friday's 7-5 win over the New York Rangers -- in which he stopped 21 of 26 shots -- Point looked sharper Saturday in a 3-1 loss to Detroit, stopping 24 of 26 shots to keep the Stars in a game that the Red Wings had the better of play. Both Detroit goals on Point came on the power play, one of them a 5-on-3.
"I thought he looked much more comfortable tonight and made some big saves for us in tight," said Texas Stars coach Derek Laxdal, who is coaching Dallas' prospects in Traverse City. "Every game he plays he is only going to get better. It's part of the experience and the growing part of the game for him."
The 20-year-old Point, a fifth-round pick (128th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft who played two seasons at Colgate University, has noticed the different level of play in Traverse City.

"It's just the speed, the skill level. All these guys are fantastic players," Point said. "The higher you go, the higher the talent level obviously. It's just getting accustomed to playing with guys at this skillset and adapting to the speed of the shots and the speed of the players and the fast plays happening on the ice."
Bedard, who is in his second season of working with Dallas goaltending prospects, said there is a lot to like about Point, but a lot to work on as well.
"What I noticed about him playing last year is that he is very raw," Bedard said. "He's got a lot of drive to stop pucks, and sometimes he can get away with it in college where you can get a little sloppy after your initial shot. Even Friday night], there were times he looked so calm and composed and then there were times the structure of his game was kind of lost, but he was just battling.
"I like to see that kind of fight in a goaltender and the competitive edge, but when you start to go up level after level after level, you are going to have to tune it in where you are making the easier saves on the first and second saves, and the third save is where the big saves are made."
And Bedard will work with Point to help him fine tune his game to get it in shape for the pro level.
***[RELATED: [Top defense prospect Miro Heiskanen sparkles in Stars debut, scoring highlight-reel goal]*
"We do a lot of goalie-specific power skating, we're going to do situations that put him more under control -- more set, better recovery and just overall goalie IQ," Bedard said. "He's got size, he's got competitive nature. I am looking forward to working with him because there is a lot there."
Point is coming off an outstanding season at Colgate, where he led the nation in save percentage (.944), ranked second in goals-against average (1.74) and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which goes to the top player in college hockey. He also played on Canada's gold medal-winning team at the World Juniors, starting one game and stopping all 20 shots he faced in a 6-0 win over Slovakia.
The decision to turn pro wasn't an easy one for Point, who was leaning towards playing one more year at Colgate. But after his season ended, he received calls from Stars general manager Jim Nill and player development coordinator Rich Peverley asking if he would be interested in signing a pro contract after his big year in college. That encouragement from the Stars along with the decision by the Stars other highly-regarded college goaltending prospect, Jake Oettinger, to stay in school helped push Point to leave Colgate and sign an entry-level contract with Dallas.
"As the summer progressed and they told me Oettinger wasn't going to sign, it became a better and better option," Point said. "For me, and the development sense, this was the best decision I could have made. To keep pushing myself and challenging myself every day, this is the place I need to be."
Point and Oettinger, who will be a junior this season at Boston University, are considered the top two goaltending prospects in the Dallas system.

"[The competition] is always in the back of your mind," Point said. "I've always said that I really like Jake Oettinger. He is an awesome guy and a great goaltender. I am in direct competition with him, and I need to make decisions that will benefit me and hopefully, eventually play for the Dallas Stars."
Point will still face some stiff opposition as he turns pro this season and tries to move up the depth chart. He'll be battling Landon Bow, who played well with the Texas Stars of the AHL last season, and Philippe Desrosiers, who has three pro seasons under his belt and will be pushing to play in the AHL as well. Where Point will start his pro career is still to be determined.
"My crystal ball is a little foggy, but he is going to get every opportunity to show that he belongs in the American Hockey League," said Bedard. "The best guys are going to play. We'll see. Time will tell."
Point has his hopes set on the AHL instead of the ECHL but knows there are no guarantees.
"Nothing is ever set in stone, so I am not entirely sure where I will end up. Obviously, I would like to end up in Austin," Point said. "Regardless, I am going to put everything I have on the ice and just play the game I know how to play."

Stars prospects fall to Detroit, 3-1

The Stars prospects fell to 1-1-0 at the NHL Prospect Tournament, losing 3-1 to Detroit on Saturday. The Red Wings scored on the power play late in the first to take a 1-0 lead and then tallied on a 5-on-3 power play with 52 seconds left in the second period to push their lead to 2-0.
Tony Calderone scored on a backhand shot to cut the Detroit lead to 2-1 at 8:02 of the third period, but the Stars couldn't get the equalizer although they had their chances. Detroit sealed the win with a late empty-net goal.
Nick Caamano and Ty Dellandrea picked up the assists on the Calderone goal. Colton Point stopped 24 of 26 shots.
"I didn't think we had our legs most of the game and Detroit had pretty good legs," said Texas Stars coach Derek Laxdal, who is coaching the Dallas prospects. "They are a pretty skilled team, but I thought Point gave us a chance. We had a little more energy in the third period and skated the way we were capable of skating."
Along with Point's play in goal, some of the other players Laxdal singled out for solid play were center Roope Hintz, who had some good looks in the game, defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who played a second straight superb game, and Caamano, who skated well and brought a physical presence.
There are no games at the tournament Sunday. The Stars play Minnesota on Monday afternoon.

Stars lineup

Here's the lineup the Stars used Saturday in Traverse City:
Nick Caamano - Roope Hintz (C) - Tony Calderone (A)
Adam Mascherin - Ty Dellandrea - Jason Robertson
Brett Davis - Joel L'Esperance (A) - Riley Damiani
Sam Laberge - James Phelan - Curtis Douglas
Miro Heiskanen - Niklas Hansson
John Nyberg - Jakob Stenqvist
Ben Gleason - Dawson Barteaux
Colton Point
Anthony Popovic
Scratched: Liam Hawel, Ondrej Vala, Adam McCormick, Jermaine Loewen
Photo credit: Dan Mannes / Detroit Red Wings
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mark Stepneski has covered the Stars for DallasStars.com since 2012. Follow him on Twitter @StarsInsideEdge.