Stars' top prospects to watch at 2024-25 training camp
The Dallas Stars are a Western Conference powerhouse with Stanley Cup aspirations. As they seek revenge for their Western Conference Final defeat from last year, they will need fresh faces to shine. With training camp open, Stars fans should watch out for prospects Mavrik Bourque and Ben Kraws in the fall.
Future Hall-of-Famer Joe Pavelski retired after the Stars lost to the Oilers last spring. The veteran scored 27 goals and added 40 assists in his final season. leaving big shoes to fill. They also lost veterans Ryan Suter and Chris Tanev from the blue line who helped them advance to the conference final. Even with the changes, expect the Stars to dominate in the regular season again.
The core of this Stars team is their young stars Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskenen, and Jake Oettinger. Each of those players is locked up long-term, allowing general manager Jim Nill to focus on the surrounding pieces. He signed Thomas Harley and Esa Lindell just before training camp opened.
How can Mavrik Bourque and Ben Kraws help the Stars not only in 2024-25 but in the distant future? Let's break down the two prospects to watch at Dallas' training camp.
Mavrik Bourque must help replace Joe Pavelski
In the postseason, the Stars called up American Hockey League MVP Mavrik Bourque. He played just 7:56 in the lone postseason game he played, but it showed a commitment to the player and his future within the organization. With Pavelski no longer in the picture, Bourque needs to have a good training camp.
The 22-year-old is penciled into a Stars lineup full of superstar forwards. They can place him with Robertson and Roope Hintz on the top line and give him every opportunity to light up the scoreboard. Dallas did not sign a forward who was not already with the team in free agency, leaving the spot open for the taking.
If Bourque has a great training camp, expect the Stars to lean on him this regular season. The Calder Trophy race is a crowded one that includes Macklin Celebrini, Matvei Michkov, and Cutter Gauthier, among others. Playing with all-world talent will give Bourque a slight advantage over those players, who cannot say the same.
Can Ben Kraws give the Stars the league's best goalie tandem?
Jake Oettinger is one of the keys to the Stars team this season and going forward. The Boston University product is entering his fifth season in the league and boasts two top-ten finishes in the Vezina Trophy race. While the goalie of the future has been decided in Dallas, Ben Kraws can create the organizational depth that every team yearns for.
The Stars signed perennial backup Casey DeSmith this offseason to be the injury insurance for Oettinger. DeSmith signed a one-year deal that can easily be traded or cut if Kraws shines in training camp. The 24-year-old spent last season with St Lawrence University and the Texas Stars of the AHL.
In college, he posted a .919 save percentage in 37 starts. Those numbers did not translate to the AHL, where he had a .901 save percentage. The undrafted goalie can become the backup with the big club as soon as this season and, if he continues his college production, would be one of the best in the league.
