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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Stars Have Two Top-50 Prospects in Latest Hockey News Rankings

Heads up: The Hockey News has released its annual Future Watch rankings of NHL prospects, and the Dallas Stars see their two most recent first-round picks in the top 50.

To the surprise of…well, fewer and fewer people all the time, defenseman Julius Honka is Dallas’ No. 1 prospect according to THN. He’s also ranked No. 20 among all NHL prospects, which ought to help explain why GM Jim Nill is rumored to have balked at any deadline trade proposal that included the 20-year-old Finn.

Forward Denis Gurianov, who just wrapped up his season with Lada Togliatti in Russia, is ranked second among Stars prospects and 34th among all NHL prospects. Jason Dickinson rounds out the podium places at No. 3 for Dallas and 68th in the league.

Find more prospect rankings and news at the Stars’ website – and don’t forget to check out Huw’s latest DBD prospect update. [Dallas Stars]

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It’s game day! The Stars wrap up their Canadian mini-road trip with tonight’s contest against the Montreal Canadiens. Don’t forget the early start time of 6:30 p.m. Central, and get an early preview from Mark Stepneski. [Stars Inside Edge]

The Dallas Stars Foundation has also posted a guide to the Pevs Protects swag available at this Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Blues. A portion of sales will benefit the American Heart Association, Rich Peverley‘s charity of choice.

Meanwhile, this Friday’s Stars-Blackhawks matchup makes Allan Muir’s list of key games to watch this week. [Sports Illustrated]

Mike Heika looks at sustained energy, fewer penalties and a dramatically improved plus-minus rating and concludes Antoine Roussel is on track for his best season ever. [SportsDayDFW]

Heika also scouts the Stars-Canadiens matchup, including their respective IR lists. (Ouch, and yet again ouch.) [SportsDayDFW]

Stand up for Jaromir Jagr, who’s now the NHL’s third greatest all-time scorer. To commemorate, NHL.com has posted a list of major milestones in Jag’s career. [NHL]

And yet all he wants to talk about is getting the Florida Panthers into the playoffs.

It was relatively quiet in Murder and Death yesterday, with only the Colorado Avalanche (and 37 saves from Semyon Varlamov) killing the Arizona Coyotes 3-1. [FOX Sports]

It’s a bit busier tonight in the Brutal Central, with Nashville Predators at Winnipeg Jets at 7 p.m. Central time. [NHL]

What sort of chance does Our Gang really have at the Stanley Cup? Dimitri Filipovic calls Dallas “the ultimate wild card” and gives at least one good reason why hockey fans should hope they’re ready for a deep run. [Sportsnet]

Having a team that plays the way they do having a long run in the playoffs would be a great thing for the league. Both in the short-term from an excitement perspective, but also moving forward in allowing other teams to play a more free-flowing brand of hockey themselves.

Defender Mark Borowiecki, who sat out Sunday’s Stars-Senators game with a knee injury, is probably going to be out for the season.

The Jonathan Drouin saga continues: The Tampa Bay Lightning have lifted the young forward’s suspension, and he will report to the Bolts’ AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. [CBS Sports]

What did Georges Laraque mean when he said Québec City had been “excluded” from the proposed NHL expansion, and why did the league feel compelled to issue an official response? [Sports Illustrated]

Okay, this may be one theory you haven’t heard yet.

Cursed or otherwise, the Oilers (and others) may be looking to move players in the off-season that they didn’t swap out before the trade deadline. [The Hockey News]

A total of 48 European hockey teams from 13 countries have voted unanimously to form the Alliance of European Hockey Clubs to “safeguard the interests” of continental organizations. [The Hockey News]

The average Canadian junior hockey team has more than 30 fights per season to the NHL’s 18, writes James Mirtle, making the case that it’s time to end potentially life-altering confrontations among unpaid teenagers.

Now this is a fun flashback.

Pro tip: If you name your new baby after Washington Capitals superstars Braden Holtby and Alex Ovechkin, the kid will get set up.

Finally: When Roussel isn’t popping GWGs like they’re candy or something, he’s being a literal ray of sunshine around the North Texas area. Check out these photos of Rous with his friends from Jackie Carden Elementary School in Fort Worth.

Talking Points