Lian Bichsel joining Texas for playoff run after strong season of development

The Stars made a calculated decision back in November and it could pay off in the month ahead.

After planning to incorporate young defenseman Lian Bichsel into their American Hockey League roster this season, Dallas management sent Bichsel back to Sweden on Dec. 1 so that he could feel more comfortable in his development. Now, after helping Rogle to the SHL finals, Bichsel is back with the Texas Stars and hoping to take the next step in the AHL playoffs.

Bichsel (who will turn 20 in 16 days) is expected to play in Game 1 in the second round series against Milwaukee on Thursday and continue his development as one of the Stars’ top prospects.

“We’ll get him in the lineup in Cedar Park and see what happens,” Stars GM Jim Nill said. “He’s had a great experience. He’s played a lot in high-pressure games, and that’s been good for him. So let’s see where he’s at.”

Bichsel was taken 18th overall by Dallas in the 2022 NHL Draft. He’s a hulking defenseman (6-6, 233) who also can skate and move the puck well. He played with the Stars in the Traverse City (Mich.) prospects tournament and in the 2023 NHL preseason. He then played 16 games with the Texas Stars in the AHL and had 7 points (1 goal, 6 assists). However, Bichsel and the Stars discussed returning home before Christmas and Nill worked out an agreement with Rogle BK of the SHL.

“You’ve got to remember how old he is and what his situation was,” Nill said of the Switzerland native who had been playing in Sweden. “He’s one year out of the draft and it was important for him to feel comfortable, so we wanted to do what was best for him. Honestly, he already exceeded expectations. His first training camp was great, he exceeded our expectations in the American League, but he wanted to go back. He’s 19 years old, so he has to feel comfortable. Clearly, he had a great season there, so it worked out well.”

Bichsel played 29 regular season games with Rogle and tallied 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists). He then led the team in time on ice along with six points (1 goal, 5 assists) in 15 playoff games and helped them to the Finals, where they lost to Skelleftea.

They play on a bigger rink in Sweden, so there will be some adjusting for Bichsel, but that’s part of the development process.

“I think he’ll be fine,” Nill said. “That’s why it was so important to get him to training camp and get him those reps. He spent two months over here, he played in Traverse City, played in the preseason, played in AHL games. Those are all great experiences.”

Not to mention, he has been through a lot of rookie adjustments. He already has lived in Cedar Park for two months and should be able to jump right back into the AHL lifestyle.

“He already has his apartment,” Nill said. “He lives with [Matej\] Blumel and a couple of other players, so it’s not like he’s coming here with no experience. He’s been here, he’s played here, he knows the setup, so it’s not new to him. We think it will go well.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.