The Dallas Stars locked in their 2017 third overall pick with his first contract on Saturday morning. That being said, what does Miro Heiskanen’s timetable to playing professional hockey look like?
On Saturday, the Dallas Stars had a lot going on in regards to their future. On-ice sessions began for their 2017 development camp, and fans got their first real chance at seeing some of the organization’s brightest talents hit the ice.
It was also a big day for Miro Heiskanen, who signed a three-year entry level contract with the Dallas Stars. This is the first professional contract of his career, and is worth an AAV of $925,000. That’s the maximum amount allowed for an entry-level deal, meaning that the Stars are obviously expecting big things from their first-round choice.
Now that he is signed on, the question among Stars fans seems to be, “Okay, what now?”
That’s a good question. Is Heiskanen going to take a few years to make his way to the NHL? Could he be a quick addition in the next year or two, or possibly even this coming season?
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There’s a variety of scenarios that could play out, but the fact of the matter is that Heiskanen’s journey to professional hockey (which is considered the NHL and AHL levels) may not take as long as you think.
After all, we’re talking about the third overall pick in the 2017 Draft. It’s not like he’s a long-shot prospect or something along those lines. We’re talking about a 17-year-old that spent this past season playing in the Finnish Elite League with fully grown hockey players. We’re talking about the best defenseman in the 2017 NHL Draft class.
Heiskanen is an agile defender, can move the puck extremely well, and can provide a shutdown presence in the defensive zone, giving up minimal opportunities from low-chance areas. He’s a left-handed shot with excellent skating ability and could very well be a cornerstone piece of the Dallas Stars’ blue line down the road.
That being said, what does his timetable look like?
According to Sean Shapiro of NHL.com, Heiskanen’s contract contains a European assignment clause for the first year, meaning he will play in Finland for the 2017-18 season, likely with the same team as last year (HIFK).
No, contract has European assignment clause for year 1. He'll be in Finland next season if not NHL. https://t.co/qPgilApTIG
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) July 9, 2017
The Dallas Stars already have a solidified defensive group (that is currently overstocked at the moment) lined up for next season, so they won’t require Heiskanen’s services this year.
But his journey to the NHL could be quicker than expected. If Heiskanen continues developing at his current rate, he could have a good chance at a spot on the Texas Stars roster going into the 2018-19 year. From there, he could follow a similar path as Julius Honka, developing in the AHL and adapting to North American play until he is ready to take on an NHL role.
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Once he is prepared to step into a starting spot with Dallas, he can slowly wade in, playing in a few games throughout a season to gain experience. Honka spent two full seasons with the Texas Stars and quickly became their no. 1 defender. That’s why he was carefully moved into a starting role this past season, playing in 16 games at the NHL level. Next year, he is expected to be in the starting six and play a big role for the Stars on offense, defense, and special teams.
Heiskanen could take a similar route. If that’s the case and everything goes according to plan, Heiskanen could make his NHL debut with the team in the 2019-20 season, though at a cautious rate.
It may come down to necessity. The Dallas Stars currently have four young defenders who could be considered franchise pieces (John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, Julius Honka, and Stephen Johns). In other words, they have the potential to be with the team for a while. They are young, have shown great strides in development, and bring an array of talent to the blue line.
They also have two veteran defensemen who are on more of a short-term status in Dan Hamhuis and Marc Methot. Their contracts expire over the next two seasons (Hamhuis in 2018 and Methot in 2019) and both are currently serving in the veteran leader role, helping fulfill the “win now” motif.
Once their contracts expire, Dallas will likely be looking to the future. Heiskanen could very well be that future, though there are a few other defensemen currently in the AHL with Texas that could fill the void as well (i.e. Gavin Bayreuther and Dillon Heatherington). It will be good competition for the prospects to see who can fill the voids in Dallas.
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But as far as Heiskanen goes, the sky is the limit. The kid has natural talent and is a top-tier prospect. You could see the young Finn skating in Texas (whether Austin or Dallas) by the 2018-19 season, and from there it’s all up to his talent.
But by the time he gets to Big D, who knows what will happen. All we know is that it could be much sooner than some think.