C Logan Stankoven - Texas, AHL (2021, 47th, DAL)

[Our Lady Peace]

It's not that complicated. He's 5'8 and hadn't had a breakout performance yet in the CHL (only played 6 games in his draft year because of covid).

How many 5'8 draftees end up with long careers in the NHL? 5% of them? People are going to blame old scouts for being biased but the numbers aren't good.

The more interesting question is what is it about Stankoven that stands out above the rest of those little players running up the score in the CHL. What are his attributes that make it work? Is it something we can identify going forward? (Obviously D+1 things got a little more obvious).

As a WHL rookie in his D-2 he had 29 goals, 48 points in 59 games. Good for 3rd in goals and 6th in points on the Blazers at the time. I guess he became a casualty of the short season but his early statline trended strongly with his prior season's performance.

The question of if it could translate was understandable, but I think he had done enough to have earned the benefit of the doubt. I think it was clear he played at a different pace than regular smaller skilled guys. So good at finding soft spots/pockets on the ice. Still explosive for a guy his size too.

I do wonder how far he would have fell had Dallas' owner not already had Stank playing in his Canadian backyard.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Russo reported after the draft that the players he knew the Wild liked in each round were Kent Johnson (they tried to trade up) and Stankoven. Unfortunately they left with Peart.

 

[PavelBure10]

Another example of the Canucks missing out on talent in their own backyard.

Great pickup Dallas, the kid has a huge heart and wants the puck more than others. A pit bull on the ice.

 

[Spotty 2 Hotty]

Yeah, some people seem to be forgetting (or didn't watch) his very mediocre pre-season. He could've been kept in the NHL where maybe he eventually figures it out, but Nill did the smart thing to send him down and let him learn to dominate a lower, but still much harder than juniors, league first.

Seeing his play and his struggles against some of the bigger guys in preseason is the reason why I wasn't so high on him prior to his call up. He's been proving me wrong though, so I ain't mad about it.

 

[lakai17]

Another example of the Canucks missing out on talent in their own backyard.

Great pickup Dallas, the kid has a huge heart and wants the puck more than others. A pit bull on the ice.

Terrible scouts to miss on him but league wide some terrible scouting. As you stated a pit bull on the puck who also doesn't shy away from taking hits or giving hits for his size. Dallas may not have an option but to keep him up the rest of the season.

 

[Ratbath]

jost goals forever. what a talent

 

[MrHeiskanen]

He scores too much.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

He scores too much.

yeah, makes bedard look "bad"

 

[majormajor]

Terrible scouts to miss on him but league wide some terrible scouting. As you stated a pit bull on the puck who also doesn't shy away from taking hits or giving hits for his size.

Scouts often prefer for smaller players to be more averse to contact, not less. Every team has drafted a small player or two who didn't last because of injuries. Call it the Gilbert Brule effect.

That's not to say that they didn't screw up in evaluating Stankoven, but that his physicality wasn't seen as a plus for a reason.

 

[Magic Mittens]

https://x.com/DimFilipovic/status/1765261997145469211?s=20

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Pure bulldog, pure scorer. Hope he raises the Cup soon. Dallas is so f***ing fun

 

[majormajor]

Asking for a friend, who runs the draft in Dallas and how can I poach this person for my team?

 

[Artorius Horus T]

One of the greatest starts to a NHL career, ever.

After 6 games

5 goals (leads his team of last 6 games)
3 assists
8 points (leads his team of last 6 games)
+5 (leads his team of last 6 games)
1.33 ppg (leads his team of last 6 games)
20 sog (leads his team of last 6 games)
7 hits
7 take aways

 

[piqued]

There's not really much to say other than he's electric whenever he steps on the ice, is a constant threat to score, and instantly became one of the team's best players once allowed to join.

 

[Schennanigans]

f*** the rules. Put this man in the Calder race.

 

[Dr Pepper]

f*** the rules. Put this man in the Calder race.

He'll need to keep up this pace down the stretch, or even exceed it, to even be considered.....but man what a treat that would be.

 

[Eegs]

I love this kid and his success is probably my favorite story of the season. Being a Habs fan, i've had to look elsewhere for good stories...

 

[freelancer799]

He'll need to keep up this pace down the stretch, or even exceed it, to even be considered.....but man what a treat that would be.

Most interesting fact is he can't play enough games this year to disqualify him from next year either

 

[LuGBuG]

Stars piss me off. A franchise forward, dman and goalie in one draft and now all these other picks hitting like Stankoven, Bourque and Harley. Unfair.

 

[Dominance]

Stars piss me off. A franchise forward, dman and goalie in one draft and now all these other picks hitting like Stankoven, Bourque and Harley. Unfair.

Oettinger is sub-0.900 on the season.

Robertson, Hintz, Johnston, Stankoven, Bourque, Heiskanen and Harley is an utterly absurd core, though.

They still have a quite deep prospect pool with a handful of guys who could become top-half of the lineup players (looking mainly at Bichsel, Kyrou and Blumel), too.

 

[LuGBuG]

Oettinger is sub-0.900 on the season.

Robertson, Hintz, Johnston, Stankoven, Bourque, Heiskanen and Harley is an utterly absurd core, though.

They still have a quite deep prospect pool with a handful of guys who could become top-half of the lineup players (looking mainly at Bichsel, Kyrou and Blumel), too.

I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt still for now.

I didn’t even mention Johnston…. Insane.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Who runs the Stars scouting? He’ll be a GM soon.

 

[MrHeiskanen]

Who runs the Stars scouting? He’ll be a GM soon.

Joey Mac. He has been with Nill for decades, I don't think he is interested in doing anything else.

Also, drafting is a lot of luck. 3-4 years ago everyone shit on Dallas drafting.. now everyone says they are the best. Meanwhile, its the same Director, same Euro Director, Same AGM, Same GM, and mostly the same scouts.

 

[serp]

The same guys responsible for the great 2017 and 2021 drafts are also responsible for the 2014 and 2016 draft that gave us 0 NHL players. The 2014 draft was especially bad . They took 7 defenseman that year.

 

[MrHeiskanen]

The same guys responsible for the great 2017 and 2021 drafts are also responsible for the 2014 and 2016 draft that gave us 0 NHL players. The 2014 draft was especially bad . They too defenseman that year.

The one area of credit I will give tho is the philosophy change from the front office. In 2014/16 no shot they would pick a small player, or high skill guy, or a boom/bust type in the later rounds. They completely changed their drafting strategy which really has worked out.