The Dallas Stars hit the jackpot when they drafted Wyatt Johnston. The fact that the Stars only saw seven games of him and decided to draft him in the first round is wild. I know hockey teams watch years of games before considering drafting a player in the first round. Ever since joining the Stars, Johnston has added electricity to the lineup when he takes the ice for his shifts. He was going to be an offer sheet candidate if the Stars couldn't sign him to an extension at the trade deadline.
Now that Wyatt is locked under key for the next five seasons, the Stars will have the luxury of building the team around him. There's no doubt that Johnston is going to be a leader for this franchise down the road. He needs to prove that by taking on more responsibility himself on the ice as a veteran of this team. So far, Johnston has had a great career in Dallas, earning the nickname Mr. Game 7. Now it's time for the young player to step it up even more since the Stars invested in him.
One of the things I'd want to see Wyatt do with the team is to mentor the prospects. Now I know that he won't be able to travel down to Cedar Park and be there for practices. One of the things that young Wyatt can do is pass on the wisdom that Joe Pavelski gave him about developing as a player. I'm sure Papa Joe passed down many valuable lessons to his NHL Son. It could help out Toby Petersen as he begins his tenure as the Texas Stars Head Coach.
Another thing I want him to do is work on being a more frequent scorer. The one thing I've noticed about Wyatt during his first years in the NHL is that he tends to score in bunches. I would like him to be that kind of player who makes his new extension look like the Stars underpaid him. He needs to be the player that teams have to stop to beat the Stars.
In conclusion, Johnston needs to step up his game after his extension to remain in Dallas. I have faith that he not only will meet the extension but also exceed it. However, that needs to happen beginning with the upcoming season the Stars have in front of them. They can get back to the Western Conference Finals with the team they have assembled. It's just a matter of whether players live up to their contracts that determines how much success the Stars have this upcoming season.