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Sitting outside of Stars’ roster bubble, Thomas Harley hopes to prove he no longer belongs in AHL

The Stars have to decide whether a limited role in the NHL would be better for their prized prospect versus a robust one in the AHL.

FRISCO — Thomas Harley looks ready for the next step.

Whether he makes the leap to the NHL, though, is unknown at this point.

Harley, the Stars’ 2019 first-round pick and top prospect, enters this season on the fringe of a roster spot. He is sitting outside the roster bubble as team’s development camp ended Monday ahead of the Traverse City prospect tournament later this week.

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The 20-year-old left-hander spent last season as one of the best defenseman in the AHL, finishing second in the league among defensemen with 25 points. He led all rookie blue liners in scoring.

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“Obviously, they’re faster and stronger and smarter players, so I improved way more than I would have in the [Ontario Hockey League],” Harley said of the AHL. “I’m grateful for that, but hopefully I’m not there this year.”

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But it’s a crowded bunch on the Dallas blue line, both in terms of bodies and available roles to fill.

The top four defensemen (John Klingberg, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Ryan Suter) are locks. Jani Hakanpää and Andrej Sekera have the inside track to third-pair minutes. Joel Hanley has been a seventh defenseman before. The picture leaves little room for Harley to shove his way onto the roster, like he almost did each of the last two training camps.

If Harley were in the NHL lineup, his minutes would be limited since his special teams involvement would be minimal. Klingberg, Heiskanen and Suter (maybe Lindell, too) are slated to play ahead of him on the power play. Harley wouldn’t kill penalties, leaving him playing 10-12 minutes on the third pair.

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The Stars have to decide whether a limited role in the NHL would be better for their prized prospect vs. a robust one in the AHL, with top-pair minutes, power play, penalty kill and overtime.

Harley intends to make the decision tough on the organization. He entered camp weighing 207 pounds, up from 202 at season’s end.

“I’ve noticed a couple times just being stronger than guys,” Harley said. “It’s not something I’m really used to. The other day, Mavrik Bourque just ran into me, and I didn’t even feel him. He fell right over on his back, I just kind of laughed and skated up the ice. Just little things like that I notice.”

On Monday, he controlled the pace and flow of the game when he was on the ice during the team’s scrimmage session.

He was poised carrying the puck through the neutral zone and around the offensive zone. He was tactful in shooting the puck when there was a chance. He was decent defensively, shutting down plays by Riley Tufte, Antonio Stranges and Yauheni Aksiantsiuk before they started.

The organization has told Harley that improving his defense will be his path to the NHL. Last year in the AHL, he showed promise in that department.

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“But I think the biggest strides I saw was his defensive game, his urgency with the puck,” Stars director of player personnel Rich Peverley said. “Sometimes, in junior, you have a turnover and he’s such a good skater, he can get back and break that play up.

“In the NHL or the AHL level, he can see, if you make a mistake, it’s probably in the back of your net. He’s got to learn to minimize those mistakes, and he’s doing a good job of it.”

Texas coach Neil Graham said: “As he knows, it’s about consistently defending with purpose. You have to want to defend. At the next level, it’s so important to do it fast, do it efficiently. That’s how you get the puck back for offense. He did a good job of it last year. He took a lot of steps. I think we can all recognize that.”

Still, it’s important to remember just how gifted Harley can be with the puck. He can run a power play with ease and exit the zone with his legs. He should be one of the best players in the Traverse City tournament, and it’ll be his next chance to prove he doesn’t belong in the AHL anymore.

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“I’m a pretty patient player on the ice, and I think patience comes pretty naturally to me,” Harley said. “Whenever I earn that spot, I’m going to have it. It’s just a matter of time.”

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