• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Dallas Stars

3 Draft Strategies for the Dallas Stars

By Jake Rivard June 4th, 2019

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Drafting in the NHL is harder than ever before; 2019 is no exception. After losing out of the second round of the playoffs to the St. Louis Blues, the Dallas Stars will look to retool and add to their high-powered roster through drafting and free agency. The biggest question lies ahead: what should the Dallas Stars do in the 2019 draft?

Related: THW’s 2019 NHL Draft Guide

Should general manager Jim Nill focus on forwards, or double down on defense? With only four picks at their disposal this year, 2019’s draft year for the Stars could be boom or bust. They have a variety of strategies they can deploy, but finding the perfect fit for the roster should be Dallas’ biggest priority. Today, we’ll be looking at three draft strategies for the Dallas Stars to see how they could change the Stars from good to great.

The Best Player Available

Pros: It’s hard to go wrong when you go BPA. Playing it safe can net you a solid player or the chance for someone average to become excellent. This seems like the smartest strategy for Nill, as he’ll need to show results with his drafting if he wants to keep his job. While the Stars currently rock a strong prospect pool with Dennis Gurianov, Ty Dellandrea, and Jason Robertson, they’ll need to add as much as they can to better increase their chances of defense.

Ty Dellandrea
Ty Dellandrea of the Flint Firebirds. (Terry Wilson / OHL Images)

Notable Names: Ryan Suzuki ( C ), Arthur Kaliyev (RW), Alex Newhook ( C )

Cons: Playing it safe also runs a risk of mediocrity. The Stars haven’t had the best of odds in the first round, with players like Val Nichushkin and Julius Honka failing to pan out as intended. Their inconsistency, coupled with the Stars’ lack of a solid first rounder in years (besides Miro Heiskanen) brings with it a bit of anxiety. Picking BPA might seem like a surefire bet, but it also has a chance to backfire in fans’ faces.

A Right-Handed Defenseman

Pros: The Stars have left-handed defensemen on lock. Esa Lindell, Heiskanen, and Jamie Oleksiak seem to have the left side covered, but with the potential departures of Ben Lovejoy and Roman Polak this offseason, John Klingberg will be the Stars’ only right-handed defenseman on the blue line. Drafting a high-powered right-shot defenseman that’s ready to make an impact could skyrocket the roster to contention. All they need is the right fit.

John Klingberg of the Dallas Stars
John Klingberg of the Dallas Stars (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Notable Names: Victor Soderstrom, Moritz Seider, Lassi Thomson

Cons: Right-shot defensemen are a rare breed this year. The Stars may be able to score players like Lassi Thomson in later rounds, but drafting is a crapshoot after the first round. While the Stars have found a lot of success with drafting defensemen in later rounds (Lindell and Klingberg come to mind), he’ll need to pull out all the stops to ensure he lands a steal of a blueliner that will pan out while their window is still open.

A High-Risk, High-Reward Player

Pros: These players, typically referred to as “project players” come with a lot of risks, but, if they’re able to pan out, can shine as superstars across the NHL. Players like the Stars’ own Jamie Benn can shine when the pressure’s off as they develop their own manner of playing. Usually, these players are taken in the later rounds, but Nill has been known to surprise like he did when he selected Dellandrea last year over a player like Joe Veleno.

Jamie Benn
Jamie Benn was a high-risk, high-reward prospect. (Annie Devine/ The Hockey Writers)

Notable Players: Anttoni Honka (D), Brett Leason (RW), Joseph Garreffa (RW/LW/D)

Cons: The risk with picking a late-bloomer or a project player is that it could easily fall apart. It’s hard enough for a top 10 player to crack it in today’s NHL, and it’s even harder to stack up against the top talent and still prove your draft ranking wrong. Nill’s safest bet is to save a project player pick for later in the draft. In the most ideal scenario, he drafts the best player available at 19, then a few defensemen with the fourth and fifth picks, before ending with a project on the sixth.

What do you think? Should Jim Nill and the Stars play it safe, or swing for the fences? Let us know below!

  • Tags
  • 2019 NHL Draft
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 18th 1:35 PM
Column

NHL Players of the Week: McDavid, Stamkos & More

Jan 18th 1:20 PM
Archives

Mark Messier – NHL Legend and 6 Time Stanley Cup Winner

Jan 18th 12:50 PM
College Hockey

College Hockey Report: Recapping the Weekend Action (Jan. 16-17)

Jan 18th 12:35 PM
Boston Bruins

NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs, Oilers, Jets, Bruins, Penguins, More

Jan 18th 12:15 PM
Vancouver Canucks

Canucks’ Weekly Report: Miller, Hoglander, Markstrom & More

Jan 18th 12:05 PM
Buffalo Sabres

Cozens Cracking the Sabres’ Top-Six

Jan 18th 11:55 AM
Advanced Stats

Panthers’ Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle Impress in Season Opener

Jan 18th 11:45 AM
Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning Failure to Trade Johnson Could Be Blessing in Disguise

Jan 18th 11:35 AM
Buffalo Sabres

Constructing Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams’ 2020-21 Report Card

Jan 18th 11:25 AM
NHL Goaltending

The Oilers Have Options to Stabilize Their Goaltending Situation

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information