One of the things I dislike about preseason hockey is seeing prospects' dreams crushed as they are sent down to the AHL after a promising preseason showing. That's what happened with Justin Hryckowian and Arttu Hyry as the Stars trimmed down their roster this weekend. Both teams had exceptional training camps and should be with their respective teams next season. Even Glen Gulutzan said both of them are ready for the NHL. Only a limited number of roster spots can be allocated to players.
The good news is that both Hyry and Hryckowian are going to get a bunch of playing time this season with the Texas Stars. That will be good for their development as they prove to the Stars' front office that they deserve a promotion next season. Hryckowian is coming off being the AHL Rookie of the Year last season. He was one of the top rookies in the league and is looking to make Dallas a permanent home next season.
Hyry is in the same lane as Hryckowian this year. Hyry is a good two-way player who needs one more season of AHL hockey. He would be the next member of the Finnish Mafia if he were to get a roster spot next season. Hyry showed in the last game that he's capable of handling NHL players and getting the puck towards the net. That's something Texas Stars Head Coach Toby Petersen will like this year.
Petersen will probably give both players a lot of minutes this season. Both deserve to show him and the Stars' front office that they can handle that workload, both at the AHL and NHL levels. I don't think both players will be playing in Cedar Park next season. Both seem to be ready for the NHL, but there aren't a lot of roster spots available at the moment. Perhaps once the Stars eliminate some of their forwards, they will consider promoting them to the next level. For now, Cedar Park fans had better prepare for the inevitable as Hryckowian and Hyry might be playing their last season for the Texas Stars.