It's truly 'Best Player Available' time for Dallas

After trading their first-rounder to the New York Rangers for defenseman Nils Lundkvist, the Stars aren't slated to pick until the second round of the 2023 draft, 61st overall.

For a team that went to the Western Conference final, and one already in possession of a solid next generation led by Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven, Thomas Harley and Lian Bichsel, this is not a problem.

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Things get even better when you consider some of Dallas' past second-rounders: Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, for example. But who will the Stars take this time? The pipeline is pretty balanced right now, so the team doesn't need to fill a particular position.

It's truly Best Player Available time.

Having said that, there are some interesting trends to pick up on when looking at past Dallas drafts. For example, in the past five drafts, Dallas has taken an OHLer as either their first or second selection and taken at least two OHLers per draft, even when they only had four selections in 2019 (Thomas Harley and Nicholas Porco).

The Stars have also taken someone playing in Sweden in seven straight drafts, though not always an actual Swede — Bichsel, last year's first-rounder, is Swiss but plays for Leksand in the SHL. The WHL has also been popular, though not as much as the other two regions.

With that in mind, here are five players the Stars might have their eyes on. Keep in mind all draft lists are different (especially those constructed by actual NHL teams), but these players were all around the range for Dallas, based on our rankings in Draft Preview.

Coulson Pitre, RW, Flint (OHL):

Historically, the Firebirds have been a favored team for Dallas scouts, with Ty Dellandrea being the most prominent pick. Pitre blends power and skill and raised his game in the second half when it mattered. He's quick, he's smart and he goes to the net. Inconsistency was an issue, but there's potential there.

Tristan Bertucci, D, Flint (OHL):

Another Firebird, Bertucci is a divisive offensive defenseman who can absolutely bomb it from the point on the power play, but gets dinged by some scouts for his decision-making. Otherwise, he's mobile with decent size and he got better as the year went on.

Casey Terrance, C, Erie (OHL):

The rare OHLer to earn a spot on Team USA's world under-18 team (which otherwise is almost all NTDP kids), Terrance is a speedster who played center on a rebuilding Otters squad, but may end up on the wing at the next level. On top of the skating, you're also getting a hard worker with character who can finish his offensive chances.

Anton Wahlberg, C, Malmo (Swe.):

A late riser, Wahlberg might be gone by the time Dallas picks, but if he's still on the board he'd be a great selection. At 6-foot-3 and 194 pounds, he's already hard to handle when you also factor in his speed and hard-nosed game. But is he a center or a winger? That was a debate point for scouts. But there's no argument about his will: He played in big games for Malmo's SHL team and showed a take-no-prisoners attitude.

Luca Cagnoni, D, Portland (WHL):

Cagnoni put up nearly a point per game from the Winterhawks blueline this season so yeah, he's an offensive defenseman. A dynamic blueliner who dazzled scouts with his rush play, the youngster just needs to bring it all together, especially since he's only 5-foot-9. But he is fearless in trying to find seams and passes for his forwards and scouts do like that about him.