As I mentioned in the previous article, the Stars haven't drafted a Finnish-born player this year yet. That all changed when the Stars drafted Atte Joki with their first of two fifth-round selections. That's the second-straight center the Stars have drafted in the NHL Draft. He's a high-IQ kind of scorer that reminds me of Roope Hintz. He's a young player, so don't be surprised if the Stars keep him in Finland for the foreseeable future.
The Stars used their final fifth-round pick on a goalie prospect who is massive and can fill up the crease with his body. Both of these picks are very good, solid draft picks who could be on the Dallas Stars' roster in the future. Here's more on both of the prospects and what they bring to the table for the Stars down the road.
Atte Joki is going to be a good player for the Dallas Stars in the future. At 6'2, he's able to see the ice in a way no other player can see it. He's able to find open-scorers at a moment's notice and can score the puck as well. I'm sure Jim Nill will keep him over in Finland and let him develop. The Stars have a good relationship with Finnish hockey, so it's no surprise the Stars will keep him over there for the foreseeable future.
While I don't think this prospect is going to replace Jake Oettinger anytime soon, the Stars used their final fifth-round pick on Mans Goos from Sweden. He's a 6'6 goalie who can fill up the entire net, which the Stars could need in the future. The fact that he's still available in the fifth round is impressive, considering his size. Tall goalies are a hot commodity these days after seeing how size can quickly fill up the net. It might as well be worth seeing what he does over in Sweden for the next couple of years. Oettinger could use a tall backup goaltender down the road.
The Stars have two more draft picks at their disposal. The Stars are probably going to take waivers on both of them and hope they turn out to be late-round draft gems. It will be interesting to see what the Stars go with in the sixth and seventh rounds of the draft. Stay tuned to Blackout Dallas for more information on those two draft picks.