Standing six-foot-four with a bruising style, the Ontario standout models his game after NHL enforcers, offering the Stars a physical edge and a relentless playoff-ready mentality.
Although the Dallas Stars don't pick until 59th overall in the second round of next week's draft, that didn't stop them from doing their homework at Saturday's NHL Scouting Combine. Among the prospects Dallas sat down with was one of the most physically imposing players in the entire draft class in right winger Wesley Royston.
The 18-year-old out of Oro-Medonte, Ontario stands six-foot-four, though he currently tips the scales at just 185 pounds, something he openly acknowledged at the combine as an area he needs to address. Royston told The Hockey News that his meeting with the Stars went quite well and left him with a positive impression of the organization.
On the ice, Royston's value is not found on the scoresheet. After posting 19 points in 59 games with the Erie Otters before being dealt to Owen Sound, he was straightforward about what kind of player a team is getting when they select him.
Royston brings physicality, grit and a willingness to do whatever it takes to help his team win, including dropping the gloves when the situation calls for it. He models his game after some of the most feared power forwards in the NHL today, naming Josh Anderson and Tom Wilson as the players he looks to emulate most.
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When asked how it would feel to be selected by Dallas, Royston didn't hesitate, saying it would be pretty special and that he would be honored to go there. It is easy to see why the fit makes sense.
For a Stars team that expects to remain in the playoff hunt for the foreseeable future, adding a young player with that kind of playoff-ready mentality and physical presence at a mid-round price could prove to be a shrewd investment.
Royston is expected to return to Owen Sound next season and will likely need a few years of development before he is ready to contribute at the NHL level, but the ceiling of a physical, impact forward who brings genuine toughness to a playoff roster is an attractive profile to develop.
NHL Central Scouting ranked him 80th among North American skaters, and the fact that he was among the select group of players invited to attend the combine speaks to how he is viewed around the league.
Dallas is working with limited draft capital this year, sitting without their first, third and fourth round picks. But the Stars have built a reputation in recent years as one of the sharper organizations when it comes to finding value in the middle rounds, and the decision to sit down with Royston is not something to dismiss. If he slides into a range where Dallas can move up and grab him, it may be exactly the kind of move that fits what they do best.
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