First Shift 🏒
Johnston wore an `A’ this past weekend.
With both Seguin and Roope Hintz out of the lineup, the 21-year-old forward received the alternate captain’s designation in just his third NHL season. That’s pretty impressive.
“That’s about as easy a decision as I’ve had to make this month,” said Stars coach Pete DeBoer.
Still, it is unusual. The Stars have rotating “A’s” to support captain Benn. On a regular basis, Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Seguin and Hintz wear the A’s (two at home, two on the road). With Seguin out, veteran Duchene has stepped up. Now, with Hintz out, the honor went to Johnston for the first time. DeBoer said it was well-deserved for the man who has played 210 NHL regular-season games.
“You can tell he’s a leader,” DeBoer said. “He’s been a leader all the way growing up. It’s hard to believe it’s already his third year in the NHL, which is crazy to think at his age. He goes about his business the way a leader should. He prepares the right way, says the right things, he plays the right way. So it’s a reward for him for what I’m sure is to come, which is going to be a big part of the leadership part of the Dallas Stars going forward.”
Johnston has been a key player on the ice in his early career, particularly in the playoffs last season. Now that Hintz is sidelined with an upper body injury, he has an even bigger job. A skilled player who has diligent defensive habits, he is a perfect replacement for Hintz. On Saturday against Colorado and Nathan MacKinnon, Johnston played 20:11, had three assists and went 20-4 (83.3 percent) in the faceoff circle in a 6-3 loss.
“I thought he was exceptional,” DeBoer said after the game. “He was head-to-head with MacKinnon, won the faceoff battle, I thought he was dangerous a lot of the night. He’s really playing at another level right now.”
In a 4-1 win Sunday against Detroit, Johnston played 16:40, had a goal, and went 7-2 (77.8 percent) in the faceoff circle. After a slow start, Johnston has 21 points (7 goals, 14 assists) in the past 22 games.
“He’s gone to another level, and we needed that,” DeBoer said. “He’s starting to do what we need him to do.”
Hintz is listed as day-to-day and could come back soon. The fact that Johnston is a very similar player allows the Stars to adjust to his absence.
“I think for sure he’s a version of that,” DeBoer said of comparisons between Johnston and Hintz. “When you have both guys playing at that level, we’re a really good team. But if only one of them is in, we need him playing at the level Wyatt is playing at right now.”
