With the 47th pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Level Draft, the Dallas Stars have selected Logan Stankoven from the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL)
About Logan Stankoven
When it comes to an undersized player with oversized offensive talent, Logan Stankoven should be a name to remember from the 2021 NHL Draft. While playing for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL in 2019-20, he posted 29 goals and 48 points in 59 games.
Related: THW’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide
While the 2020-21 season was very limited due to restrictions, he still managed to put together some impressive production with the Blazers, scoring seven goals and 10 points in just six games. Perhaps the best sign of his talent, however, was with Team Canada at the U-18 World Junior Championship, where he posted four goals and eight points in seven games.
Stankoven has top-line scoring potential, and if he is given the right chances to evolve his game, he could become one of the best players from this draft, regardless of his size.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“Logan Stankoven had an excellent rookie campaign for the Blazers in 2019-20, scoring 29 goals and 19 assists for 48 points in 59 games. He just missed out on being the WHL Rookie of the Year, as that honor went to Dylan Guenther of the Edmonton Oil Kings, who had 59 points in 58 games.
“Stankoven has great wheels, his skating being one of his best assets. He can break away from the opposition if given even a slim chance and beat defenders out wide if their gap control isn’t good. It isn’t just straight-line speed, though; he can pivot and turn to create space for himself and teammates as well. His other great attribute is his shot. He has one of the quickest and most accurate in the class. He can beat WHL goalies from beyond the circles, and while it’s unclear whether he can translate to success against NHL-caliber goalies, it is a clear asset for him.
“The main areas he needs to improve upon are his playmaking and problem-solving. He favors his shot, which makes sense, but he sometimes misses open teammates. He also, at times, can skate himself into trouble in the offensive zone, and as the pace of the game gets faster, he might have some trouble adjusting. Overall, though, the tools are there for Stankoven to develop into a top-six forward.”
Full player profile can be found here
How This Affects the Stars Plans
While size talks in the NHL, skill will always be at the center of the conversation. As more and more teams find success with undersized and traditionally underutilized players, it opens the doors for someone like Stankoven to cut his way into the league.
For Dallas, they need to understand how to best develop the talent that they have in Stankoven. He is one of the most offensively gifted players in the draft, but this is also a player that is raw and will need time to master his toolkit and learn how to use his small frame to its fullest.
If they are patient and smart, however, the Stars could have the steal of this draft. Top-six forwards are always hard to come by, and Stankoven is showing the signs of a player that we will look back on in a few years and wonder how he fell to pick 47.