The World Junior Championships are underway in Minnesota, and Team Finland has a couple of players who are Dallas Stars prospects. Emil Hemming is one of the prospects who is flourishing at the moment, coming up with clutch goals for Finland. I know a lot of fans in Cedar Park aren't happy that the Stars reassigned him back to the Barrie Colts, but the World Junior Championships have shown that it's helping his development more than being in Cedar Park.
Let's back up to the point when the Dallas Stars drafted Emil Hemming in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft. A lot of fans were hoping the Stars would take the top American defenseman that fell to them all the way at the bottom of the first round, since the Stars needed defensive help. However, the Stars will never fail to beat the Finnish accusations as they drafted Emil Hemming instead. Trust me, I was one of those fans who were confused that the Stars took a project instead of a hard-hitting defenseman.
Since being assigned to the Barrie Colts, we've seen why Hemming was the Stars' target all along. He's shown how good of a sniper he can be from the midpoint of any zone and how he attacks the net. It took him a bit to get going with the Colts last season, but he helped them reach the playoffs. The Stars decided to see how he did with the Texas Stars at the beginning of this season, but it didn't work out, as he didn't have much chemistry with any of the players in Cedar Park.
Since returning to the Barrie Colts, Hemming has found his drive again. He has eight goals and 20 assists so far this year. I think the Stars got ahead of themselves after how he was playing in the second half of last season. Watching him at the World Juniors so far has shown that he wasn't ready to take the next step and play with the Texas Stars. Sometimes, a prospect is not going to grow overnight and become a two-way threat at the AHL level.
Think of it like Lian Bichsel's development. Instead of playing with the Texas Stars, he wanted to go back to his junior league and play against adults. Look at how that turned out for Bichsel as he's one of the top physical defenders the Stars have right now. Sometimes teams need prospects to develop at their own pace, and Hemming is doing it with the Barrie Colts and at the World Juniors right now. The Stars didn't need to rush him to the AHL, since it was like he wasn't going to dominate the league.
I think we will all look back at this past season and agree that sending Hemming back to the Colts was the right move. Sometimes, you have to let players like Hemming develop at their own pace and develop their game. Hemming has shown that during the World Junior Championship. The Stars have a bright future with the Jr. member of the Finnish Mafia. Now, if they can get his brother in the upcoming NHL Draft, that would be amazing.