Projecting the Stars: Wyatt Johnston

In advance of the 2024-25 NHL regular season, The Hockey News’ Dallas Stars team website is introducing a series of player projections for the Dallas Stars. Yesterday we left off with Sam Steel and Evgenii Dadonov next up is Wyatt Johnston.

In just two seasons, Wyatt Johnston has become one of the key players for the Stars, and has shown potential to be a franchise player for years to come. Now in the final year of his entry level contract, Johnston will once again take the ice as one of the top young players in the NHL. Will he continue his scorching hot pace from the second half of last season?

Career: 56 goals, 106 points in 164 games

2023-24 Statistics: 32 goals, 65 points in 82 games

Salary Cap Hit: roughly $894k through 2024-25

Summary of 2023-24 Season: Johnston went into his sophomore season looking to build on a standout rookie season, where he showed people across the league that he was poised to become one of the best mid-round draft picks in recent memory. After a slow start to the season, he found his game in a big way through the second half of the year, culminating in a playoff run where he was the most reliable goal scorer. His break-out year, topping 30 goals, jump started with his addition to the top line with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson, which became a lethal option for head coach Pete DeBoer when needed. Although he eventually moved back to his regular line with Jamie Benn, he never looked back, becoming one of the team's most reliable forwards in every capacity. He started seeing minutes on the penalty kill and was trusted in big moments. His playoff contributions further cemented him as a cornerstone player for years to come. Looking back on all he accomplished and how much he grew last season, it's hard to believe he did it all at 19 years old.

Projections for 2024-25 Season: Now 20, the youngster enters his third year in the league ready to keep making a top-tier impact. Almost any role is up for the taking for Johnston. With Hintz and Matt Duchene also options at center, Johnston's natural center position gives the Stars phenomenal depth down the middle, which is a luxury most teams do not have. But with Joe Pavelski retiring, there could be a shake up of lines and Johnston could possibly rejoin the top line duo on the right wing, which worked so well when used last year. There is also an open spot on the first power-play unit, which will give him even more goal scoring opportunities. As for Johnston's personal production, he could easily hit 30+ goals again, but it would not be surprising if he saw closer to 80 points depending on his linemates and their production.

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Projecting the Stars: Evgenii Dadonov

Projecting the Stars: Sam Steel

Projecting the Stars: Mason Marchment

Projecting the Stars: Matt Duchene

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