Dallas Stars Prospect Series 2.0: Francesco Arcuri is ready to make a statement

Dallas Stars Prospect Series: Arcuri’s background

I was ecstatic when the Dallas Stars selected Francesco Arcuri in the 6th round of the 2021 NHL Draft, I was ecstatic. This was the same draft in which Dallas got Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven, but I was giddy about Arcuri's value. This was the same draft at pick 175. 

This was a “COVID Draft,” where most draft-eligible players had either not played organized hockey during the 2020-2021 season or in weird situations (e.g., Arcuri played in Austria). Arcuri, in the sixth played round, was exciting for his signature skill and youth development opportunities.

As for his signature skill, you’d have to squint not to assume you’re watching Jason Robertson in junior. Arcuri’s shot mechanics are eerily similar to players, like many areas of improvement in Robertson, and his build and stick tape also gives the illusion that he’s Jason Robertson 2.0. However, there are many areas of improvement needed to get to a Robertson-esque pro level, which will be explained later.

As for his youth development opportunities, Arcuri was part of the stacked Don Mills Flyers U16 team in 2018, which included Shane Wright, Brennan Othmann, Brandt Clarke, etc. Arcuri was a secondary option on that team, but he was still great in his own right and demonstrated his ability to play with good players. After a few years in the OHL, including a 48-goal, 91-point campaign in his final junior season split between Kingston and Kitchener, Arcuri was set to turn pro with uncertain expectations. 

Many seemed the "COVID Draft" class to effectively be one "behind'' development because of the lack of organized/competitive hockey in their draft years. A ''draft year'' is one of the most important development years in a prospect's life, where CHL players aged ~17 are beginning to physically mature and find the groove of junior.

To my surprise, Arcuri didn’t stick with the Texas Stars AHL club last season and was placed in ECHL Idaho for his first season post-junior. This doesn’t usually happen to high-scoring junior players, where Arcuri’s junior teammate Francesco Pinelli, with similar junior stats, played an entire season for the Ontario Reign (Los Angeles’ affiliate). The adjustment period from junior to pro was never supposed to be easy, but to be placed in “Division 3” of North American pro hockey may have felt tough for Arcuri coming out of a successful final season in junior.

Nevertheless, Arcuri didn’t pout and scored 25 goals in his first season of pro hockey with Idaho. It's an excellent showing for a somewhat unusual development path up to this point in his career.

Dallas Stars Prospect Series: Arcuri's likelihood of joining the Stars this season

Arcuri will have an opportunity to secure a full-time role in AHL Texas this year, but it’s not going to be easy. Players I can see Arcuri competing with for the final spots in AHL Texas are Chase Wheatcroft, Matt Seminoff, Kyle McDonald, Justin Ertel, and Justin Hryckowian, among others. This competitive environment for training camp will separate the driven professionals from the rest, where Arcuri needs to show off his strengths while demonstrating defensive reliability (which he has proven in the past) if he wants to play AHL bottom-6 minutes.

Dallas Stars Prospect Series: What he needs to work on

Arcuri's main strength is his offensive playmaking in-zone, whether as a passer or shooter. I see Arcuri as a relatively reliable forward in the defensive zone because of his willingness to think and assess plays and whether or not he's the closest defender.

The two main pieces I hope he is able to work on are his skating/explosiveness to be able to keep up with or potentially out-pace pro hockey opponents, and his can work on are his skating/explosiveness to keep up with or potentially outpace. Specifically, Arcuri’s game is rooted in skill, but his frame tells a different story. Suppose Arcuri can work on physical positioning, puck protection, and more attributes concerning a positive connection between his body and skill game. In that case, Suppose I can see Arcuri being effective at the highest level.

Otherwise, it would be pro leagues. The NHL has many players who can play high-skill games, control their bodies, and command ice with control of the control their frames.

Overall, this season should be exciting for Francesco Arcuri. I wish him the best as he looks to crack the opening night AHL Texas lineup and stick with the team full-time.

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