Which four players stand out as the Dallas Stars' team MVP at the Olympic break?

Quick. Only two teams in the NHL this season roster three players in the top 25 in scoring in the league and at least one player in the top 25 in scoring among defensemen, name the teams. To the surprise of no one who watches regularly, one is the Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard rank first, fifth, and 14th with 96, 80, and 63 points, respectively. Bouchard's total ranks him at the top among defensemen.

The other is, of course, considering what site this is - the Dallas Stars. The Stars are the only team that holds four different players who qualify. Mikko Rantanen ranks eighth with 69 points, Jason Robertson 11th with 66, and Wyatt Johnston is tied for 22nd with 59 points. Heiskanen's 46 points place him ninth among NHL defensemen.

In a fool's errand, let's examine which of the four Stars players might garner team Most Valuable Player honors up to this point of the season. Hey, it's the Olympic break and no one gets to watch North American professional hockey for three weeks, so why not?

Jason Robertson, The Goal Scorer

In some ways, Dallas' leading goal scorer - who happens to rank tied for third in the NHL in goals - is having a career year. His scoring numbers aren't on pace to be career highs, but he's only three goals shy of tying his total from last season, and he's only two away from tying his career mark for power play goals. Plus, on a team that has abandoned its puck-possession style from the days of Peter DeBoer, Robertson leads the entire roster in relative Corsi percentage.

In all, during a year in which Robertson's future with the franchise has remained a question. He's a restricted free agent at the end of the season. And while no one affiliated with the Stars wants to see him exit, Robo will be due a major payday to keep him in Dallas beyond 2025-26. He isn't playing for his future, per se, but the shadow of contract details has been and is very real, making his season even more impressive.

Mikko Rantanen, The Supremely-Skilled Talent

From a sheer talent perspective, Rantanen is the best player on the Dallas roster. Almost no one would argue with such a declaration.

Long-time Stars television and radio analyst Darryl Reaugh said earlier in the week that Rantanen is one of the five most talented players in the history of the franchise. It's easy to see why. He leads this year's version of the Stars in assists by 23 over second-place Heiskanen, while still staying on pace for about 30 goals. If he gets there, it'll mark the sixth such time in his 10 full NHL seasons.

Wyatt Johnston, The Future Captain

Johnson is having a career year. The 22-year-old leads the entire NHL in power play goals with 18, four more than second-place Pavel Dorofeyev for Vegas. Johnston has 59 points in 57 games, which, if kept up, would provide him with his first season as a point-per-game player. His plus-7.3% relative Corsi ranks second on the team and shatters his career best mark of plus-2.8% from last year.

As Blackout Dallas' Brian Sweet wrote in November, the five-year extension he signed in the spring, with an average annual value of $8.4 million, looked like it could turn into one of the best bargains in the league. And that was before this outstanding season.

Miro Heiskanen, The Do-It-All D-Man

Heiskanen has been Dallas' best defenseman since he arrived in the NHL. He's been consistently good since he was 19 (he's now 26), so he's almost become underrated.

Last year's struggles have proven a mirage. After scoring just 25 points in 50 games through an injury-plagued campaign, Heiskanen now has 46 points in 55 games so far this year. Not career numbers, no, but consider: Heiskanen has skated a walloping 42.6% of the possible ice time he could have this season, good for third in the league. He's getting a career high in ice time this season, averaging 25:59 minutes a night. He leads the Stars in power-play time among defensemen and is second behind rock-solid defender Esa Lindell in short-handed time among Dallas defensemen.

Dallas Stars' MVP to This Point

Picking a team MVP is, as said, silly business. But for this writer's money, it's Heiskanen.

It's hard to imagine where Dallas would be without his complete package. The Stars' defense doesn't intimidate on paper, what with what should-be third-pairing guys like Ilya Lyubushkin, Alex Petrovic, Nils Lundqvist, and Kyle Capobianco getting loads of regular ice time, and Heiskanen's usual lieutenant, Thomas Harley, struggling a bit this year. Granted, those players have, for the most part, played well in their roles, but they're not scaring opposing teams.

Heiskanen scares opposing teams no matter when or where he is on the ice, and given the circumstances, he's the team's most valuable player.