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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Colton Point Prepares For The Pros

The goalie prospect is rising to the challenge of representing the Jamie Benn Round. Plus, the NHL likes China, Max Pacioretty likes the Knight life, and more.

By Kathleen Tibbetts
2016 NHL Draft - Portraits Photo by Jeffrey T. Barnes/Getty Images

Colton Point is looking more and more like the Dallas Stars’ next big hit from the Jamie Benn-John Klingberg round. The 2016 fifth-round pick just came off a breakout season for the Colgate Raiders in which he became a contender for college hockey’s biggest player honor. Now the Hobey Baker Award finalist is making waves at the 2018 Traverse City Prospect Tournament.

With all of Point’s potential, he can still do some sharpening, says Jim Bedard, the Stars’ goaltending development coach:

“What I noticed about him playing last year is that he is very raw,” Bedard said. “He’s got a lot of drive to stop pucks, and sometimes he can get away with it in college where you can get a little sloppy after your initial shot. Even [Friday night], there were times he looked so calm and composed and then there were times the structure of his game was kind of lost, but he was just battling.

”I like to see that kind of fight in a goaltender and the competitive edge, but when you start to go up level after level after level, you are going to have to tune it in where you are making the easier saves on the first and second saves, and the third save is where the big saves are made.”

Point talked to Mark Stepneski about how fellow college prospect Jake Oettinger’s decision to stay in school at Boston University helped him decide this was the right time to turn pro:

“As the summer progressed and they told me Oettinger wasn’t going to sign, it became a better and better option,” Point said. “For me, and the development sense, this was the best decision I could have made. To keep pushing myself and challenging myself every day, this is the place I need to be.”

There’s more at Mark’s place. [Stars Inside Edge]

Stars Stories

Sean Shapiro is in Michigan with the Stars prospects, and he filed this story on Dallas’ future forwards.

His Athletic co-worker was in Dallas and thinks he got the better end of the deal:

And elsewhere, Tyler Seguin and Marc-Andre Fleury engaged in the sort of viral-video hijinks that NHL Media Day is good for, probably.

Meanwhile, the words “Miro Heiskanen” and “immediate fantasy relevance” may be all you need from this top 50 defensemen list. [NHL]

Around the League(s)

Last night’s biggest news was that Max Pacioretty finally has a new team. Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee made the trade for Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki, and a 2019 second-round pick.

Scratch that: Last night’s biggest news was that the Montreal Canadiens may have won a trade.

But there’s a case to be made that a team that proved it could contend for a Stanley Cup in 2018 has decided to win one in 2019.

The China Games begin on Saturday, and NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin has a preview.

With all still quiet on the Seguin front, just remember that if you were a Columbus Blue Jackets fan, you’d have to worry about a star forward and a Vezina-caliber goalie.

If you still believe a certain kind and level of retaliation belongs in hockey, Laval Rocket coach Joel Bouchard would like to sit with you.

And as you prepare to gorge on hockey after starving all summer, check out the AHL’s new streaming service with a new, lower price.

Finally

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