Dallas Stars will address defensive needs in draft

FRISCO, Texas – Entering their 45th season in the National Hockey League and 19th after relocating from Bloomington, Minnesota; the Dallas Stars will enter the 2011-12 campaign with a new owner, new head coach, and in our opinion, a new defensive prospect as a result of the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. The Stars currently hold seven picks in the upcoming draft and if they trade the rights to Brad Richards, they could receive a significant pick in return. With Richards’ likely departure, the question is: Do the Stars focus on a center or a defenseman in the first round? That decision likely comes down to who the Stars believe is the best player available on the board. Our guess is that player will be a defenseman.

There’s little doubt that the Stars need to make some changes on the blue line. General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk alluded to this late in the season.
“I think we have to make improvements there,” Nieuwendyk said. “Obviously, losing (Nicklas) Grossman really hurt because our top pair, (Alex) Goligoski and (Stephane) Robidas, took a beating down the stretch and it was no secret that some of those big Western Conference teams. That was their game plan, to pound those guys. You want to have them on the ice because they’re good players, but we really missed Grossman, his size, his power, and we need to make improvements.”
Goligoski, acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 21st in exchange for left wing James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen, was a tremendous addition for the Stars. Paired with veteran Stephane Robidas, the two routinely faced the opposition’s top players. Goligoski’s speed, his ability to move the puck out of his own zone and his ability to man the point on the power play unit added an element the Stars had been lacking. In 23 games played with Dallas, Goligoski averaged 26:04 of ice time per game and upgraded the team’s offense, contributing 15 points, including five goals (three on the power play).
Overall, the Stars’ defensive core showed improvement last season, but injuries plagued the group late in the season and their lack of size often worked against them.
In addition, the team’s penalty kill ranked 23rd last season, which is actually an improvement (ranked 27th in 2009-10), but far short of the seventh-ranked unit from 2007-08.
Goligoski, Philip Larsen, Nicklas Grossman, Mark Fistric and Trevor Daley are all likely to be on the roster to start the season. Unrestricted free agents Karlis Skrastins and Jeff Woywitka are doubtful to return. Skrastins is rumored to be considering a move to the KHL. 
The Stars are likely to make a trade for a top defenseman and Philip Larsen is the likeliest current prospect to fill a spot on the active roster.
In the first round of the upcoming draft, the Stars may have a chance to pick up a unique prospect – a 6′ 7″, 240 pound blueliner with excellent mobility and strong puck handling skills – Jamieson Oleksiak.
Oleksiak just completed his freshman season at Northeastern University, tallying 13 points (4 G, 9 A) and 57 PIM in 38 games played.
The 18-year-old native of Toronto is said to have very good on-ice vision and the ability to follow plays quite well. While he isn’t likely to become a top scoring defenseman, Oleksiak has good offensive instincts and with proper development, may emerge as an outstanding two-way defenseman.
“Zdeno Chara is the kind of guy that I think I’d like to pattern myself after,” Oleksiak told Hockeysfuture.com. “He’s a big, physical defenseman that can shut down the other team, but also can make an impact in both the neutral and offensive zones by getting hard shots to the net, making smart plays and getting the puck to the forwards. I think he plays a steady, impactful game and I’d like to be able to do the same.”
NHL Central Scouting’s Gary Eggleston might just agree.
“I think he has unbelievable upside,” Eggleston said. “Whoever gets him is probably going to hit a home run with this kid. You could be looking at a 15- to 16-year player in the League, and to get a kid that size and skates that well is not common. He handles the puck well, has an excellent shot and his pass percentage completion in two games I saw was 100 percent — he never missed. He covers a lot of ice in a very short time and it’s a long trip around the outside with that wing span of his. He always has that stick out there dangling, too, so he keeps the guys about eight feet away.”
Though some may consider Oleksiak to be a risky choice, the Stars have an opportunity to add a prospect that can make a huge impact in the future.
“With the 14^th pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the Dallas Stars select Jamieson Oleksiak.”
To learn more about Jamieson Oleksiak click here. Contact the writer at robert.keith@prohockeynews.com Contact the photographer at Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com