I'm sure you all heard the news about Jamie Benn being out to begin the season this morning. I know he will move heaven and earth to get back into shape to play hockey this season. However, the Stars have some promising prospects who can fill his spot, allowing him to recover properly. We just talked about Justin Hryckowian being one of the frontrunners to take Benn's spot in the lineup to begin the season. Here are four other prospects that could fill that spot on the roster.
Dallas Stars Prospects: 1. Justin Hryckowian
Hryckowian is probably going to be the prospect that will fill Benn's spot in the lineup on opening night. He's everything that Glen Gulutzan wants in a player in his lineup. He will be in the lineup tonight against the Wild, and people should keep an eye on how he plays tonight. I think he's going to be the brightest Star on the ice because he wants to prove he belongs on the opening night roster this season. He's got the heart and grit to win the roster spot.
Dallas Stars Prospects: 2. Arttu Hyry
Hyry is another prospect that could fill Benn's spot in the lineup on opening night. It would be nice to have a temporary Finnish Mafia member on the roster to start the season. He does have experience at the NHL level, and that's something the Stars will look at while trying to find someone to fill Benn's roster spot temporarily. Don't be surprised if Hyry finds his name in the middle of the roster talks.
Dallas Stars Prospects: 3. Angus MacDonnell
One of my prospects on the outside of making the opening night for Benn is Angus MacDonnell. He's another physical prospect that Gulutzan would like to see in his lineup. While he hasn't found his scoring during the prospect tournament, he would bring the physicality that Benn brings to the lineup on any given night. I believe there are better options with NHL experience available to fill Benn's roster spot temporarily.
Dallas Stars Prospects: 4. Antonio Stranges
The final prospect that could fill Benn's roster spot is Antonio Stranges. He is one of those prospects in the Stars' prospect pool who possesses some of the best puck-handling skills I've seen. He could be one of those players who generate their own scoring chances and bury the puck in the back of the net. I don't think the Stars will consider him for the temporary roster spot, but his ability to create scoring chances for himself and his teammates could make the Stars consider him. Might as well see if he's capable of playing at the NHL level before moving on from him if he doesn't perform well.