Name: Logan Stankoven

Number: 11

Age: 21

Birthplace: Kamloops, British Columbia

Height/Weight: 5-8, 171

2023-24 stats: 6 goals, 8 assists for 14 points in 24 games

Contract: In second year of three-year deal with a salary cap hit of $814,167

Performance evaluation: Any way you slice it, Logan Stankoven had an excellent first season in pro hockey. He started out in the AHL and was leading the league in scoring when he was called up to the NHL. Stankoven had 57 points (24 goals, 33 assists) in 47 AHL games and was on the path to being league MVP. He proved that his two-point a game average in his last two seasons of junior hockey wasn’t a fluke, and showed that despite his smaller size, he can excel against the men of the AHL and NHL. Stankoven’s numbers dipped slightly in the playoffs with 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 19 games, but he maintained his regular-season average of two shots on goal per game and didn’t look out of place. In fact, his numbers were in the top half for a team that ranked eighth in goals per game (2.74) in the post-season and eighth in shots on goal per game (27.9).

Expectations for 2024-25: Stars fans will be excited to learn that the cutoff for rookie of the year eligibility is 25 games played in the NHL, and Stankoven had just 24 last season. That means Stankoven has a chance to become the first Stars player since Bobby Smith in 1979 to win the Calder Memorial Trophy. That should add some extra fun to the season. Stankoven averaged 14:40 in time on ice last season and played right wing on a line with Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn. Stankoven averaged just 1:16 in power play time and had one goal and one assist on the man advantage, and the guess is he will increase those numbers. With Joe Pavelski retiring, there is an opening on the power play and on the top line, and Stankoven should be a candidate to step in. While Stankoven still will have to show he can handle the added minutes and responsibility, you have to love what he has shown so far. He has a high motor and plays at full speed every shift. He was among the team leaders in puck possession (SAT percentage) at 58.1 percent, and he was plus-10 in just 24 games. The team was much better after his call up, and while that was a collective effort aided by the addition of Chris Tanev, Stankoven certainly played a role. The Stars are trying to transition forward with younger players and still stay competitive as one of the best teams in the league, and the presence of players like Stankoven, Johnston and Mavrik Bourque make that possibility very real.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @MikeHeika.