Dallas Stars Showing New Commitment To USA Hockey

The USA has not always been known for producing the most elite hockey talent around, but they are moving in the right direction. The Dallas Stars are feeding off of this improvement.

Earlier this morning, Dallas Stars prospect Jason Robertson was cut from the USA Junior Team at the Summer Showcase after playing three games with the USA Blue team. Both USA Blue and USA White merged their rosters and made the necessary cuts, with Robinson being one of them.

But even with the cut, it doesn’t phase the potential that Robertson has with the Stars organization. As a second round pick in the recent 2017 Draft, Robertson’s proven both in OHL play and in the Stars’ development camp that he is a powerful wing that can be a threatening and dynamic scorer when he’s on.

The California native is on the right path to a bright and successful career as an NHL player. That’s an exciting thought not just for Robertson and the Stars, but also for the NHL and young American-born players, especially ones in non-traditional markets. It’s a testament to the fact that the game is changing and where you are born and play hockey doesn’t matter in regards to your future. As long as you work hard and have the skills, you can make it in the hockey world.

This is also a testament to the Dallas Stars’ recent moves in terms of bringing in talent, both on the prospect and veteran side.

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The USA has never been the top country to find high-end prospects. Canada and Russia have reigned supreme for as long as you can probably remember with the talent they produce. But things are slowly beginning to tilt. America is producing more top-caliber talent with each year as the game grows in popularity across the country, and more US-born players are being found across the NHL.

In fact, there were two Americans drafted in the first five picks in the 2015 Entry Draft. In the 2016 Draft, Auston Matthews was taken first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matthews was born in California and grew up playing hockey in Arizona (that’s right: a Canadian team used their no. 1 pick on an American boy. The times they are a changing).

It’s nice to see that the Dallas Stars are feeding off of the talent pool as well. Since Jim Nill began his tenure as GM of the Stars, there haven’t been a tremendous amount of Americans on the Dallas roster (no ‘Murica factors on a team in the good ole state of Texas? Preposterous!). Obviously nationality isn’t a proper measurement tool when examining a roster considering it does not factor into creating the best roster; talent does.

But whenever you take a look around the league, it seems as though the Stars are the minority in terms of American-born talent. Upon looking at the rosters of other teams, you might find 7, 9, or even 12 USA players. In the 2014-15 season, Alex Goligoski and Erik Cole were the only two American-born players that spent a large chunk of the season with the team. One season later, Goligoski and Stephen Johns were the only Americans found in the lineup.

And last season, Johns and newcomer Greg Pateryn were the only two US natives on the roster.

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Once again, this is of no fault of the Nill or the Stars. When looking for talent, the birthplace means very little. The chips just haven’t fallen for top American talent being available to Dallas.

But that seems to be changing. In the 2017 offseason alone, the Dallas Stars added Ben Bishop (Colorado native), Tyler Pitlick (Minnesota native), Brian Flynn (Massachusetts native), and Mike McKenna (Missouri native). Bishop and Pitlick will likely be a part of the Dallas roster, while Flynn and McKenna are expected to be starters in the AHL with the Texas Stars. That’s four Americans right there.

Not to mention that in the late portion of the 2016-17 season, the Stars signed undrafted defenseman Gavin Bayreuther to a deal. Bayreuther was skipped in the draft but is fresh out of college and is expected to be one of the top young defenders.

In the 2017 Entry Draft, Dallas used two of their first three picks on Americans, being goaltender Jake Oettinger in the first round and forward Jason Robertson early in the second round. Both are talented prospects that could be seen in the NHL sooner rather than later if they stay on track (give it 2-4 years).

In the 2016 Draft, Dallas used their first-round pick on powerful forward Riley Tufte, who made the final cut and is still on the Team USA roster at the World Junior Summer Showcase along with Oettinger. Tufte is one of the most talented forward prospects in the Stars’ pool that could be knocking on the NHL door soon, though he is still in college.

More From Blackout Dallas: Stars Prospects That Stood Out At Development Camp

And in 2015, the Stars spent their fifth-round pick on New York native Joseph Cecconi, who won a gold medal with the USA team at the 2017 World Junior Championship. And yes, they beat the Canadian team.

All in all, the Dallas Stars have spent the last two or three years adding a mass of talent from the USA that could help the Stars tremendously over at least the next decade.

Next: Stars' Minimal National Coverage Is Justified

Though nationality doesn’t play a big role in the Dallas Stars’ success, it’s nice to see the Stars embracing USA hockey so fervently and see talented American-born players becoming an everyday feature in the NHL world. The future definitely looks exciting.

Go Stars and go America. That’s a win-win in our book.