Player Discussion Miro Heiskanen 3rd overall 2017 Draft (signed ELC)

[Starry Knight]

From what I've read, Heiskanen was pushed to RD, not because that is where he is better, but out of necessity. Internationally for Finland at the u18s he was on LD.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

From what I've read, Heiskanen was pushed to RD, not because that is where he is better, but out of necessity. Internationally for Finland at the u18s he was on LD.

Heiskanen is left but he can play right side too.
Miro played RD in HIFK last season ( 2016-2017) because HIFK didn't have enough right handed defencemans.
Also he was RD in Finland's world junior team in Montreal ( Juolevi was LD).

Those defence pairings won't go often by handedness.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/da...come-rare-franchise-player-stars-since-modano.

Can Heiskanen be a franchise dman to Stars as Heika suggests.
Too early say for sure right now but lets wait and see.

 

[David Castillo]

Heiskanen is not taking over somebody's spot on the right hand side. That's just silly. Nill clearly drafted him to take over the left hand side (regardless of his experience on the right), which is far less promising. Nill liked Johns enough to protect him. As he should have. I'd expect Heiskanen to take over Lindell's spot before he ever threatens to replace Honka or Johns. Honka and Johns are Dallas' most mobile blueliners. The team needs more mobility. Not less.

 

[txomisc]

Heiskanen is not taking over somebody's spot on the right hand side. That's just silly. Nill clearly drafted him to take over the left hand side (regardless of his experience on the right), which is far less promising. Nill liked Johns enough to protect him. As he should have. I'd expect Heiskanen to take over Lindell's spot before he ever threatens to replace Honka or Johns. Honka and Johns are Dallas' most mobile blueliners. The team needs more mobility. Not less.

Im hoping Nill drafted Heiskanen because he felt he was the best available player, wherever he ends up fitting into a lineup. Nill only had to like Johns more than Oleksiak to end up protecting him. Thats not super impressive. Heiskanen taking Johns spot would not make the d less mobile. As it stands now Johns has got to be considered the 6th best Dallas dman and Im not saying its all that likely, but if Heiskanen shows he is one of the top 6 dmen and johns doesnt, well thats the spot heiskanen should take.

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

Really hope Heiskanen doesn't make the team this year. I don't think he'll make it; but, it would really screw up the Stars cap situation long term if he did. 6 years for Bishop and 5 years for Radulov really makes it imperative that we let Heiskanen's ELC slide a couple years.

Milk as much value as possible.

 

[David Castillo]

Im hoping Nill drafted Heiskanen because he felt he was the best available player, wherever he ends up fitting into a lineup. Nill only had to like Johns more than Oleksiak to end up protecting him. Thats not super impressive. Heiskanen taking Johns spot would not make the d less mobile. As it stands now Johns has got to be considered the 6th best Dallas dman and Im not saying its all that likely, but if Heiskanen shows he is one of the top 6 dmen and johns doesnt, well thats the spot heiskanen should take.

Heiskanen taking Lindell's spot would. And I doubt "Oleksiak or Johns" was ever a legit internal debate on the team. It works from a PR perspective though. It's not like anybody else can pump Oleksiak's tires.

I don't get the Johns hate. It's like he was never good in a top four role until a delay of game penalty on a crap team the season after made Ruff treat him like *******.

When it comes to shot attempts against per hour, Johns is above Hamhuis at keeping the puck out of the defensive zone. Which is better than Klingberg, and Lindell. He limits shots on goal per hour at even strength better than anyone (and certainly better than Klingberg and Lindell). And he keeps unblocked shot attempts per hour lower than any other defender (again, way better than Klingberg and Lindell). You don't have to "buy" fancy stats to know that Johns has the most to gain from better coaching this season. He's not gonna score goals from the point, but he has the tools to play defense in the modern NHL. Unlike a whole platoon of cedar park leftovers they've been clinging to for the last several years.

 

[Benneguin]

Really hope Heiskanen doesn't make the team this year. I don't think he'll make it; but, it would really screw up the Stars cap situation long term if he did. 6 years for Bishop and 5 years for Radulov really makes it imperative that we let Heiskanen's ELC slide a couple years.

Milk as much value as possible.

So if he blows everyone away in the preseason and his first 9 NHL games he's our best D man and we're 8-1 you'd still send him back?

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

So if he blows everyone away in the preseason and his first 9 NHL games he's our best D man and we're 8-1 you'd still send him back?

Let's get back to reality shall we; we're talking about a 17 year old. And the context of this conversation was replacing Johns as the #6 defenseman on the depth chart.

 

[Mr Misty]

So if he blows everyone away in the preseason and his first 9 NHL games he's our best D man and we're 8-1 you'd still send him back?

But if they are not then we are in terrible shape. We don't have much besides them so I'd still be concern about the lack of D prospects. Top 6 wingers can always be found so it doesn't matter if we lack winger prospects to develop.

What if Heiskanen was really good AND really bad? Makes you think.

 

[eartotheground]

Heiskanen taking Lindell's spot would. And I doubt "Oleksiak or Johns" was ever a legit internal debate on the team. It works from a PR perspective though. It's not like anybody else can pump Oleksiak's tires.

I don't get the Johns hate. It's like he was never good in a top four role until a delay of game penalty on a crap team the season after made Ruff treat him like *******.

When it comes to shot attempts against per hour, Johns is above Hamhuis at keeping the puck out of the defensive zone. Which is better than Klingberg, and Lindell. He limits shots on goal per hour at even strength better than anyone (and certainly better than Klingberg and Lindell). And he keeps unblocked shot attempts per hour lower than any other defender (again, way better than Klingberg and Lindell). You don't have to "buy" fancy stats to know that Johns has the most to gain from better coaching this season. He's not gonna score goals from the point, but he has the tools to play defense in the modern NHL. Unlike a whole platoon of cedar park leftovers they've been clinging to for the last several years.

I think the johns hate stems from his habit of getting out of position whilst looking for a big hit. Well, mine anyway.

 

[Mr Misty]

I think the johns hate stems from his habit of getting out of position whilst looking for a big hit. Well, mine anyway.

It came from all our hopes and dreams that he could be a top 4 defenseman in 16-17 that were instantly shattered by reality.

 

[LT]

So if he blows everyone away in the preseason and his first 9 NHL games he's our best D man and we're 8-1 you'd still send him back?

Did we accidentally draft Connor McDavid?

 

[Benneguin]

Did we accidentally draft Connor McDavid?

No the Avs did.

 

[Benneguin]

What if Heiskanen was really good AND really bad? Makes you think.

I didn't take you for a multiverse believer.

 

[OttMorrow]

The odds of Miro cracking the lineup this year is less than 50%, but still possible.

Locks Barring Injury:

Methot - Klingberg

The 2nd and 3rd pairings are up for grabs and D spots on the depth chart are going to be fluid.

Miro is more NHL-Ready than Oleksiak and Nemeth TODAY.

Lindell is good, but not elite in any area, and could easily have a Johns-esque sophmore slump this season. His defensive abilities are somewhat overrated due to the backdrop of ineptitude from the rest of our D-Corp last year. It is POSSIBLE that Miro could pass Lindell on the depth chart this season. Long-shot, but it is there.

Honka is very talented and will definitely be an impact player for us in relatively short order, but Miro is likely more reliable defensively already than Honka. Hitchcock is definitely a reliability over flash type of guy. I'm not convinced that Honka has a spot locked up on the starting roster yet.

I really like Johns, but he won't have a very long leash this year. At 25 years old, and coming off of a disappointing season. Hitchcock's patience won't be very high with him...and I would like to think that Nill has learned from his mistakes with the stagnation of Nemeth and Oleksiak's development to not make the same mistakes again with Johns.

Backman, Bayreuther, the rest...big wildcards, and won't be given priority for call up over Miro based on age IMO, especially if Miro shines in camp.

 

[LT]

Backman, Bayreuther, the rest...big wildcards, and won't be given priority for call up over Miro based on age IMO, especially if Miro shines in camp.

Backman is gone.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

Agree that for all the fan debate, internally, there was never much discussion of protecting Jamie over Johns. Johns was protected because in every way, he is better than the other two (JO and PN, not to mention DH, who some wanted protected.)

While 25, he "wasted" 4 years at Notre Dame and has less professional experience than the others, which should be figured in. Stats wise, he is fine, even the eye test, minus a few delay of game penalties, he is fine. Perhaps his confidence was shaken a bit by Ruff, too. I bet Hitch views him as Hatcher 2.0 and he is a regular.

Our right side is Klingberg, Honka, Johns. Period, now, and period for a few years, barring normal injuries hitting the D core, etc. Johns will get better under Hitch, and we simply have to turn the D over to our drafted youngsters at some point, rather than keep bringing in older vets for a few years. At least Johns makes his mistakes cheaply!

 

[BB88]

Combine, back to Finland, draft few weeks later, few weeks in Finland, fly to Dallas to dev.camp, back to Finland, few weeks of training untill team practises start, back to Dallas in September.

You have to wonder how much time does he have to improve his weaknessess this offseason, and time to gain weight which is his weakness.
That's a lot of traveling.

 

[Narow]

Combine, back to Finland, draft few weeks later, few weeks in Finland, fly to Dallas to dev.camp, back to Finland, few weeks of training untill team practises start, back to Dallas in September.

You have to wonder how much time does he have to improve his weaknessess this offseason, and time to gain weight which is his weakness.
That's a lot of traveling.

Step 1: workout at airport
Step 2: bulk on plane
Step 3: think of weaknesses and how to avoid them
Step 4: ????
Step 5: Profits

 

[Artorius Horus T]

https://twitter.com/DallasStars/status/884453641884717056

sweet start for miro

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

https://www.nhl.com/news/stars-pros...at-development-camp/c-290348376?tid=277729154.

Heiskanen impressed stars management and other stars prospects like Jason Robertson in development camp.
If Miro can keep these showings in Traverse City and training camp it wouldn't be surprise if he makes to NHL lineup.

So if / when Miro makes to NHL roster and plays to NHL is he available to world juniors in that scenario?.

 

[Troy McClure]

He won't make the roster no matter how he plays. Nill has too many bodies to dispose of.

 

[WhatWhat]

https://www.nhl.com/news/stars-pros...at-development-camp/c-290348376?tid=277729154.

Heiskanen impressed stars management and other stars prospects like Jason Robertson in development camp.
If Miro can keep these showings in Traverse City and training camp it wouldn't be surprise if he makes to NHL lineup.

So if / when Miro makes to NHL roster and plays to NHL is he available to world juniors in that scenario?.

I still think it's nearly I'm possible he makes the team. Also if he does he would have to be an every day starter and that would mean he wouldn't go to the Juniors

 

[BB88]

I'd like to know why Nill prefers Liiga over AHL.

You have a much better controll of his development in AHL, he gets to know the team style, new rink and if he plays well maybe called up later in the year.
While not burning a year of his ELC.