Jason Robertson currently has 10 goals and 23 points in just 15 games. He’s T-6th in both categories across the NHL, and is on pace for a 54 goal, 125 point season.
So what’s the secret? A big element of Robertson’s game is how the Dallas Stars forward excels in tight spaces:
“You see certain guys around the league with good body control around traffic, around other bodies,” linemate Joe Pavelski said. “A guy like Draisaitl, you’re like ‘Wow, that guy can protect the puck,’ so good that he creates more space for himself.
“Jason’s like that. When he has it, he’s not giving it away, he’s not turning it over. He rolls out of the corners and puts himself in good areas to control the puck.”
It’s not just his puck handling either — Robertson uses the same skills to force turnovers, giving his team possession. It’s something that he’s always excelled at, whether you call it “practice makes perfect” or “natural talent:”
“I think it’s just a lot of practice,” Robertson said. “All the stick-handling we did growing up, all the drills, everything. It just comes natural now, so it’s all the work I put in when I was younger. … Some things develop over time.”
You can read more from Matthew DeFranks here.
Stars Stories
Speaking of Matthew, Stars fans will sorely miss his content:
Beginning after Christmas, I will be covering the Blues for @stltoday. I loved every moment of my time with @dallasnews covering the Stars, and thank you sincerely for reading. Grateful for your support and very excited to get going at a great paper closer to family in St. Louis.
— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) November 14, 2022
Saad Yousuf opens a variety of Stars questions in his first mailbag of the season:
Stars mailbag part 1:
— Jim Nill’s player development philosophy re: the rise of Wyatt Johnston
— Ty Dellandrea’s development arc
— Future captain
— Roster moves in hindsight
— Pulse of Stars fanbase
— My sports fandom historyhttps://t.co/VKJsTnpwKB— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) November 15, 2022
Matej Blumel has cracked the NHL lineup, and he’s already made a strong impact:
The mind, the method, and the mystery behind hockey sense https://t.co/32mGQvAlj9 via @NHLdotcom
— Mike Heika (@MikeHeika) November 15, 2022
Might another be goal in order tonight when the Stars take on the Tampa Bay Lightning?
#TexasHockey takes Tampa 🌴
🆚 Tampa Bay Lightning
⏰ 6:00pm CT
📍 Amalie Arena
📺 @BallySportsSW Extra
📻 @DFWTicket
🍻 @DaveandBusters@Toyota | #Texashockey pic.twitter.com/XeYwtWfTqf— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 15, 2022
Around the League
The Hockey Hall of Fame inductions are in the books. Might the lack of Stanley Cups among the inductees be a sign of things to come?
The newest Hockey Hall of Fame class didn’t win Stanley Cups.
Criteria to qualify for hockey’s most esteemed club is changing, writes @PierreVLeBrun. Changing for the better.https://t.co/wK6rFjRfmB pic.twitter.com/n0cutvrCle
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 14, 2022
Greg Wyshynski ranks the possible inductees for next year’s class:
Predicting the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2023 https://t.co/cY0e2fxXbX
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) November 14, 2022
And here’s a more in-depth breakdown on the top women candidates who deserve to be inducted next:
Lots of debate last night around needing to see more women represented in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Here is a list of nine women who could, and should, immediately see themselves included in the Hockey Hall of Fame https://t.co/gtVinlrAm8
— Ian Kennedy (@IanKennedyCK) November 15, 2022
Finally, the top of the 2023 NHL Draft class is stacked — Corey Pronman breaks them down in his first prospect ranking of the year:
Is “Blow for Bedard” now becoming “Flop for Fantilli”?
Well, not quite. But the gap between the two top prospects in the 2023 NHL draft is narrowing, writes @coreypronman.
Full big board: https://t.co/ilxHpXMtRv
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) November 15, 2022