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 Focus on Matt Niskanen

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

He's been at Dallas Stars training camp for a week now and defenseman Matt Niskanen said he is still smiling. He's got good reason.

First, it's his first NHL training camp. Second, he's still on the roster after the first round of cuts and will be heading on the road with the team for two more preseason games and some team building exercises.

"It's my first NHL camp and I've just been soaking it all in and I can't get the smile off my face," Niskanen said after finishing an off-ice workout Friday afternoon. "It's been fun."

Things have been moving quickly for Niskanen, the Stars' first round pick (28th overall) in 2005, as he closes in on what he hopes will be an NHL career. Two-and-a-half years ago he was a senior at Virginia High School in Minnesota. This time last year he was starting his sophomore year at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Five months ago he made his professional debut with the Iowa Stars of the AHL.

And this week he got into his first two NHL preseason games. While they were both disappointing from a team standpoint, there were some moments that made it clear how far he had come.

Asked if any player on the other team caught his eye in his first game on Wednesday, Niskanen said one guy was noticeable.

"In Tampa it was Brad Richards," Niskanen said. "He was all over the place."

In his second game, Thursday against Colorado, it was the guys on his team.

"[Mike] Modano, [Sergei} Zubov and [Philippe] Boucher," Niskanen said. "That's kind of cool."

Zubov is a player Niskanen has enjoyed watching and learning from during his time with the Stars this past week.

"He is so calm with the puck, sees the whole rink and makes everyone around him better," said Niskanen. "The way he can shoot the puck and pass the puck on the power play is really something to watch and I try to pick up little things from watching him."

While Niskanen has enjoyed his first NHL camp, Stars coaches have enjoyed their first look at the young defenseman in a Dallas training camp.

"Very pleased with his game. Not surprised based on the scout information," said associate coach Rick Wilson, who handles the team's defensemen. "He has good vision, excellent presence with the puck. He makes plays with his head, where he thinks it correctly and he executes it very well. He moves well. He's competitive, sometimes over-competitive for his size. We don't want him to get caught in mismatched situations. He'll learn that. He's a sponge. He's just picking up every day, every shift, every opportunity. He's just growing."

For his part, Niskanen said he thinks he is making progress as he makes the jump to professional hockey. Niskanen left Minnesota Duluth after his sophomore season, signed with the Stars and then joined Iowa on an amateur tryout basis last spring.

"I think I am handling it pretty well. There have been a few bumps in the road, but I think my progress has been pretty steady," he said. "I think I am getting better as the weeks go by, getting stronger, more active and more accustomed to the pro game. Even in this camp I've gotten a little better each day. I have been moving forward."

Niskanen, a mobile, skilled defenseman, said the biggest adjustment is the speed of the game and the speed at which decisions have to be made.

"Things happen so much quicker at this level. Guys are older, better and smarter. The plays have to be made that much quicker. You almost have to know what you are going to do with the puck before you get it," Niskanen said. "Defensively you have to be on top of your game and take away guys' time and space because if you give them any time to operate they are going to hurt you. That's what we saw with Brad Richards on Wednesday night."

Wilson said he's been pleased with how quickly Niskanen has adjusted considering that he was just starting his second year of college hockey one year ago.

"Looking quite impressive," Wilson said. "There are lots of subtle reads and there is a lot of experience that is usually required to perform consistently with your gifts and skill set. He has to go through that. He has to continue to mature. He knows that.

"It's not just maturing physically, which he still has to do a little bit, but in the game and the position itself, seeing things, anticipating things and being able to react. He has a few steps to go in that area, but he is really coming. He may not be too far away from us right now."