SB Nation - Dmitry Sinitsyn

Dallas Stars Top 20 Prospect Countdown: No. 20 - 17

Brandon Worley — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:39:21 -0000

One of the main reasons for the struggles of the Dallas Stars over the past few years was the organization's inability to draft and develop NHL-level talent. Jamie Benn and Philip Larsen are certainly the standout success stories but there was a time the Stars completely whiffed on talent that was able to make it to the NHL and make a difference; not just flashy top line players, but players that would help fill out a roster as well.

Since Joe Nieuwendyk was hired as the general manager in 2009 he's brought a renewed focus to the draft and the need to develop from within. It's how the most successful teams stay successful; by being able to create a deep roster that is then spiced up with key free agent acquisitions and smart trades.

Over the past few years the Stars have progressed from one of the lowest-ranked organizations in the NHL to one that is quickly moving up. Hockey Prospectus ranks Dallas as the No. 13 organization in the NHL -- citing the lack of elite-level prospects while praising the depth -- while Hockey's Future has praised the Stars drafting over the past few years.

The lack of "elite talent" is debatable and is valid is some ways, but what is abundantly clear is that this the most exciting group of prospects the Dallas Stars have ever had. This is a deep group, from top to bottom, and most of the best players will be in Austin this season starting their pro careers in the AHL. Defending Big D will be providing extensive coverage of the journey of these players this year -- the CHL season begins this week -- and there's a good chance some of these players make appearances on our podcast throughout the year as well.

Over the next two weeks, we'll be counting down the top 20 prospects in the Stars organization, four players at a time. Follow the jump for No. 20 through 17.

Top 20 Dallas Stars Prospects:

17. Scott Winkler
18. Dmitry Sinitsyn
19. Troy Vance
20. John Klingberg

No. 17. Scott Winkler, C/RW -- Colorado College (NCAA)
2011-12 Totals: 31 GP, 7 G, 17 A, 24 PTS, 12 PIM, (-1)
Drafted: 3rd round, 89th overall, 2008

Huw Wales: Scott Winkler is a NCAA prospect that has fallen to the sidelines with the hype surrounding fellow NCAAs Reilly Smith, Austin Smith and Alex Chiasson. He's a big forward at 6"3 and during the past season he has
really stepped up scoring triple the amount of points from the previous year. With next year being his final year in the NCAA the Norwegian forward will have to continue to go upwards in order to earn himself an ELC. He has the ability to become a serviceable third/fourth line grinder and potentially could surprise as a relatively unknown prospect in an underrated prospect system.

Brandon Worley: Scott Winkler is the Stars prospect that no one was talking about last season. A proven scorer in the US development leagues, it took him three years to really find his way in the NCAA at Colorado College because of injuries and inexperience. He's a versatile forward who is most comfortable at center and his senior season should go a long ways to determine whether he's truly capable of being the all-around forward it was expected he'd be when he was drafted.

No. 18. Dmitri Sinitsyn, D - UMass-Lowell (NCAA)
2011-12 Totals: 7 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 Pts, 10 PIM (MHC Zelenograd)
Drafted: 7th round, 183rd overall, 2012

Huw: Sinitsyn, who became the first Russian drafted by the Stars since 2007, was a bit of an enigma for Dallas Stars fans. He played only seven games last season due to visa issues; he would have gone far higher if he played in the USHL like he was planning to. His skill level appears to be quite high, with some describing them as first round level, but whether this appears through the games is a different matter. What is certain about Dmitry Sinitsyn is that his first season in the NCAA will be something to watch. I personally have a good feeling about it, but it's still too early to see if he will develop into a special player.

Brandon: Sinitsyn is a very, very interesting prospect. He played extensively in the Dallas Stars junior program as a teenager but visa issues made his transition to college hockey difficult and delayed; he has only played seven games total in the past calendar year. What is clear is that Sinitsyn is an extremely raw defenseman with incredible natural talent. At 6-2 and 201 pounds he has great size, he has a tremendous shot from the point and incredible vision with the puck. He just doesn't have the experience necessary to put it all together against top competition just yet. He'll be one to watch as he develops, although he's like a good three or four years from making the jump to pro hockey.

No. 19. Troy Vance, D -- Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
2011-12 Totals: 57 GP, 4 G, 21 A, 25 PTS, 45 PIM, (+17)
Drafted: 5th round, 135th overall, 2011

Huw: In his first full season in the QMJHL Troy Vance has developed into a strong shutdown defenseman who is also able to contribute assists, 21 in total over the past season. Because of his age he must spend another full season with the Victoriaville Tigres but after signing an ELC earlier this season he will probably play in the AHL in the next couple of years. He might still be raw but he has dramatically improved considering he has spent only a season and a half playing for the Tigres. He could become a dominant force within the QMJHL next season with his development curve.

Brandon: Troy Vance is a boy in a man's body, a gangly and exceptionally large defenseman (6-5, 203) who has a booming shot, good vision and more than enough skill to become a solid all-around blueliner. He was always considered a "defensive" defenseman but saw his offense take a big jump in 2011-12. He has a great attitude, a very good work ethic and he rarely looked out of place next to Jamie Oleksiak and Patrik Nemeth at development camp this past summer. He's still very raw, however, and has the potential to certainly become a solid NHL defenseman in the future.

No. 20. John Klingberg, D - Skelleftea (Elitserien)
2011-12 Totals: 26 GP, 2 G, 5 A, 7 PTS, 14 PIM (Even)
Drafted: 5th Round, 131st overall, 2010

Huw: John Klingberg experienced a tumultuous year after deciding to play for Jokerit of the SM - Liiga. It appears he never truly settled down in Finland, it affected his play and led to him returning to Sweden half way through the season. Hopefully spending next year playing for Skelleftea of the Elitserien will put him back on track and be ready for the jump to the AHL in time for the 2013-2014 season at the earliest. He definitely needs more time to refine his game and improve on his alreadly impressive offensive talents. The biggest area that needs to be developed is his size so he doesn't get pushed around by bigger opponants. The Stars feel that like fellow Scandavians Philip Larsen and Tom Wandell he needs to do this before he is ready to make the jump to the AHL.

Brandon: Ask anyone who was development camp in 2011 who their standout players might have been and Klingberg would be at the top of the list. His combination of skill and speed at the defensive position is something the Stars organization had not had in a long time and there was a lot of excitement about his potential. A very tough year in Finland, however, and a rough transition beck to the SEL led to a wholly disappointing year for Klingberg. Offseason hip surgery will keep Klingberg out until November, but it's expected that this year will be a make or break season for the young defenseman. The Stars are suddenly very deep at this position and he could be quickly left behind.

Dallas Stars Daily Links: Dmitry Sinitsyn Raising Eyebrows

Erin Bolen — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:00:32 -0000

The curious case of Dmitry Sinitsyn is starting to pick up some national attention.

Sinitsyn was taken in this year's NHL draft by the Dallas Stars in the seventh round, No. 183 overall. And while the defenseman is not a Dallas native by any stretch of the imagination, he is still a bit of a hometown-story for the Stars since his long and winding road through junior hockey saw him play a year with the Dallas Jr. Stars.

The story from there gets a little complicated, as The Hockey News chronicled. He tried to join a USHL team, had visa issues and went back to Russia then signed with UMass-Lowell, where he'll make his NCAA debut next season.

But back to that time in Dallas. How was the transition for a kid from halfway around the world?

"Moscow is a megapolis," he said. "There’s public transport everywhere, you don’t even need a car. In Dallas you have to drive, but the good thing about it? There’s like, 10 days of winter."

I hope he plays in Dallas late enough into the spring eventually that he realizes the climate trade-off for winter.

After the jump, Trevor Daley is being pushed into the spotlight in more than one way, what Jamie Benn has done on his summer vacation and the return of Yaroslavl Lokomotiv.

Trevor Daley has taken over the mantle of "second-longest tenure on the team" this summer after Steve Ott was traded away, and he's done his part this summer by becoming the go-to guy for local appearances. But the Stars will need him to do even more on the ice next season as well. [DallasNews.com]
A brief moment of silence, please, for ESPN Dallas' Stars coverage. It has been exactly one month since they posted their last story on the Stars blog. This is what happens when you lose the wonderful Mark Stepneski to the official site.
And Stepneski has really improved the quality of the summer stories on the aforementioned official site, including stories like this about Jamie Oleksiak. [DallasStars.com]
I can't seem to make the story part of this article appear, but the picture and caption are enough to show you what Jamie Benn is doing on his summer vacation. [Campbell River Mirror]
Gamblers and their odds never make sense to me. For instance, after doing a pretty decent job on the free agent market, the Stars actually dropped several spots on the odds-makers' list of best-bets to win the Stanley Cup. [Kuklas Korner]
Stars president Jim Lites has been making the rounds at local luncheons, including a recent engagement in McKinney. [McKinney Online]
Jason Arnott is also still looking for employment, and the Vancouver Canucks might be interested in his services. [Windsor Star]
A really fun tactic you get to deal with when searching for information is when the target decides it's easier just to overwhelm you with paperwork while not giving you what you're really looking for. That appears to be the NHL's strategy, as they gave the NHLPA 76,000 pages of finances but no audited information. Le sigh. [ESPN New York]
In lighter news, if you need some summer reading, might I recommend these suggestions? [Backhand Shelf]
One of the last big-name free agents on the market is Shane Doan who, like the prospective ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes, is turning this into a little bit of a mess. But as Todd chronicles, he does have options. [Thursday Morning Cupcheck]
It hasn't quite been a year since the team play for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv crashed just after takeoff, killing all players and staff on board, including former Stars defenseman Karlis Skrastins. After taking a year off, the senior team returned for its first preseason game this week. [Puck Daddy]
In part of our top games series, we've been watching a lot of late 1990s-early 2000s video here at DBD, and one thing that's stood out is that Brett Hull was a lot more complete player that at least I remembered. Here he is doing what he does best courtesy of the Stars Flashback Friday series. Bonus points for the battle-scarred chin and blood on the jersey, baby Brenden Morrow wearing his original number, Mike Modano being a puck wizard and the fun game of "spot the interference penalty that would be called these days," courtesy of Richard Matvichuk.

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Video - Dallas Stars Development Camp Day 2

Brandon Worley — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 00:30:06 -0000

Some more video for your viewing pleasure and today I tried to get some different looks and footage of drills we didn't see yesterday. The team finished with a really fun-looking drill of 4-on-4 in half ice, but it was much too hectic to properly capture on video.

I focused primarily on the defense today and will switch to the forwards tomorrow. As such, many of the drills you'll see in the video are geared for the defensemen.

After the jump, I've listed the full roster along with what team they are on. I'll do my best to get video of Team B tomorrow.

Please note: Not every player has a number because they might have been late additions to camp and I don't remember their numbers by heart yet.

	Team A		Team B

	Goalies		Goalies
60	Grant Rollheiser	35	Henri Kiviaho
31	Josh Robinson	82	Hunter Leisner
		80	Max Lagace

	Defense		Defense
4	Brenden Dillon	NA	Austin Farley
84	Cole martin	39	Carter Struthers
54	Hubert Labrie	70	Craig Dalrymple
45	Jace Coyle	78	Dan Barnes
43	Jamie Oleksiak	76	Dmitry Sinitsyn
65	Jyrki Jokipakka	75	Esa Lindell
17	Luke Mercer	74	Evan McEneny
47	Patrik Nemeth		Greg Johnson
42	Troy Vance	72	Ludwig Bystrom
		71	Spiro Goulakos

	Forwards		Forwards
12	Alex Chiasson	64	Branden Troock
51	Austin Smith	61	Cason Hohmann
46	Brett Ritchie	49	Curtis McKenzie
57	Emil Molin	79	Devin Shore
68	Matej Stransky	63	Gemel Smith
20	Radek Faksa	13	Justin Kirsch
18	Reilly Smith	67	Mike Winther
15	Scott Glennie	11	Taylor Burke
	TJ Foster		William White

2012 NHL Draft: What Have We Learned Of The Stars Drafting Tendencies

Huw Wales — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:30:15 -0000

Now that the excitement of the draft is over and the Dallas Stars have selected nine new prospects many have, or will be very shortly, writing about the strengthened systems and positions of each of their teams prospect cupboard. Here at Defending Big D we will also be getting around to this, however there is one thing I would like to look at first.

Heading into this draft there was a major difference within the organisation. I'm not talking about Gaglardi, though obviously he might have had some influence, but the parting of ways for the Dallas Stars and their former head of amateur scouting Tim Bernhardt -- who had been in that position since the 1998-1999 season. He played a significant role in every Stars pick since then. With him gone it was time for Les Jackson to step up to the plate and make the calls at the draft.

The draft provides important insight into the direction of the organisation and also helps outsiders analyse drafting tendencies. With the change in who calls the shots at the draft was there a major shift in how the Stars picked?

After the jump we will look at the last four drafts and see if any correlations on the future of the Stars can be drawn from them.

Note: If people are interested in investigating the drafting tendencies of the Stars this piece looks at the picks from 2007-2011.

2012

Rnd	Overall	Team	Player	Pos	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League
1	13	DAL	RADEK FAKSA	C	CZE	6' 2"	200	OHL
2	43	DAL	LUDWIG BYSTROM	D	SWE	6' 0"	169	SWE-JR.
2	54	DAL	MIKE WINTHER	C	CAN	6' 0"	172	WHL
2	61	DAL	DEVIN SHORE	C	CAN	6' 0"	185	OJHL
3	74	DAL	ESA LINDELL	D	FIN	6' 3"	187	FINLAND-JR.
4	104	DAL	GEMEL SMITH	C	CAN	5' 10"	164	OHL
5	134	DAL	BRANDEN TROOCK	RW	CAN	6' 2"	194	WHL
5	144	DAL	HENRI KIVIAHO	G	FIN	6' 1"	167	FINLAND-JR.
7	183	DAL	DMITRY SINITSYN	D	RUS	6'2"	200	UMASS

2011

Rnd	Overall	Team	Player	Pos	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League
1	14	DAL	JAMIESON OLEKSIAK	D	CAN	6' 7"	241	H-EAST
2	14	DAL	BRETT RICHIE	RW	CAN	6' 3"	209	OHL
4	105	DAL	EMIL MOLIN	C	SWE	6' 0"	170	SWE-JR
5	135	DAL	TROY VANCE	D	USA	6' 6"	200	QMJHL
6	165	DAL	MATEJ STRANSKY	RW	CZE	6' 3"	193	WHL
7	195	DAL	JYRKI JOKIPAKKA	D	FIN	6' 3"	191	FINLAND

2010

Rnd	Overall	Team	Player	Pos	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League
1	11	DAL	JACK CAMPBELL	G	USA	6' 3"	175	USHL
2	41	DAL	PATRICK NEMETH	D	SWE	6' 3"	201	SWE-JR
3	77	DAL	ALEX GUPTILL	LW	CAN	6' 3"	175	CCHL
4	109	DAL	ALEX THERIAU	D	CAN	6'2"	189	WHL
5	131	DAL	JOHN KLINGBERG	D	SWE	6' 0"	158	SWE-JR

2009

Rnd	Overall	Team	Player	Pos	Country	Height	Weight	Amateur League
1	08	DAL	SCOTT GLENNIE	RW	CAN	6' 1"	185	WHL
2	38	DAL	ALEX CHIASSON	RW	CAN	6' 4"	187	USHL
3	68	DAL	RIELLY SMITH	RW	CAN	6' 0"	157	OJHL
5	128	DAL	TOMAS VINCOUR	C	CZE	6' 2"	199	WHL
6	158	DAL	CURTIS MCKENZIE	LW	CAN	6' 2"	192	BCHL

So What Does This Show?

Firstly this draft has followed the trend of picking most of their players who are at least 6"0, only one player breaks this rule in Gemel Smith who is only 5"10. But this is only 1 pick out 9 this year which suggests that they decided to take the skill and work ethic of Gemel Smith over the size of another player. None of the 2012 class are anywhere near the colossus size of Jamieson Oleksiak or Troy Vance though. The Stars continue to pick players with good size but not necessarily giants. This will likely continue in the near future.

Another interesting development over the last four drafts at least is the style of drafting that the Stars use, a style referred to as 'shotgun drafting'. This essentially means going into a draft with a specific weakness, then pick as many of that position as needed in order to address the issue. By picking lots of one type of prospect you have more prospects that could work out and therefore increase the likelihood of getting an NHL player at the position.

For example entering this years draft the Stars centre prospect pool was weak, especially beyond Emil Molin. The Stars have addressed this by firstly trading for a young centre in Cody Eakin and also selecting four centres in the draft. This immediately addressed the prospect weakness.

Another example would be the 2009 NHL draft when the prospect system was shallow on the right wing. In that draft the Stars used three of their picks to select players who at the time were listed as RW. (Glennie predominately plays centre now, while Vincour was listed as a centre but now generally plays on the wing). Its interesting now that in the 2009 draft several of those players picked, in particular Chiasson and Smith, look like they have strong futures within the Stars and could be playing in the big club by 2013 if not earlier.

The Stars continue looking to the WHL when drafting out of the North American Major Junior though the OHL is staging a comeback. This years draft they selected the same number but looking over the years its clear that the WHL is where some of the Stars best scouting comes from.

The Stars continue their tendency to draft players out of Europe (though only Sweden and Finland) with three of their 9 picks being selected from the Swedish and Finnish leagues. Five of the nine picks were european players, 2 Finns, 1 Swede, 1 Czech, 1 Russian. This is an interesting development because previous drafts selected a majority of North American players. However as a note of warning I imagine this would be a one off and that the majority of prospects will be from North America.

Another lesser known group of leagues that the Stars often looks to for prospects is the CJHL. This draft they picked up Devin Shore who played within the OJHL of the CJHL. Other players who have been drafted from or have played in the CJHL include Jamie Benn, Jordie Benn, Rielly Smith, Alex Guptill and Curtis McKenzie. The Stars in the future will likely continue to search for that talent within the CJHL.

This kind of analysis is fascinating for those, like me, who are draft geeks and have already begun to research prospects for 2013. But for now as Stars fans we should be happy with another strong draft. We shall analyse this draft in detail soon as we begin to learn more and more about the new Dallas Stars. Hopefully we shall see them in a Stars jersey in a couple of years.

2012 Dallas Stars Development Camp Roster & Schedule Released

Brandon Worley — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:07:23 -0000

The Dallas Stars have released the schedule and rosters for the 2012 Development Camp, which is always a great chance for fans to get a look at the young players in the system. This camp will also feature all nine of the draft picks from last weekend, as well the young prospects like Jamie Oleksiak and Austin and Reilly Smith that are so close to the NHL.

Camp will be held at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas and is free to the public for all on-ice practice sessions. Camp will begin on Thursday, July 5 and will conclude on Thursday, July 12. There will also be a street hockey game with players and coaches joining 100 children from the Boys and Girls Club of Colin County, on Monday, July 9.

You can find the full schedule here.

For those that will be attending these sessions, this is the first chance to start evaluating a very important question for the Stars heading into this season: Is Radek Faksa ready for the NHL? The 13th overall draft pick for the Stars this summer, this hard-working center is both emotionally and physically mature enough for the NHL but there are still some concerns that the jump would be too soon. Because the CHL transfer agreement with the NHL, Faksa can only play with the Dallas Stars this season, or the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL.

The other big battle to watch is in the net, with the Stars bringing nine goaltenders to camp. With Josh Robinson and Cristopher Nihlstorp joining the organization, there's going to be a very competitive fight for positions in the system -- especially the AHL level.

Full roster for the camp after the jump.

2012 DALLAS STARS DEVELOPMENT CAMP ROSTER (43)

* Alphabetical Roster

FORWARDS (17)

NO. PLAYER

11 Taylor Burke

12 Alex Chiasson

20 Radek Faksa

NA Austin Farley

15 Scott Glennie

61 Cason Hohmann

13 Justin Kirsch

49 Curtis McKenzie

57 Emil Molin

46 Brett Ritchie

79 Devin Shore

51 Austin Smith

63 Gemel Smith

18 Reilly Smith

68 Matej Stransky

4 Branden Troock

67 Mike Winther

DEFENSEMEN (17)

NO. PLAYER

78 Dan Barnes

72 Ludvig Bystrom

45 Jace Coyle

70 Craig Dalrymple

4 Brenden Dillon

71 Spiro Goulakos

65 Jyrki Jokipakka

54 Hubert Labrie

75 Esa Lindell

84 Cole Martin

74 Evan McEneny

17 Luke Mercer

47 Patrick Nemeth

43 Jamie Oleksiak

39 Carter Struthers

76 Dmitry Sinitsyn

42 Troy Vance

GOALTENDERS (9)

NO. PLAYER

1 Jack Campbell

34 Tyler Beskorowany

30 Doug Carr

35 Henri Kiviaho

80 Max Lagace

82 Hunter Leisner

41 Christopher Nihlstorp

31 Josh Robinson

60 Grant Rollheiser

The Dallas Star's 2012 NHL Draft: Thoughts On The Draft

Huw Wales — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:30:04 -0000

So after spending some time stepping back from the draft it's time to analyze the players that the Stars have selected and how well they have done with their picks. Firstly there is the obvious point that this draft can't be considered a failure or a success for anyone yet. We will only know that four or maybe five years down the line. But what is the perception now? Did the Stars pull off some steals, did they pass over a better player and have they helped the organization improve in the future (and perhaps the more immediate future)?

The reaction from the majority of DBDers appears to be that this was a good draft for the Stars and that they managed to get away with a complete steal picking Radek Faksa in the first round. On this point I would certainly agree with you. I have been a big fan of Radek Faksa for a long time and not even in my wildest dreams did I ever think there was a situation where he would still be on the board by the time the Stars picked at number 13. However he was and he has become one of the most talented prospects the Stars have and has become the best of the center prospects the Stars have. His work ethic, good character, excellent talent, size and potential make him one of my favorite Stars prospects along side Alex Chiasson, Matej Stransky and Reilly Smith. Could Faksa be in a Dallas Stars jersey for opening night? Its a possibility but far from certain.

So with the majority of fans happy with the selection of Radek Faksa I now want to look beyond the first round. To think about the other 8 prospects who become part of the Dallas Stars organization, all of whom will be at the Stars Development Camp between 5th and 12th of July. All this after the jump.

Firstly let us turn our attention to our three second round picks. I would have liked to have used these to get another pick in the mid/late first round however I believe that if such a deal where available then Joe Nieuwendyk would have gone for it. It wasn't, so the Stars got to pick three prospects in a somewhat deep second tier. Players picked between 14-50 were generally around the same potential ceiling so getting three picks in the first 54 and four in 61 meant the Stars were able to pick up some prospects who have good potential and skill level.

Ludvig/Ludwig/Ludvik Bystrom D - Firstly I'd like to know for sure how to spell his first name because I have seen it spelled in all three ways. The Stars call him Ludvig so until I am told that that is wrong I will call him Ludvig. I have to admit that I never expected him to be available within the second round and felt he would be gone by the end of the first. I was very happy that the Stars managed to pick him up then.

He's a solid two way defender who has the potential to become a top four defenseman in the NHL. He is stronger in his own zone but has show some flashes of potential to become an effective player on the power-play. He is a smooth skater and appears to be atypical of many defensemen coming out of Sweden. He isn't a big hitting defender, instead he uses smart plays, excellent stick work and crisp passes to get his team out of any trouble. He suffered a little this season because he was better than the majority of the competition for Modo in the SuperElit playing for the ModoJ20 but he wasn't given the ice time required to be effective when playing for the big club in the Allsvenskan. His contract at the moment is for Modo J20 but I find it hard to believe that he won't see time playing for the big club. If he does end up playing in the Allsvenskan he will hopefully move up their depth charts which should help his development. The fact of the matter is that he is too good for the juniors and playing him against inferior competition won't help his development.

Mike Winther LW/C - If I am being brutally honest I had really hoped they would use this pick to select Tim Bozon who by all accounts had possibly the nicest play-making skills in the entire draft. However the more I learn about Mike Winther the more I feel that the Stars made a good choice, it might not be the one I would have made, but nevertheless a good choice.

He entered the WHL with the hopes that he would become a potent play-making centreman for the Prince Albert Raiders. Instead after two seasons in the WHL he appears to have become a talented sniper using this skill to score from the edge of the zone. He appears to have originally been a do it all himself player but as this season has progressed he has overcome this issue and has become effective at using his linemates. Playing on the Raiders top line appears to be to his liking, he increased his point production by sixfold this season. His defensive work is sound and he is effective on the back check. Scouts disagree on the physicality of his game, some suggest he shies away from contact while others don't mention this as a problem. In time I imagine Dallas Stars fans will find out. Despite many scouts listing him as a center he has spent most of this season on the left wing. This might help the shallowness of good prospects on the left wing. He will likely spend the next two seasons playing in the WHL before heading to Austin.

Devin Shore C - Devin Shore is one of a series of prospects that have been drafted out of the CJHL (Canadian Junior Hockey Leagues) that have included Jamie Benn and Reilly Smith. Shore was another player that I felt could be a good fit with the Dallas Stars and could be an excellent prospect and player in the future.

Devin Shore decided not to play in the OHL with the Barrie Colts instead deciding that his future would best be served by heading to the NCAA. He played with the Whitby Fury of the OJHL this season and was named OJHL rookie of the year. He will be playing next season for the University of Maine's Black Bears. He is described as having excellent offensive instincts and the ability to be a relatively high end playmaker. He knows where to be on the ice in order to get the puck and has good anticipation skills. His skating style is considered ugly and could be more efficient, in time and refinement his skating could be improved. The biggest weakness is his defensive play, he loses his man too often and also has a habit of cheating on offensive moving away from defensive duties in order to prepare for a potential breakaway. However this will likely be resolved as he develops his game at the University of Maine. He is potentially a second or third line player at the NHL level.

Beyond the second round the likelihood of drafting a player who could make it to the NHL significantly decreases. It is the place where many of the projects who could potentially become good but would require everything to go right in their development at least to manage it.

Esa Lindell D - Esa Lindell is the second Nordic player that was selected by the Stars this draft. He is an interesting player with plenty of raw ability. The fact that he managed to lead the Jr A SM-Liiga in points for a defenseman is impressive and points towards a healthy potential offensive prowess. However he hasn't got Alex Goligoski offensive production, instead his offensive skills are more comparable to Trevor Daley. I really like this pick and think it could yield something down the line.

Esa Lindell plays for one of the stalwarts of Finnish Ice Hockey, Jokerit. Over the years they have produced some excellent players that have played both in Finland and in North America such as Teemu Selanne, Valtteri Filppula and the Dallas Stars own Kari Lehtonen. Lindell is a big defenseman at 6"3 and hasn't yet got the skating style that matches his size. His skating also impairs his defensive ability as he hasn't got the mobility to always effectively handle rushing forwards. Skating style can be changed and improved upon so this particular weakness can be resolved. His best asset and one that if it continues to improve and remain at a higher level is his offensive production. Not only did he lead the Jr A SM-Liiga in points for a defenseman he was also in the top 10 in point production in the entire league. Most of his points come on the power play where he has excelled with the addition time and space that the man advantage brings. It will take time to refine Esa Lindell for the North American game but he has the raw potential to become a middle pairing defenseman if all goes well.

Gemel Smith C - Gemel Smith is the kind of player that the Dallas Stars love, excellent work ethic and excellent character. Someone who, despite the obstacles, has put a lot of effort into the game and has become good at it. He might not have the size that has been typically associated with Dallas Stars picks of late but he makes up for it in his energy and commitment.

The first thing to note about Gemel Smith is that he is an incredible skater and one of the fastest in the draft. Interestingly for his size he is actually quite physical and makes sure he finishes his checks. He is incredibly determined, he doesn't like being told he can't do something and tries his hardest to accomplish his aim. He appears to have talent as an agitator being able to get under the skin of many of his opponents. He probably doesn't have the potential to be a top six forward but he would be an effective third line centreman. In a way I can see him fulfilling the kind of role that Steve Ott does for the Stars now. Gemel Smith has some good offensive talent and is often in the right place at the right time to get shots on goal. With his style of play and his attitude if he makes it to the big leagues I can see him becoming a fan favourite very quickly.

Brandon Troock RW - I have to admit when I first saw the Stars had picked Brandon Troock it left me scratching my head a bit. I felt there were some better players that were still available. The Stars are also deep on the right wing with prospects such as Matej Stransky, Austin Smith, Reilly Smith and Brett Ritchie. It would take a special player to persuade the Stars for the need to draft another right wing. It took a bit of research but I found out why they find Brandon Troock special.

Brandon Troock missed the entirety of the 2010-2011 season with nerve damage in his neck, the symtoms of which are akin to concussion(Simular to the kind Sidney Crosby has been suffering from). He came into the 2011-12 season determined to make his mark and to prove he was still capable of being a good player. He showed some hesitation at the start of the season, something not completely unexpected considering the nature and length of his injury woes, but dramatically improved as the season progressed. At 6"3 203lbs he is a big player which makes him perfect for a physical forechecking game. He can outmuscle and outwork most defenders. Despite his size, and the loss of a year of development, he has a powerful skating style. However the year lost has limited his defensive game without the puck. Though he will have time to catch up on this it will need to be improved upon. The most interesting and something that I find very promising that despite Brandon Troock obviously having the skills to excel in a role as a third line checking position he has some underrated offensive talents. He has a pretty good passing technique and his wrister is strong and quick. If he had that previous year of development would have been putting up more numbers than he did this season and will the Stars see him develop that offensive potential? His ceiling is probably a third line player but I think he could surprise. As one scout put it 'He has a rare combination of size, speed and skill that not many other prospects possess.'

Henri Kiviaho G - Until the Stars drafted him 144th overall I, like I imagine most Stars fans, had never heard of him. In fact I still have found very little online about him. I expected the Stars to select a goaltender with a late round pick so it came as no surprise. The Stars need a goalie in the juniors just to have a goalie in the pipeline. He appears to have been underrated after posting a 2.78 GAA whilst playing in the Jr A. SM Liiga. He is also the second Finn to have been selected in the draft. He appears to have the size that is the centre of most analysis of goaltending being 6"3. I trust that Kiviaho will do well as the Stars have excellent scouting staff in the Nordic states. I don't really have anything to write as a scouting report but instead will quote the Stars press release on him.

Goaltender Henri Kiviaho was the Stars' second fifth-round pick at No. 144 overall after a standout season with Kalpa in the Finnish junior league. He posted a 2.78 goals-against-average and a .909 save percentage in 28 games in 2011-12, with two shutouts. He was named the SM-liiga's Young Player of the Month in November, 2012.

A native of Lappeenranta, Finland, Kiviaho has good size at 6-3, 183 pounds and has represented Finland in various under-16 and under-17 tournaments the last two seasons.

Dmitry Sinitsyn D- Dmitry Sinitsyn was a bit of a surprise to many Stars fans watching the draft. The Stars haven't drafted a Russian born player since Sergei Korostin in 2007. It was clear that the Stars were very interested with him when they traded up in the seventh round, something in itself reasonably unusual. So what made the Stars decide that Dmitry Sinitsyn was worth getting over 4 years of avoiding Russian players and to move up in the seventh round to pick him? Well it's quite a tale...

Dmitry Sinitsyn had played for the Dallas Stars U16 between 2009-2011 scoring in his first season 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists) in 57 games and in his second season 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 37 games. He played for the them during his time at High School in Dallas. He was meant to play in the USHL fo the 2011-2012 season for the Green Bay Gamblers however he was caught up in a problem involving the Gamblers having too many imports in their team and an attempt to trade him to a team which could take him fell through after his student visa expired. He returned to Russia and played a few games in the Russian juniors before returning to America after being offered the opportunity to play for the RiverHawks of UMass-Lowell. He became the youngest ever player to be on a NCAA I roster but was eventually Redshirted. He is considered one of their top prospects for the future. To read more about his unusual story you can find more here and here.

Despite being a Russian Sinitsyn has clearly spent a lot of time in the USA and the Russian factor will probably be non existent. He appears to be an incredible intelligent and articulate person, especially considering he was taking lessons in college at the age of 17. Not only this he is also trilingual... Needless to say Dimtry Sinitsyn is definitely one Stars fans should keep an eye on as he progresses through the NCAA.

Overall I think the Stars have done a pretty good job this draft. I have a feeling that Stars fans could look back on this draft as the day the Stars managed to develop a strong pool of prospects. I might not have originally been 100% behind every pick but I think now that all the selections made are good choices. With the addition of 9 players in one draft they have nearly equaled the number of players drafted in the past two drafts. This will have gone a long way to help build a solid prospect base that will hopefully let us build through the draft to become a true Stanley Cup Contender. However it will take years to be able to properly analyse and see whether this draft was a success. For now though Stars fans should be happy that the future is filled with plenty of potential.

Dallas Stars Daily Links: Joe Sakic Headlines Hockey Hall Of Fame Class

Erin Bolen — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 11:00:32 -0000

Joe Sakic was always a man of few words, and he could afford to be because his play for the Colorado Avalanche always said more than enough.

And that play, which resulted in 625 goals and 1,641 points as well as pair of Stanley Cups, left no question that he would be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. That came to fruition Tuesday as Sakic was the biggest name in the four-person Hockey Hall of Fame Class.

He was joined by Pavel Bure, Mats Sundin and Brett Hull's favorite St. Louis Blue in the world, Adam Oates. But it was those left off the list, particularly Brendan Shanahan as a player and Fred Shero and Pat Burns as builders, that garnered much of the media attention.

Brendan Shanahan also will have to wait. He found out that Joe Sakic and Mats Sundin received the HHOF nod on their first try on Tuesday. But we can't see Shanahan waiting as long as the six years that elapsed before Bure was called to the Hall or the five years that Oates endured.

When the announcements were made there was immediate anger from those who believe that the late NHL coaches Shero and Burns have waited far too long for their HHOF day in the sun.

After the jump, Mike Heika takes a stab at the Dallas Stars free agent priorities, yet more stuff on the Stars new draft picks and a great head of hair on a guy you might not expect.

With the free agent period very nearly upon us, Mike Heika took on some of the most common fan questions in his weekly chat. We'll have plenty of analysis of our own in the coming days, but if you can't wait to get your fill of the suitability of Ryan Suter or the realism of getting Zach Parise, he's got you covered for today. [DallasNews.com/DallasNews.com]
One of the shiny new Stars prospects has made a list of NHL "draft darlings," and it's not Radek Faksa. [The Hockey News]
Speaking of that prospect, one Dmitry "Dima" Sinitsyn, he also has a heck of a personal story of how he got to hockey on this side of the Atlantic. Stick tap on this one to Huw, who dug this out of the UMass Lowell archives. [River Hawks Hockey]
There are two pieces of intriguing Stars news in this piece about the Kitchner Rangers. The first is that undrafted defenseman Evan McEneny has been extended an invitation for the Stars upcoming prospect camp. The second is that the Stars have been in contact with the club to talk about the future of Faksa. You can take that as you will. [GuelphMercury.com]
The "Steve Ott is available" rumor is definitely making the rounds, though it all stems from that original Pierre LeBrun article and not multiple-source reports. That said, this one at least identifies the correct origin of the tie to the Montreal Canadiens, which is that it was speculation from LeBrun that it would be a good fit for the Habs rather than him saying the teams were talking. [The Fourth Period]
Adam Oates is not only set to join the Hockey Hall of Fame, he's also the new coach of the Washington Capitals. [Washington Post]
Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan will test the free agent market this weekend, though it seems like it's less about finding a new team and more about trying to draw out the contract process to see if the Yotes can get that ownership mess settled. [TSN]
If you want to know what to get me for Christmas or my birthday, or if you're just looking for the gift for the hockey player who seemingly has everything, might I present the Don Cherry jersey available for purchase. [Puck Daddy]
Recent if not very active addition to Twitter and hockey operations man extraordinaire Stu Barnes (@Barnes_Stu) was once a shiny new draft pick with wonderful late 1980s hair.

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