Mar 15, 2026
3 min read
A shallow pool of stars keeps them near the bottom.Youth core offers hope, but draft funding limits future growth.
Heading into the trade deadline, the Dallas Stars were viewed as a team with too many trade assets and a prospect pool that lacked depth.That impression was reinforced in the rankings by Scott Wheeler of the Athletics, who ranked the Stars 31st out of 32 teams by breaking the NHL's top farm system.
Wheeler identified the Stars' top prospect as 2024 first-round draft pick Emil Heming, followed by 2025 third-round draft pick Cameron Schmidt, who is emerging as a potential draft pick.The last two selections are on a separate level.
The next level includes two Texas Stars players currently in the AHL.The third candidate is 2023 second round pick Tristan Bertucci, followed by 2020 sixth round pick and current Texas goaltender Remy Poirier.
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Wheeler's top prospects include 2025 fifth-rounder Atte Jogi, 2023 fourth-rounder Aram Minnesota, 2025 fourth-rounder Brandon Gorzynski and 2022 third-rounder Jorge Fegaras. The rankings highlight that Dallas doesn't have many long-term first-round prospects.
And that comes with being a contender for the past seven seasons.During that span, the Stars made six playoff appearances and won ten playoff series.With two of the next three drafts without third-round picks, Dallas isn't in a great position to expand.
Even so, Dallas has a core of young talent to build around in players like Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson, Maverick Burke, Justin Harriquian, Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Hurley and Liane Bichel, all 26 and under.These players provide the foundation for Dallas to remain a contender for years to come, even if the prospect pool remains shallow.
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