The EliteProspects Rinkside 2020-21 Off-Season Prospect Pool Rankings: the No. 17-ranked Dallas Stars

Not only did the Dallas Stars make it within two wins of the Stanley Cup. They did so without sacrificing any real draft capital or top-flight prospects in the process.

It may seem a small consolation prize, but in a league where all one can do is give their nucleus as many kicks at the can as possible, this sort of thing matters. It matters a lot.

Unearthing top-of-the-lineup talent from the draft is the best way to extend one’s window, and the Stars are doing a bang up job of just that in recent years.

It wasn’t enough for the Stars to take Miro Heiskanen with the third-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. They had to follow it up with back-to-back relatively high upside plays in the teens taking Ty Dellandrea and Thomas Harley in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Then they pulled out The Wonde