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As NHL playoffs near, Stars’ trio of top prospects look to finish stellar year with run of their own

Stars’ prospects Wyatt Johnston, Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven have shined in the juniors this season, and Johnston and Stankoven will continue into the OHL and WHL playoffs, respectively.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Stars aren’t the only ones looking to go on a run in the next month.

So are three of their top prospects.

Forwards Wyatt Johnston, Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven have combined to turn in one of the most impressive years for Stars prospects in recent memory, and two of them will begin their playoff runs this week.

“It’s a compliment to our scouting staff,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “Tough conditions over the last couple years, they did a lot of work and it paid off. They got the right players and they did a good job picking the right guys.”

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Johnston (playing for Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League) just led the OHL in scoring with 124 points in 68 games, becoming the second Stars prospect in the last three seasons to lead the O in scoring. Jason Robertson did so in 2018-19 with Kingston and Niagara. Windsor plays Game 1 against Sarnia on Thursday.

Stankoven (Kamloops in the Western Hockey League) finished third in the WHL with 104 points, but led the league with 1.76 points per game. Stankoven’s Blazers host Spokane on Friday.

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Bourque (Shawnigan in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) has struggled with shoulder and jaw injuries this season, but still leads the Q with two points per game in his 27 games.

Each of the three players leads their respective league in points per game.

All three have already signed NHL contracts, meaning that they are eligible to join Dallas once their junior seasons are over. The more likely option is that they join AHL affiliate Texas if the minor-league Stars are still playing.

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“They’ll go to Austin,” Nill said. “They’re all on pretty good teams, so I think they’ll go a long ways. Let’s hope they go a long ways. We’ll see where it goes. But if they do [end early], they’ll be going down to Austin.

“Tough to bring them in when these guys have been battling all year and they haven’t played NHL games yet. That’s a big ask. Now, you have a bunch of injuries, different story. Their next step is to get their feet wet in the American Hockey League.”

All three players can play up to nine games in the NHL without burning a year of their entry-level contracts. The Stars under Nill have never burned the first year of an entry-level contract on a partial season.

Bourque is the oldest of the three players, and he was a first-round pick in 2020 that will be turning pro in the fall. He has a point in every game since returning from his jaw injury, including a four-assist game on April 6 and a three-assist game on Sunday night.

“He got a taste of the pro game last year after his junior season,” Nill said. “He went down to Texas to play, so he’s already had a taste of it. Now, he’ll be turning pro this year and away he goes.”

Johnston, the team’s first-round pick in 2021, is a two-way force that drew comparisons from his junior coach to Bruins stalwart Patrice Bergeron.

“Wyatt’s put in the work, and it’s paid off for him,” Nill said. “As an underager, I think he was a first-round pick of Windsor, so you know he had the potential. But potential only takes you so far. Now, it’s the hard work, and that’s what he’s done.”

Stankoven was a second-round pick in 2021, but likely would have been a first-round pick if he were not 5-8.

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Bourque and Stankoven were both on Canada’s World Juniors roster in December, but Johnston should have a prime chance to join the squad in the rescheduled tournament in August. It was postponed in December because of COVID-19.

“They’ll be a good chance to play on the World Junior team in August,” Nill said. “See how they perform there. See how their summers went. Bring them into camp, and see where they fit in.”

Briefly: Nill said injured forward Vladislav Namestnikov is not on the road trip as he deals with a lower-body injury suffered Tuesday against Tampa Bay. It was easier to find Namestnikov ice at home in Frisco versus on the road in Canada, Nill said.

Goaltender Braden Holtby (lower-body) has still not begun skating, Nill said, lending further credence to the thought that his season may be over. Holtby has not practiced since March 16 in Montreal and has not joined the Stars on the road since.

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Holtby’s injury forced the Stars to acquire Scott Wedgewood at the deadline from Arizona for a conditional fourth-round pick. If the Stars make the playoffs, the pick becomes a third-round pick.

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