The Dallas Stars have selected Benjamin Brinkman at 173rd overall during the sixth round of the 2019 NHL draft. The six-foot defenseman is from Edina, Minnesota and just completed his first year at University of Minnesota.
With the 173rd overall pick, the Dallas Stars select defenseman Ben Brinkman from @GopherHockey.#NHLDraft | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/7nNe9MOl7t
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) June 22, 2019
Brinkman played in 38 games for the University of Minnesota last season, but the year proved to be a transition one for the young blueliner. He came off a great year in the USHS league, where he recorded 40 points (10 goals, 30 assists) through 25 games for his local Edina team. He also recorded four points (one goal, three assists) in three playoff games. However, once he arrived at the collegiate level, he struggled to carry that production level forward. In 38 NCAA games, he only recorded seven points (one goal, six assists), but he did finish with a +11 plus/minus rating.
The 18-year-old winger faced a large disparity in ranking, possibly due to his struggle in the NCAA 2018-19 season. Elite Prospects had him ranked the highest at No. 80 overall, while NHL Central Scouting had him at No. 115 among North American skaters, and Future Considerations had him ranked at No. 241. Like Harley and Porco, Brinkman helps to fill the void of left-handed defenseman for the Stars within their prospect pool.
Our prospect reporter, Derek Neumeier, had some initial thoughts on the drafting of Brinkman:
The Dallas Stars select at Ben Brinkman at 173rd overall
Quick thoughts: this is a classic safe pick. Strong, mature defensive-defenseman. Played in the NCAA.
At this time last year he was considered as a potential 2nd or 3rd-rounder, so maybe there’s untapped potential there
— Derek Neumeier (@Derek_N_NHL) June 22, 2019
Curious to see how Brinkman defends? Here’s a great clip of him working against fellow 2019 draftee Alex Vlasic:
We’ll more content around the Dallas picks in the coming days thanks to our staff at the draft in Vancouver.