Since being moved up to the top line with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston has taken his game to new heights.

Sometimes, change can be a good thing. In the case of Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston, switching lines has been a boost both for him and the team.

During the second half of the Stars' 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks January 13, coach Pete DeBoer decided to tweak his lines a bit, hoping for more consistency. He moved Johnston to right wing on the top line alongside Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. Joe Pavelski was shifted to a line with Jamie Benn and Sam Steele, while Evgenii Dadonov went to the fourth line with Radek Faksa and Craig Smith.

The impact was almost immediate. In the first five games following the switch, the new top line combined for eight goals and 20 points. While Hintz was the clear leader during that stretch with five goals and seven points, Johnston has been a key contributor with two goals and five assists for a +7.

Coming Into His Own

In a nail-biting 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings January 23, Johnston had a career-high three assists. They all came during the second period, when the Stars exploded for four goals and outshot the Red Wings 25-7. He became the second-youngest player in Stars team history (20 years, 254 days) to tally three assists in a game. Valeri Nichushkin (18 years, 278 days) accomplished the feat December 7, 2013.

Learning from the Veterans

Prior to the switch, Johnston spent a lot of time watching how Hintz, Robertson and Pavelski worked together, which made his transition to the top line easier. Pavelski has also taken the time to give him pointers along the way.

"Those guys, they always stay tight and are always connected and making small plays to each other, and that's one thing (Pavelski) always talked about," Johnston told Mike Heika of Dallasstars.com prior to a recent four-game road trip in which the Stars went 2-1-1.

Following the Detroit game, DeBoer told reporters he believes Johnston has Pavelski-type qualities.

("Wyatt) is smart. He makes good plays with the puck," DeBoer said. "He goes to the right spots. You throw groupings together and hope it works. Right now, it's working."

That's quite a compliment for a 20-year-old playing in just his second NHL season. But Johnston was on the fast track to success even before Dallas made him the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

Growing Up in a Hurry

Born in Leaside, Ontario, Johnston had a solid 2019-20 rookie season with Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League, scoring 12 goals and 18 assists in 53 games. The OHL canceled its 2020-21 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Johnston's only action that year came at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. He led Canada to the tournament title with four points (two goals, two assists) primarily in a checking role.

Johnston ranked No. 26 in THN's 2021 Top 100 Prospects list, and the Stars were impressed enough to make him their first-round selection in the draft.

In 2021-22, Johnston led all OHL skaters with 46 goals and 124 points in 68 games. At 19 years, 151 days, he became the second-youngest player in Dallas Stars-Minnesota North Stars history to score in his NHL debut last season, helping Dallas to a 4-1 win over Nashville.

Coming Through On the Big Stage

Johnston played in all 82 of the Stars' games in 2022-23 and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. He tied with Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers for the top spot among rookies in goals (24), finished fourth in points (41) and had 160 shots on goal, good for second among rookies.

In Game 7 of the 2023 Western Conference Second Round against Seattle, Johnston scored the series-clinching goal midway through the third period in a 2-1 Stars victory. Through 49 games this season, he has 14 goals and 32 points for a +2.

As of the All-Star break, the new top line has played seven games. Given DeBoer's track record of showing patience with his lines, Hintz, Robertson and Johnston will likely remain together as long as they maintain consistency. With his game continuing to evolve, Johnston is certainly doing his part to make that happen.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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