Summer School: How high is Mattias Janmark's ceiling with Stars?

As players get ready for the 2018-19 season under new head coach Jim Montgomery, let's take a look at what they did last season and where they can improve in a series we'll call "Summer School." Next up, DallasStars.com senior staff writer Mike Heika takes a look at forward Mattias Janmark.
Previous installments:Jason Spezza, Tyler Seguin, John Klingberg

Mattias Janmark

Position:Forward
Age:25
Height:6-foot-1
Weight: 196 pounds
Shoots: Left
2017-18 Stats:
81 GP, 19 G 15 A, 34 Pts, minus-13, 24 PIM
2018-19 Status:
Signed one-year contract for $2.3 million

What happened last year

Janmark
missed the 2016-17 season after knee surgery
and his ability to recover was under question at the beginning of last season. However, he played 81 games, showed no signs of knee problems, and was one of the team's better players. Janmark averaged 16:56 in time on ice (fourth among forwards) and tallied 19 goals and 15 assists. He followed that up by
helping Sweden win the gold medal at the IIHF World Championship
. Janmark

with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 10 games and was plus-8.

Heika's outlook

Because of the complicated nature of Osteochondritis dissecans, a genetic disease which can cause cracks in bones and created the need for Janmark to miss an entire season, his knee will likely always be a question mark. That creates a difficult environment in which to pursue greatness. But Janmark battled through mentally last season and seems to be in a very good place. He still is a fast skater and a high-energy player, and that seems to fit perfectly with the kind of system new coach Jim Montgomery wants to install. Janmark averaged 1:33 in power-play time on ice last season, but he will have to battle
Valeri Nichushkin
for that time this year. That said, the addition of Nichushkin (
who is returning from the KHL
) and the expected improvement of Jason Spezza should help Janmark's numbers, which were
already career bests
. There is a good chance the three could get a lot of time together on the second line. Janmark's plus-minus (minus-13) also could improve greatly. While he wasn't noticeably bad defensively last season, he was often on a line with Devin Shore (minus-30), Martin Hanzal (minus-14) or Spezza (minus-12).
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They said it

"When I got back, I was able to play a lot, and that made it more successful. I gained confidence quickly, I was scoring points early on even when I didn't feel great, and I really think that helped a lot. That to me is the biggest thing about coming back from surgery. It got me over the hump. My only real hope was to play 82 games, and everything else was secondary, but I'm very happy with the numbers. I think that shows what I can do." -- Stars forward Mattias Janmark on overcoming a knee injury last season to play in 81 games.

"I like his ability to pressure pucks, I like his ability to create space with his speed, I like his mind for the game. He's another player who is going to have to create turnovers. Because he angles so well, I thought he would create more turnovers (last season), so he's going to have to make sure he's angling through arms and really pushing the opposition. I'm not expecting Janmark to blow people up, but I do expect everybody to put people in uncomfortable situations with their speed, their angle or their physical presence." -- Stars coach Jim Montgomery on what he likes in watching film on Janmark.

"I don't really aim or pick spots, I just try to play hard and let things happen." -- Janmark on his shooting style.

"I think he has a knack for surprising goalies, at least that's what I've seen. Because his feet are moving so fast, there is no tell on his shot. It's almost like he's throwing an off-speed pitch and they don't know it's coming." -- Montgomery on Janmark's shooting style.
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.
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