Dallas Stars Prospects Showing Off At World Junior Summer Showcase
By Josh Clark
The World Junior Summer Showcase is a time for young players to prove their talents in an effort to make their home country’s roster for the World Junior Championship. At the moment, four Dallas Stars prospects are definitely proving their worth.
The World Junior Summer Showcase started on July 29 and will run through July 5 in Plymouth, Michigan.
Top prospects under the age of 20 from the USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden are in attendance in hopes of securing a spot on their country’s roster for the 2018 World Junior Championship, which will be held in Buffalo, NY.
It’s a substantial “prove it” time for young players as they attempt to take the next step in their careers by qualifying for one of the most elite prospect tournaments in hockey. 10 countries will meet up in Buffalo to make a run at the gold medal in December, and it’s certain to be a good time.
Last year, the USA defeated Canada in a shootout in the finals to win the gold medal while Russia won bronze over Sweden.
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But before the tournament can take place, the rosters have to be decided. Prospects from all across the NHL are currently trying out for spots, including a few from the Dallas Stars.
Forwards Riley Tufte (USA), Fredrik Karlstrom (Sweden), and Jason Robertson (USA) and goaltender Jake Oettinger (USA) all made the trek to Michigan in hopes of having their name called for the championship. So far, all four are putting in quality work and shining brightly for their respective teams.
Tufte (first round selection in 2016 Draft) tallied two assists in USA Blue’s first game against Sweden (which would turn out to be a 4-3 loss). He also shared the game high in shots with four in USA Blue’s second game against Finland (which turned out to be a 4-1 win). Tufte is a big forward and has used his size effectively throughout the tournament so far. All in all, he has two assists and a +1 rating along with four shots on goal in two games.
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Robertson (second round selection in 2017 Draft) didn’t do much in the first game against Sweden, but was much more noticeable in the game against Finland. He scored one of the four goals for USA Blue in the win and seemed to create his own chances throughout the game. Robertson has one goal and five shots in two games, along with a +2 rating.
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Oettinger (first round selection in 2017 Draft) has one start under his belt, stopping 10-11 (.909) in 31:01 of playing time against Finland on Saturday (which turned out to be a 4-2 win for USA White). He served as the backup on Sunday against Sweden.
Karlstrom (third round selection in 2016 Draft) is playing well for Sweden through the first few days of the tournament. He has one goal and two assists for three points in two games, and has a +1 rating along with six shots on goal. Sweden is currently 1-1-0 in play, with Karlstrom helping lead the charge.
USA White (Oettinger) is scheduled to play later today at 4 p.m. against Canada Red, who will kick off their showcase play today. Oettinger is expected to get the start in that game.
USA Blue (Tufte and Robertson) will follow at 7 p.m. with a game against Canada White, who will also be playing their first game of the showcase. Be sure to watch out for both Stars forwards.
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Karlstrom and Sweden have the day off and will return to play on Wednesday.
All four Dallas Stars prospects are shining bright so far. Let’s see if they can keep it up.