DALLAS _ Miro Heiskanen's development was supposed to be backwards.
Unlike most highly-drafted, highly-touted, hyped, vaunted defensemen entering the NHL, Heiskanen's defensive game was sound. It was the offensive production that was missing. It's an unusual growth curve for a special talent, and one the Stars waited on after a still impressive 33-point rookie campaign last season.
The offense has arrived.
Leaving Tuesday night's 6-1 win over Vancouver, Heiskanen has six goals and 10 assists in 22 games, and is on pace for a 60-point season that should garner him votes for the Norris Trophy, awarded annually to the league's best defenseman. He carried a three-game point streak into Tuesday, and extended it with a goal and an assist against the Canucks.
The win was the Stars' fourth in a row and extended their point streak to nine games. Dallas is now 11-1-1 in its last 13 games after a 1-7-1 start.
Captain Jamie Benn scored twice while Taylor Fedun, Justin Dowling and Corey Perry also scored for the Stars in an outburst that tied their season-high for goals. In the last three games, the Stars have scored 15 goals, discovering a potent offense to pair with its stalwart defense and goaltending.
Heiskanen assisted on Benn's first goal of the night on the power play on a shot from the point that rebounded to Benn in the right circle. Heiskanen scored his own in the third period on a nice passing play between him and Dowling.
"I see a player that's just taking over games," Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. "I don't think Miro gets enough credit for how good he is. He's an elite, elite player in this league."
Offensive production is part of the reason why Heiskanen wasn't a Calder Trophy finalist last season and was left entirely off 38 five-player ballots. The defensive details of Heiskanen's game were there _ the gap control defending the rush, the positioning in the defensive zone and dispossessing stick checks. But his 33 points were far behind fellow young standout Rasmus Dahlin's 44, and voters noticed.
Entering Tuesday, Heiskanen's 14 points is tied for 16th in the league among defensemen. But narrow the focus to points at even-strength, and Heiskanen's 13 points is tied for third in the league. Heiskanen is one of the few defensemen that doesn't rely on the power play to rack up points, and his 13 even-strength points are as many as rookie Cale Makar, seven more than Dahlin and eight more than Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes.
So why is Heiskanen producing more this season?
"I think I trust myself more now that earlier this season or last year," Heiskanen said.
"I guess that's just the natural growth thinking about his age and playing in his second year," Stars defenseman Esa Lindell said. "He's smarter this year, knows the things (to expect). I just feel like it's natural for him."
"I think it's coming from him saying 'I've got to assert myself more for our team to have success,'" Montgomery said. "I think he just took that upon himself and he's doing that. He's the engine that makes it go. He just does."
