Miro Heiskanen has had an odd year.
Drafted third overall by the Stars in June, he instantly became the team's highest ranked prospect since Mike Modano. However, he missed the Traverse City Prospects Tournament and NHL training camp because of a concussion, and has had two major distractions during his Finnish Elite League season -- the World Juniors in December and the Olympics right now.
It's a strong statement that the 18-year-old defenseman is such an important part of Finland's international product, and Stars general manager Jim Nill said he doesn't think the uneven season is a detriment to Heiskanen's development.