As you all know by now, the Dallas Stars selected Wyatt Johnston 23rd overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. This was despite Johnston having only played eight games in the past year and a third, thanks to COVID-19 shortening the OHL’s 2019-20 season and wiping out the 2020-21 season.
Such a move was naturally controversial, but here’s the thing — had Johnston played a full season, he might have gone much, much higher. After all, he was lighting it up with the Windsor Spitfires before the stoppage:
In the second two-thirds of his rookie season, Johnston took on a more prominent role.