Head coach Pete DeBoer couldn't be happier with their individual progress and development.
DALLAS - The Stars scrimmaged at Comerica Center on Thursday.
Forwards Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston were absent due to injury.
Hintz has an upper-body injury that has prevented his preseason debut.
“We’re going to be really smart with this,” said head coach Pete DeBoer, when asked about Hintz’s condition. “There’s no reason to rush into it.”
Johnston, meanwhile, hasn’t seen any exhibition action either.
“It’s just maintenance on a little something he’s dealing with,” explained DeBoer. “We just want to be careful. It’s nothing serious.”
Youngsters, including Johnston, were a primary topic of conversation during DeBoer’s press conference.
The 20-year-old enjoyed an outstanding rookie campaign, so the Stars’ bench boss was asked to shed some light on his expectations for his sophomore season.
“He’s just got to keep building his game. I don’t want to put a ceiling on this guy, and I don’t want to put the pressure of numbers on him. Wyatt could have an exceptional season and have 15 to 20 goals for us this year. He’s going to add responsibility. We’re going to add penalty-killing to him, and he’s going to get more situational responsibility,” said DeBoer. “I have no doubt he’s going to create offense. What those numbers will be, it doesn’t matter as long as he’s helping us win, and that’s the kind of game he plays. I think the danger with young players like that is, ‘He had 24 last year, you have to get 30 this year.’ I don’t think that’s the case for him to have a great year for us and help us win.”
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Forwards Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven continue to garner rave reviews from DeBoer as well.
The pair were exceptional against both Arizona and Minnesota earlier this week.
DeBoer is adamant that Bourque's campaign with the AHL's Texas Stars has paid serious dividends.
“I can tell you the difference between Mavrik Bourque last year coming out of junior hockey and this year coming out of the American League after a year is night and day. Dramatic difference,” praised DeBoer, before citing specific aspects of Bourque’s play that have caught his attention. “I look back to him last year in training camp and he just kind of blended in. This year, you notice him. He’s got the puck, he’s playing with confidence, he’s skating, he looks quicker, just a year more mature in all areas. He’s much more impactful than he was a year ago in the same camp.”
Stankoven is turning his fair share of heads, too, with his goal-scoring and playmaking ability alike.
Will it be enough to earn an NHL roster spot just after graduating from the WHL ranks? Quite possibly. He currently leads the Stars in preseason scoring with four points (2 goals, 2 assists).
“Logan Stankoven is a special guy. Some guys don’t need as long down there [in the AHL]. Some guys don’t need as much. He looks like - and I’m not saying anything that isn’t obvious by everyone’s projections on him - that he’s ahead of the curve that way,” said DeBoer. “That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t need some time down there. The year for Mavrik Bourque down there was invaluable.”
With five exhibition contests left, Bourque and Stankoven will undoubtedly get every opportunity to showcase their readiness for hockey's highest level.