To some Dallas Stars fans, the Patrick Sharp trade was as much about grabbing Stephen Johns as anything else.
(Granted, that might be a small sampling, but there was such chatter.)
Following the move, Stars GM Jim Nill probably summarized the most exciting takes: he’s the sort of defenseman the franchise might just be lacking.
“Stephen was a big part of that trade,” Nill said. “We’re trying to change a little bit of the dimension of our back end … he’s 6-foot-4, 220 lbs. and can skate.”
That’s what makes the 23-year-old especially interesting: while he packs some punch and snarl - relevant factors on a blueline that leans more toward finesse - it sounds like he’s swift enough that he won’t bring the Stars’ high-octane attack to a crawl.
Of course, it’s a big assumption that Johns can make the roster.
The Stars currently have eight defensemen under contract, and while some seem like they could be trade fodder if needed (Jason Demers?), Johns would need to impress to force the Stars’ hand.
Johns thinks he has what it takes, at least.
“Personally, I think I’m ready but it’s not up to me,” Johns said in July, according to the Dallas Morning News. “I’m going to do the best that I can, play the best hockey I can, and try to impress them.”
If you’re looking at young players who have the highest odds of making the team, Johns isn’t that guy.
One would think that Patrik Nemeth, Jamie Oleksiak and Jyrki Jokipakka would have a significant head start after playing quite a few NHL games in 2014-15. To some extent, they made their leaps - or steps up - already, however.
Johns is a more interesting story to follow during training camp. There’s a good chance that he’s not even the prospect with the highest ceiling hoping to make an impression - Julius Honka fits that bill - but Johns is at the age where he must be getting awfully antsy for a longer look.
For all we know, he may prove that he’s just too useful to send to the AHL.