Friday, July 22, 2016

30 Teams in 30 Days - Dallas Stars

Dallas is next. The Stars gave up the rights to four OHL players from the 2014 draft, but they've still got a few OHL players in the system.

1. Chris Martenet - London Knights
Behemoth defender who was a key component to the Knights run to the Memorial Cup, even if the stats wouldn't suggest it. First the positives. Martenet really took a step forward this year in using his size to be tougher to play against in his own end. He really seems to enjoy giving it to forwards in front of the net now and is a tough guy to get away from near the crease. Now the negatives. His offensive game regressed this year, which I think may have been planned. In his rookie year, Martenet explored his offensive skills, occasionally leading or jumping up into the play. But this year, he played a very refined and conservative game, choosing to let his d-partner Victor Mete do the majority of the heavy lifting. His puck skills will need to continue to improve though as he moves to the pros, as he can still be prone to turnovers from the forecheck. Martenet's skating is also still a work in progress, as he works to improve his lateral and backwards mobility. His adjustment to the pro level will likely have some growing pains and Dallas will have to be patient with the 6'7 defender.

2. Nicholas Caamano - Flint Firebirds
A very solid pick-up by the Stars in the 5th round this year. The Flint organization had a tough year (on the ice and off the ice), but Caamano was one of their most consistent players. He does a great job of creating offense with quick feet and a lot of energy. I also like how he works in close to the crease and has potential as a pesky two-way winger. At different times this year, he saw time with Will Bitten on the 1st line and I thought the two showed great chemistry. I really like what Flint has done this offseason, not only bringing credibility back to the franchise with smart hires, but also improving the team with smart trades and good drafting. Caamano will have a chance to play on Flint's first line and top powerplay unit next year and I expect a nice jump in his production. A 30 goal season is definitely possible.

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