Dallas Stars rookie forward Logan Stankoven came into the 2024-25 NHL season with high expectations.
He was coming off a great debut stretch during which he contributed 14 points in 24 regular-season appearances at the end of last season and added an extra element to Dallas’ third line with eight points in 19 playoff games, propelling him into this year’s Calder Trophy race as one of the favorites.
While the points have been there, much of this season’s narrative has concentrated on his surprising lack of goal-scoring. But he displayed progress with two goals in a 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.
“It’s nice to contribute,” Stankoven told the media postgame. “… I haven’t changed the way I play. Maybe tonight I went to the net a bit more and got some good bounces, but I don’t think I’ve changed the way I play. Even though the puck hasn’t been going in, I try to hunt pucks and be good defensively and do the little things right.”
Logan Stankoven’s Track Record
Stankoven has been a point producer and goal-scorer at every level in his career. As a junior player with the Kamloops Blazers, he had three seasons with at least 29 goals and even tallied 104 points during the 2021-22 campaign. In his only American Hockey League season, he had 57 points and scored 24 goals in 47 games, earning split time in the NHL.
Stankoven even displayed that scoring touch and his unique skill during his short NHL stints last season. But realistically, opponents noticed that and studied his game. As a young player, he’s inevitably having to adjust as he learns and experiences the NHL competition. But past performances seemed to indicate it was only a matter of time before things clicked for him again offensively, and he may have finally turned the page in Tuesday’s win.
If that’s the case, Stankoven’s reemergence comes at an opportune time as the Stars need players to step into expanded roles. Dallas is now missing three of its top six forwards after injuries to Tyler Seguin, Mason Marchment, and Roope Hintz. The extent of Hintz’s injury remains unknown, but Stankoven will be trusted to contribute among the top lines regardless.
“If Roope’s out for a bit, he’s going to have an elevated role, and we want him feeling good,” forward Matt Duchene said. “For him to get two there — doesn’t matter how you get them — you feel better. You make better plays. You’re looser. There’s a lot of good stuff with that.”
Finding Ways to Contribute
The Stars rookie forward’s track record and consistent approach are what has given the organization and its coaching staff the confidence he can break through and help Dallas reach its full potential and compete again in the Western Conference. He’s a high-effort player and does the little things right.
“Tank’s been really good, but I would call it a little snake-bit,” head coach Pete DeBoer told the media before his team’s first matchup with Toronto last month?. “The underlying metrics, the chances. The beauty of him is he gives you a consistent game every night in his effort, his compete, his work away from the puck, his hounding of the puck, his forechecking. That’s every night — whether he’s scoring or he isn’t.”
Stankoven’s first goal on Tuesday came 66 shots after his last goal on November 14. That’s 25 games without a goal and not at all what Dallas had hoped to see from him this season. He was expected to help extend the lineup with his scoring ability. Now that he’s developed more chemistry with his linemates and had a “breakout” performance, the floodgates may open.
2024 Linemates
Dallas has tried many different line combinations this season, some due to scheme and strategy and others simply because of injuries. Stankoven and fellow rookie Mavrik Bourque were expected to play alongside captain Jamie Benn on the third line before the season began, but all three have had to move around the lineup and spend time playing in the top six.
“When things aren’t going too well, Coach is trying to create a spark and change things up and try different combinations,” Stankoven told the media earlier this season. “I think, game-to-game, it doesn’t really change your mindset. It’s just more to create some energy and a spark. I’m excited and grateful to play with whoever.”
It may not personally matter to Stankoven with whom he plays each game, but he and Bourque have been excellent together in recent games. The two Dallas Stars rookie forwards have combined for nine points so far in January, and many around the organization believe they have started to turn the corner. If true, Dallas becomes an even more dangerous team.
“I think we’re finding each other a little but more,” Bourque told the media after Tuesday’s game. “We didn’t play much together today, but I think the last few games we’ve found each other a little more, so we’ve just go to keep building on that.”
Upcoming Opportunities
The upcoming stretch is vitally important as both rookies try to cement their spots in the upper tiers of the Dallas Stars lineup for the future. Not only will the minutes among the top-six provide them chances to play against the best opposing players teams have to offer, but it should also pay dividends when their injured teammates return.
Having a deep lineup that can play hard and fast is something that Dallas has taken great pride in under DeBoer’s watch. Yet, for it to be successful, all components need to have some kind of helpful contribution. The experience these young rookie forwards will get in the upcoming games should improve Dallas’ depth for when it gets healthy, making the Stars a dangerous team going forward.
“We’re built to have three lines and just roll,” Duchene explained. “Right now, we’re not that way because we have injuries, but that gives these young guys an opportunity. I think them playing together since we switched the lines up has really given them a spark. They’re coming. You can see it. It’s nice to see from these guys, and we need it.”
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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