Comparing the 2017 and 2021 Dallas Stars Draft Classes
Has, or could, the 2021 Draft class surpass the excellence of 2017 for Dallas?
It is fairly obvious what brought this idea to my head.
Last night, with a 3-0 tally after coming out of the penalty box against the Edmonton Oilers, 20-year-old Wyatt Johnston became one of just a handful of NHL players to score 30 goals at that age, and the second in franchise history (also Brian Bellows) to do it before turning 21.
With Johnston blowing the doors off the ‘Should he stay in the NHL or go back to the OHL?’ question from last season, and now centering a dominant ‘third’ line with Jamie Benn and Logan Stankoven, it piqued my interest to look at the massive haul of the 2021 Draft and see just how good it has become and what potential remains in the system.
Old Article on the 2017 Stars Draft
The Stars went big on the 2021 Draft. After failing to make the playoffs in the shortened 56-game season of 2021, GM Jim Nill and his staff decided that quantity over quality was key.
They first acquired a third-round pick from Vancouver for Jason Dickinson. Then, Nill swapped the Stars’s highest pick, 15th overall, to the Detroit Red Wings for picks No. 23, 48, and 138. That left Dallas with 10 selections.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Sam’s Story to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.