The Dallas Stars rounded out their 2017 NHL Entry Draft by picking up center Brett Davis in the sixth round and goaltender Dylan Ferguson in the seventh round.
The 2017 NHL Entry Draft is over. The dreams of 217 prospects came true while 31 NHL teams picked up the players that they felt gave them a brighter outlook regarding the future. It’s a nice two-way street.
For the Dallas Stars, they rounded out their draft experience with picks in the sixth and seventh rounds.
After drafting defenseman Miro Heiskanen at third overall and trading up to 26th for goaltender Jake Oettinger on Friday night, Dallas filled their second day with offensive talent. They drafted a powerful winger with amazing potential in Jason Robertson in the second round, and followed it up by picking centers Liam Hawel in the fourth round and Jacob Peterson in the fifth round.
In the sixth round, they drafted center Brett Davis and closed out the draft with goaltender Dylan Ferguson in the seventh round.
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Round 6, 163 overall: Center Brett Davis
The Stars went after their third straight center in the sixth round, drafting Brett Davis out of the WHL. He played 2016-17 with both the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Kootenay Ice, tallying 18 goals and 33 points in 59 games between the two teams.
At 6’1, 181 lb. he has decent size for a forward, but could use a little more weight on him. As a good comparison, Tyler Seguin is 6’1, but outweighs Davis by 19 pounds. But that’s why Davis is 18 and still has plenty of time to grow into an NHL build.
He’s been commended for his vision and poise on the ice and has a smooth release with his shot.
One of the lingering questions with Davis is his on-ice rating. Last season, Davis finished with a -46 rating between two teams. That means he was on the ice for 46 more goals against than goals for. This could be for any number of reasons, but that’s an extremely underwhelming number.
Davis will be a long-term project for the Stars, but has the potential to move up in the system as the years go on. But there is still plenty of time for him to develop.
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Round 7, 194 overall: Goaltender Dylan Ferguson
Dylan Ferguson was the second goalie pick-up by the Dallas Stars in this draft, following Oettinger in the first round. He’s 18 years old and is on the smaller side for a goaltender, weighing in at 6’1, 192 lbs.
But that hasn’t stopped him from putting up quality numbers in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers. Last season, he played in 31 games, posting a .922 save percentage and 2.74 GAA.
These statistics were enough to get him ranked as the #8 goaltender in the NHL Central Scouting report among North American goalies.
Like Davis, Ferguson will be a long-term project, which is perfectly alright for an 18-year-old seventh-rounder. He has a lot of competition ahead of him in the AHL, ECHL, and also with Oettinger. But give him some time to develop and we’ll see where he goes from here.
So that does it for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. At the end of the day, the Dallas Stars walk away with four forwards (3 C, 1 LW), one defenseman, and two goaltenders. That’s a solid way to round out an important draft for the club’s future.
Next: What Does Jake Oettinger Bring To The Stars' Table?
Keep checking in to Blackout Dallas over the next few days for an in-depth look at all of the Stars’ picks as well as a layout of what the Stars’ free agency plan may look like.