Dallas
Julius Honka, D – An excellent offensive defenseman, Honka is great with the puck and can really start a rush the right way. He’s never going to plow guys under with his frame, but Honka is good at using his stick to defend.
Jason Dickinson, C – Like Columbus, the Stars had a stacked top-six and Dickinson roved the ice with great intent. His combination of size, speed and skill is difficult to contain.
Gemel Smith, RW – He and liney Brendan Ranford have to go together, since their chemistry was amazing. Smith was usually the set-up man, with Ranford pulling the trigger. Ranford also scored on a sweet penalty-shot move against Columbus.
Matej Stransky, RW – A big shark on the wing, Stransky was a dominating offensive player and he potted more than his share for Dallas. I did notice that he struggled against players who weren’t overpowered by his 6-foot-3, 200-pound body, though.
Ludwig Bystrom, D – This kid can straight-up wheel from the blueline. On top of his skating, Bystrom looked very confident and poised out there and contributed to the offense nicely.
Philippe Desrosiers, G – Desrosiers’ most obvious attribute is his puckhandling. He goes at it Marty Brodeur-style and though the quicker pace of the tourney sometimes made for close calls, it was still a strength. The big netminder also tracks the puck pretty well in traffic.