Advertisement

sportsStars

19-year-old Miro Heiskanen is reminding Stars coach Jim Montgomery of an NHL Hall of Famer

Stars coach Jim Montgomery wasted no time in his answer Tuesday morning.

Does teenage defenseman Miro Heiskanen remind you of anybody?

"Niedermayer," Montgomery quickly said. "Scott Niedermayer."

Advertisement

Heiskanen has been a revelation this season for the Stars, who have entrusted more than 23 minutes a night to the 19-year-old former first-round pick. He's responded by wowing with his smooth skating and effortless acceleration, plus chipping in on the offensive end. Heiskanen has seven goals and 10 assists, and his 17 points are tied for fifth among all NHL rookies.

Sports Roundup

Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more.

Or with:

Niedermayer is the Hall of Fame defenseman with New Jersey and Anaheim who won four Stanley Cups, a Norris Trophy and a Conn Smythe Trophy. Known as one of the best skating defensemen in NHL history, Niedermayer played 18 seasons in the league, with 740 points in 1,263 games.

"The feet and the skating ability and the smarts, at both ends of the ice," Montgomery said. "His stick, he breaks up plays just like Scott did. His ability to jump in [the rush] and be the fourth guy, and not even look like he's trying to be the fourth guy and just be separating from forwards backchecking."

Advertisement

Heiskanen's speed has allowed the Stars some freedom this season. They've designed faceoff plays around his speed by sending him down the wall, and forcing either a winger or a static defenseman to pick him up. They've encouraged him to join play in the offensive zone because he can get back to the defensive zone in time.

Montgomery said he first recognized the parallels between Niedermayer and Heiskanen over the summer, when he would watch video of Heiskanen.

"It's God-given ability," Montgomery said. "That's what it is. That play that Niedermayer scored for Jersey where he went in, rushed back, broke up a play and went back down and scored. We've seen Miro do that three or four times this year already."

Advertisement

-- After being in the lineup for two games, Julius Honka is a healthy scratch again. Joel Hanley will replace Honka on the Stars defense.

Hanley cleared waivers Tuesday morning and will be on the third pairing with Taylor Fedun. Hanley's situation is an unusual one because of the upcoming holiday roster freeze. In the NHL, no teams can waive, trade or loan players from Dec. 19 at 11:59 p.m. until Dec. 28 at 12:01 a.m. But to create space for John Klingberg's return later this week, the Stars had to make a move before the freeze.

So they waived Hanley on Monday, and he went unclaimed. Hanley does not have to be assigned to the AHL simply because he was waived. Technically, he can play up to 10 games and spend up to 30 days on an NHL roster before he must be passed through waivers again.

Hanley, 27, has played a career-high 15 games for the Stars this season, averaging 13:46 of ice time per game. Honka will be a healthy scratch for the 12th time this season.

"As a coaching staff, we were just more comfortable with what we were getting consistently from that six, and that's what we were winning with," Montgomery said.

When dressing Esa Lindell, Heiskanen, Gavin Bayreuther, Roman Polak, Hanley and Fedun, the Stars are 5-2-1.

Advertisement

-- The Bruins waived former Stars forward Gemel Smith on Tuesday, opening up the possibility of a return to the Stars organization. The Stars waived Smith on Dec. 5, and lost him when Boston claimed him the next day.

According the NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining agreement, if the Stars are the only team to claim Smith tomorrow, they can assign him to the AHL without sending him through waivers because they were the original team that waived him. Smith could add forward depth to the organization, should he go unclaimed by other teams.

Smith has played 14 games for Dallas and three for Boston this season. He has two goals and an assist.