Dallas Stars NHL Draft Selection Round 1 Pick 18: Lian Bichsel, Defenseman, Sweden
Ever since Jamie Olesiak left the Stars in the Expansion Draft a season ago, fans have been wondering if they would ever get the same kind of Defenseman like him again. General Manager Jim Nill heard your demand and drafted 18-year-old Lian Bichsel from Sweden.
Nill could have gone after a couple of very skilled forwards that were available at 18 but chose to stick with bolstering the defenseman in the farm system. With John Klingberg most likely leaving the Dallas Stars in free agency this year, now is the time to possibly draft his replacement.
My Analysis:
Bichsel is not going to be your everyday scoring defenseman for the Stars. His 6’6 frame makes him more of a physical checking presence on the ice like Olesiak was in his tenure with the Stars which they lacked this past season.
Time frame: 2-3 Years
Bichsel is more than likely going to stay in Sweden to continue to grow and develop. The Stars don’t need to throw him out there on the ice immediately and possibly ruin his development. When he turns 21 is when I would bring him over to Cedar Park and see how he does down there.
Grade: A
The reason why I give this pick an A is due to the Stars sticking to drafting based on what they need versus who the best available was. I know I said on Twitter when they went on the clock last night to pick Lambert who was the best player available. Got to give credit to the front office for drafting a player in a position that we need vs who the best available was.
Bischel Highlights:
The moment Lian became a Star ⭐️ @ATT | #NHLDraft | #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/OkQPxyzSs4
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) July 8, 2022