The 2019 NHL Entry Draft arrived and will begin on Friday night. And though they own a limited number of picks at the moment, it could end up being a busy weekend for the Dallas Stars. Here are three things to keep an eye on as the Stars dive into draft weekend.
Just one year ago, the city of Dallas became the center of the hockey world for one weekend as the Dallas Stars hosted the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. It was a week filled with excitement, thrills, heat, and a Texas-sized hockey celebration as the city put on its first ever NHL Draft.
But now that we are in 2019, the city of Vancouver will take the spotlight as the Canucks play host for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Draft weekend is always an exciting time in the NHL. In addition to young players getting the chance to realize their hockey dreams, it’s also a chance for teams to intermingle on the draft floor, talk potential trades, and either take action or set the stage for an even more interesting week ahead.
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It’s a fun time for hockey fans to follow along as well. While they attempt to learn about and scout the newest additions to their favorite organization, they also get a chance to keep track and follow along with the rumors and speculations.
In its plainest sense, the NHL Entry Draft is a perfect springboard for the entire NHL as it gears up for another exciting summer of player movement, big free agent signings, and multiple trades.
And so, as the 2019 NHL Entry Draft closes in on its 7 p.m. start time on Friday night, where do the Dallas Stars stand?
It’s an interesting question with a handful of potential answers. On the one hand, the Stars currently own only four picks in this year’s draft. After trading their second, third, and seventh round picks during the 2018-19 regular season, Dallas currently holds selections in the first (18th), fourth (111th), fifth (142nd), and sixth (173rd) rounds. And when you consider the rarity of picks in rounds 4-6 panning out as legitimate NHL threats when looking at history, it seems as though Dallas could be in for a quiet draft weekend.
On the other hand, their lack of picks could set the stage for GM Jim Nill to be active on the trade front on Friday and Saturday. Whether it’s trading back in the first round in exchange for some extra picks or possibly dealing a player from the current roster for a pick or two, the door is open for some moves to be made.
With that being said, the 2019 NHL Entry Draft could either be oddly quiet or relatively busy for the Dallas Stars, depending on how Nill is looking at things and how the rounds pan out.
Here are three things to keep an eye out for as the 2019 draft weekend kicks off.