The NHL has a lot of amazing young superstars. However, little has been made about the greatness going on in Dallas.
They have stars of yesterday in players like Joe Pavelski, Jamie Benn, and Tyler Seguin. They have modern-day stars in players like Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen, and Roope Hintz.
We are learning how they have future stars in players like Longan Stankoven and Wyatt Johnston. Stankoven was a Dallas Stars second-round pick (47th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft. Johnston was their first-round pick (21st overall) in the same draft.
Johnston is now in his second year with the Stars. His rookie season saw him get a fifth-place finish for the Calder Trophy. He had 24 goals and 17 assists for 41 points in 82 games.
This season, he has already passed that assists and points total and will blow past the goals total soon. There has been no sophomore slump for him.
The Dallas Stars have two incredible young players helping them win big
As for Stankoven, the game they played on Tuesday night against the San Jose Sharks was the sixth of his NHL career. It was a breakout game for him and he seems to have some incredible chemistry with Johnston.
Stankoven had two goals and two assists while Johnston had a hat trick and two assists. It was an incredible game for the duo as they combined for nine points. This was a comeback effort to beat the Sharks in overtime 7-6.
Now, Stankoven has five goals and three assists for 8 points in his first six games. He has scored at least one goal in every game played except for two. The start of his career has been incredible. He couldn't have asked for anything better.
Now, with an added layer of firepower, the Dallas Stars are one of the best teams in the NHL. They have a legitimate chance to win the Stanley Cup. If their goaltending holds up and everyone stays healthy, there isn't much they can't accomplish. These two budding stars are a big part of it.