The Dallas Stars continued their run on defensive prospects, choosing Michael Prapavessis of the Toronto Patriots of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Listed at 6′ 1″, 180 appears to be another defenseman that plays on the powerplay and is a positionaly sound defenseman. The lack of true power play quarterbacks on the blue line seems to be an area of focus for general manager Jim Nill in this draft, with Prapavessis being the second one in this line drafted by the Dallas Stars.
HockeyProspects.com’s Mark Edwards had a scouting report on Prapavessis, with this really sticking out:
He’s solid, making good decisions but not what I would call a powerplay stud. His is shot is probably his biggest weakness right now although it has improved. My favorite thing about his game is simple, he’s a very smart hockey player
Nill and company have seemed to value hockey IQ over massive size, with plenty of their picks lauded for their hockey smarts. A few others weighed in on the pick the Stars made with their first fourth round pick this year.
Prapavessis has developed into a power play distributor, one who can read the play, make smart, cerebral assessments in quick time periods
— Sean Lafortune (@SeanLafortune) June 28, 2014
Love the Prapavessis pick by @DallasStars we had him 82nd overall. One of the smartest players in the draft. Great stick, not physical enuff
— Mark Edwards (@MarkEdwardsHP) June 28, 2014