Dallas Stars young phenom Wyatt Johnston came into the NHL and made noise during his rookie season. He played a pivotal role in providing secondary scoring and he has not stopped. With teammate Jason Robertson the clear offensive force on the team, is Johnston the NHL's next big star?
Stars' Johnston made for the NHL
Johnston started making noise while playing for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). His speed through the neutral zone, his offensive creativity, and his point production gave him the opportunity to be drafted in the upcoming NHL Draft. With the Spitires, he accumulated 58 goals and 96 assists for 154 points in 121 games.
With that kind of production, it was a matter of time before he was drafted. The Dallas Stars made the most of an opportunity and drafted Johnston in the first-round (23rd overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft. While this is the moment he lived for, this was only the beginning.
Johnston immediately made his mark early in his career. He showed the exact skill set that made him successful with Windsor and he adapted to the faster game quite easily. His offensive production came as a shock to no one, and he made difficult plays look easy. He made himself a legit scoring threat by using his speed and hands to get open and find teammates.
He had a special season during the 2023-24 campaign. Last season, he recorded 32 goals and 33 assists for 65 points in 82 games and was a +14. He set career-highs in goals (32), assists (33), points (65), plus/ minus (+14), short-handed goals (3), time on ice (17:00), blocked shots (42), and hits (52). He led the team in goals.
For his career, Johnston has 56 goals and 50 assists for 106 points and is a +20. He is as pivotal in the playoffs, scoring 14 goals and eight assists for 20 points in 38 games.
Specifically related to the 2021 NHL Draft, Johnston is one of the best players from that class only two years into his NHL career. He is fourth in games (164), first in goals (56), fourth in assists (50), first in points (106), second in plus/ minus (+20), and fourth in penalty m inutes (56).
Johnston is the steal of the first-round and it is not close. He is already a top-line player who contributes in all three zones. His on-ice creativity may be the best on the team aside from Robertson, and this is only the beginning of a tremendous NHL career.