The Other Stars: Weekend Report Cards for Stankoven, Bourque, And a Surprise Guest

It was a three-point weekend for the Texas Stars thanks to the usual suspects, and some not-so usual suspects.

Last weekend was Texas’ home and home versus the Milwaukee Admirals (currently 5-5 and fourth in the Central), and they managed to bag three points, winning 6-4 on Friday, and losing 5-4 in overtime on Saturday. The Stars keep their top spot in the Central with a 6-3-2 record thanks to Logan Stankoven, and Mavrik Bourque.

Yes, there were others but Texas will only go as far as their top two scorers will take them, much like Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. However, just to be real with readers, my interest in these games is purely through the lens of how Dallas’ prospects are doing. Obviously I’d rather see Texas succeed than not, but my interest in the Southern(er) Stars depends on the amount of quality prospects representing their NHL team, and this year they just happen to be deeper than ever.

To make things easier, I’ll use the tried-and-true report card format. I’m not a big fan because it doesn’t give new fans context into prospect tiers but I respect that last Friday wasn’t a terribly clear approach either.

For reference, here’s my official rankings to begin the year.

Logan Stankoven & Mavrik Bourque

The road show continues with these two. Both scored goals this past week, becoming top 10 certified. I can't add a whole lot to this discussion given how much I've already written about them.

It’s important for fans to understand that as good as they are, Jim Nill intends for them to play a full season of pro hockey. The lack of cap is not an accident (although the lack of judgment is another story), and beyond that, Dallas is gonna want finished products if they expect them to take the roles eventually abandoned by two or more of Joe Pavelski, Matt Duchene, and Craig Smith. Luckily for the Southern Stars, the downs have yet to hit. Stankoven is only one point shy of bursting Joshua Roy’s rookie bubble (currently leading rookies with 16 points) and taking home that Dudley Red Garret Memorial Award for AHL rookie of the year. Bourque is just behind Stankoven, 7th in AHL scoring, and just three points shy of the lead.

Speaking of Bourque, I do want to note this play.

If there’s anything holding Bourque back, besides his lack of speed, it’s what — I would argue — is his lack of elite puck handling in proportion to his profile as a high level playmaker. It’s not bad, but again, in proportion to what he’s gonna be asked to do in the NHL, it’s just not upper tier. However, that was some cold as ice wrist control there. He’s always been a player who doesn’t fear traffic, but if this is just another trait he’s getting better at, well…

(A strong) A+

Lian Bichsel

As high as I've been on Bichsel, his series against the Admirals seemed to be his first real dud. He wasn’t terrible. He just didn’t play up to his standards. It’s nothing to be alarmed by, but in the interest of fairness, it’s worth noting. What’s impressive (and the reason I’m not going below a B) is that Bichsel never plays below himself. His play felt like a function of the team’s erratic movement as opposed to some foundational mistakes or fatigue. It wasn’t his best weekend, but if this is his worst, then he’s gonna be something truly special.

(A strong) B-

Matt Murray

I’m not gonna talk about Murray except to show you this.

Yes, he gave up a lot, but Murray is not a goaltender who lingers on his mistakes. It was really on Texas’ two defensemen there (Karow and White) that forced him to do the Red Bull splits and snow angels.

(A decent) A-

Chase Wheatcroft

Wheatcroft was a noticeable talent early on but not a noticeable player. What's the difference? Talent can stand out on any given shift, but consistency is what creates an impact player. Wheatcroft is starting to change that narrative. He's still not a player I think will ever crack an NHL roster, but he's an intriguing talent, with his creative puck skills and shooting ability. In his defense, he's on the least impactful line on the roster.

(A weak) A

Riley Damiani

Damiani, like in the years past, has had a slow start. Despite a very translatable profile as a forechecking shooter, Damiani hasn't made an impact. But he's had to work hard for his minutes, and low and behold...the impact is finally being felt. Damiani is ultimately a fun player to watch. He plays an honest game, but still has enough talent to threaten opponents in different ways. A classic five-tools player who just happens to have some dull edges, Damiani was great against Milwaukee, and quietly on pace for 41 points, which would be a career high. (Ignoring point paces obviously changes things, but still.)  

(A decent) B+

Christian Kyrou

Kyrou hasn't had it easy. He was scratched on Friday to make way for Gavin White, but drew in on Saturday because of Derrick Pouliot's one-game suspension from the night before. Every prospect hits a nexus point when it comes to how their coaches perceive them. Saturday's game could have been it for Kyrou; not as a prospect with plenty of potential, but as a player Graham was willing to trust in spite of his game. It could have complete disaster. Instead Kyrou did something he had yet to do this year; he played a complete(ish) game. He scored a critical goal to keep Texas in against Milwaukee and didn't look out of place. Granted, one good game doesn't erase the other 10. But I was glad to see Kyrou start to look confident. It's gonna be a long road out of hell for him, but he's one of the very few players who can.

(A strong) B+

Gavin White

White has never been terribly interesting as a prospect to me. He's a guy that can Do Things. What that means, I don't know but this makes kind of fun to watch. For one, he's a gifted athlete. His edgework, and acceleration look, frankly, outstanding from where I'm sitting. But it's never harnessed into a big play, or a strong sequence. He operates like a classic freelancer, going wherever the wind takes him. But in his two appearances this past weekend, I thought he was pretty darn effective. He used his speed to faciliate the rush, shook forecheckers, and had the kind of presence you would expect out of a player who otherwise moves so well.      

That’s just raw horsepower. If Stankoven connects with that pass, White probably finishes.

He’s gonna break some ankles in due time.

(A decent) A-    

Oskar Bäck

I blame Mark Zimmerman for making me talk about him. Listen. Bäck is gonna have a long career in the AHL is a shutdown defender. But that's where it stops. He has zero puck control and no speed. That can get it done against the predictable forwards in the AHL but unless he starts showing out offensively, I’m gonna stop reporting on him. I love the AHL, but I love it for the mystery of who can graduate, not the certainty of those who won’t.

That sounded somewhat grim. Listen: that’s not to condescend to players like Bäck, who are useful. Some of these players ended up having great stories like Travis Morin, Curtis McKenzie, and Maxime Fortunas (!). But this format is about tracking the progress of players with potential, so it’s hard to add anything new with players like this — other than to stick a statistical fork in this one.

Of course, please use these paragraphs as spiteful rejoinders if he defies the odds and makes it.  

(A weak) C+

Matej Blumel

I don’t have a whole lot to say about Blumel. He had two points through two games against the Admirals, and he’s a point per game player (12 in 12). In some ways he flies under the radar when he shouldn’t, and flies under the radar when he should. He’s winger with some speed who can shoot, and he does it well.

(A decent) C+

Antonio Stranges

Let me get the bad out of the way. I say this as someone who has seen a lot of hockey, and as someone who doesn’t like making overly conclusive statements. And yet…Stranges has some of the worst pass decision making I’ve ever seen. And yet he had three points over the two-game Milwaukee set. It’s a great distillation of Stranges’ profile: a player who can wow you in positive and negative ways in equal measure.

However, one bad trait doesn’t make a player. For all of his spatial faults, Stranges works hard, each and every shift. And he does so with such reckless abandon that defenders sometimes look puzzled as to how to defend him. Still, he’s got a lot of work to do, not necessarily as a two-way player (he works hard in all three zones), but as cleaner threat.

(A weak) B-

And that’s it! Keep in mind this is not meant to be a comprehensive report on all things Texas; rather things Dallas-adjacent. If you want someone wholly dedicated to Texas Stars coverage, then believe it or not, that person exists, and you should be following them.