It makes for a pretty cool week for Johnston, who got the call from GM Jim Nill on Sunday.
"It was a really exciting day," he said. "I am really happy to be here."
Johnston seems prepared for the moment.
After being selected by the Stars in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, he went on to tally 124 points (46 goals, 78 assists) in 68 games for the Windsor Spitfires oh the Ontario Hockey League in 2021-22. He was named the OHL's MVP, as well as top scorer and most sportsmanlike player. He has been with the Stars since the Traverse City prospect tournament and has fit in well, despite his age.
"He earned it," said captain Jamie Benn, who has been on a line with Johnston at various times during training camp. "He had a great camp. He plays beyond his years already."
While it's never easy for any player to make the jump to the NHL, one of the keys to success is being able to think the game. That's Johnston's strong suit. He is a skilled center who anticipates play on both ends of the ice. That fits well with the system new coach Pete DeBoer is trying to install.
"He thinks offensively, he can make plays," DeBoer said. "When the puck is on his stick, he's thinking about creating offense. Not everyone is wired that way, but he has that ability."
DeBoer said when he talked to players about who they want to play with in preseason, the name Wyatt Johnston came up a lot.
"When you have veteran players that want to play with him, that shows you the respect that they have for some of his abilities," DeBoer added.
That said, the decision wasn't easy. Logan Stankoven was sent back to Kamloops, but he also performed well in camp. Riley Damiani is 22 years old and has two AHL seasons under his belt; he was the team's last cut, and DeBoer said that was a tough call to make. But Johnston impressed DeBoer with his composure, his intelligence, and his ability to improve.
"Probably the biggest thing is that his game grew as he got more comfortable," DeBoer said. "Sometimes, you see from young players that they pop early in camp and then as the pace picks up, things get tougher and their game slides a little bit. I thought it was the opposite with him. The tougher the games got, the better he was. I thought he might have been our best player in Minnesota. Hopefully, he can keep growing on that."
Johnston said he understands where he is. The agreement between the NHL and the CHL dictates that if a player plays 10 games in the NHL, the first year of his professional contract kicks in. He can't play in the AHL, so he then is expected to stay in the NHL for the entire season. That means Johnston has nine games to prove he deserves to stay.
"I don't want to look too far into the future," he said, citing a philosophy of taking things one day at a time.
But he added that he does feel he is getting better.
"Everything is a second faster here, so you have to know what to do with the puck before you get it," Johnston said. "I think I'm a player who has a good brain, so I'm able to utilize that to make plays on the ice and to adjust to this league."
And he's smart enough to respect the challenge.
"I kind of knew what to expect coming in, but it's still a huge adjustment from juniors," he said. "Guys are that much bigger and that much faster. It's definitely a big adjustment, but I think I've been doing a good job."
Good enough to extend his "tryout" for at least a few weeks…and possibly the rest of the season.
"Like all young players, it's one step," DeBoer said. "You're on the team to start the season, but that doesn't mean it's a lifetime contract. It's a good first step and I'm confident that he can play, or we wouldn't have made this step."
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.
