Mavrik Bourque upped his speed and compete level to take his game to new heights.
When asked how prospects like Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque can secure opening-night roster spots with the Stars this year, general manager Jim Nill delivered a crystal clear reply this past Wednesday.
“They’ve just got to come to play, play their game. I want them to make my decisions, [and head coach] Pete DeBoer’s decisions tough,” emphasized Nill. “Come in and show what you can do, and if you’re in a position where you’re better than somebody else that’s in that top 12, you’ll be in the lineup. I don’t want them being the 13th or 14th forwards... They’ve got to play. They’re young.”
While Stankoven hasn’t addressed the media just yet at training camp to speak on the matter of cracking the NHL lineup, 21-year-old Bourque has.
After a full season with the AHL’s Texas Stars, he’s looking to make the move from Cedar Park to Dallas by catching management’s attention during the preseason with key aspects of his play.
“I think they know I can provide some offense. I think it’s my all-around game. I need to be good in the D-zone, compete, move my feet, and I think that’s where I can make them hesitate,” explained Bourque, who was selected 30th overall in 2020. “They know I can make plays offensively, but it’s the details that are going to make the difference.”
Mavrik Bourque in preseason action against the Wild last September.Speaking of offense, the Quebec native’s campaign was rather impressive in that regard. He registered 20 goals and 47 points in 70 games, and finished fifth in team scoring under the watchful eye of head coach Neil Graham and his staff.
That gave Bourque the boost he needed heading into a busy summer of training, before returning to the Lone Star State to battle for a coveted job with the big club.
“I feel way more confident. My game changed from last year. I’ve got more speed in my game and compete more,” revealed Bourque. “This is just stuff that I had to work on last year, and I still need to work on it. I think I’m doing good right now and I’m really confident for preseason.”
If things don’t go Bourque’s way in the coming weeks, rejoining Graham and company isn’t the end of the world. He’ll get every opportunity to continue improving surrounded by a deep group, and perhaps a call-up could eventually be on the horizon.
Right now, however, the focus remains on the ultimate objective.
“I think the goal is to make the team. Obviously, there are a lot of good players here fighting for spots, so you want to crack the lineup,” said Bourque. “You’re never too ready to make the step, but my goal right now is to make the team.”
Mavrik Bourque in preseason action against the Blues in September 2021.Having participated in the NHL Prospect Tournament in Michigan earlier this month, Bourque’s competitive juices have been flowing for a while now, so he’s fired up to show the Stars’ brass what he can bring to the table.
And given DeBoer's projection that prospects will take center stage in Sunday’s preseason-opener against the Arizona Coyotes, the QMJHL grad could already get another chance to impress.
“Traverse City got better and better. It’s never easy to go there. You didn’t play a game the entire summer and you show up there and everybody’s just going at their max, so it’s not easy, but it’s good to get some games and now I feel good for training camp,” said Bourque. “I think it helped me a lot to stay humble a little bit. Sometimes you think it’s going to be easy and it was actually really hard, so you come here and your compete level and your battle level is already really high from this tournament, so I think it’s good for me.”