DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: Ty Dellandrea poses after being selected thirteenth overall by the Dallas Stars during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) It wasn’t who many expected, but the Dallas Stars made their first-round pick. At 13 overall, they selected Flint Firebirds center Ty Dellandrea. Amidst a congregation of Buffalo Sabres fans chanting “No Goal”, the Dallas Stars management (along with Jamie Benn and Mike Modano) took the stage at the 2018 NHL Draft. And with the 13th overall pick, they selected center Ty Dellandrea. “I was just super excited to hear my name there,” Dellandrea said. “It was an honor and I was full of excitement.” The 17-year-old (he will turn 18 on July 21) spent the last two seasons playing for the Flint Firebirds in the OHL. And in this most recent season, he served as a major offensive source for a team that needed it. He finished the 2017-18 season with 27 goals and 59 points in 67 games with the Firebirds. “I tried to take that responsibility and roll with it and leave it out there every night,” Dellandrea said. “I think that responsibility helped me and let me be a bigger contributor to the team.” The Dallas Stars had not been heavily rumored to be eyeing Dellandrea by any means, as many people had their sights set on Joe Veleno or Oliver Wahlstrom. On top of that, Dellandrea hadn’t met with the Stars organization very much, but had learned about the team through his roommate and teammate, Nick Caamano (who was drafted in the fifth round in 2016 by Dallas). “At the combine and, like I said, Nick Caamano plays for Flint so you’d see guys around. But not a whole lot, no,” Dellandrea said about his knowledge and affiliation with the organization prior to the draft. The question that came up with many Dallas Stars fans upon the announcement was what Dellandrea was all about. What is his game like? Who does he compare to? Considering he was lower than 13th on many mock drafts, was he worth “the stretch”? “I think Dallas is getting an all-around forward who is extremely competitive and takes care of his own end and plays a strong offensive game,” Dellandrea said of his own game. “I’ve built a lot of character and a lot of passion and I think that comes first and my abilities follow that up. I leave it all out there.” In addition, Dellandrea said that he has tried to model his game off of the play of Jonathan Toews as a 200 foot forward. Dellandrea is a strong skater with speed and agility. He’s got terrific hockey IQ and uses his vision well on the ice to set up and make plays. He can play in multiple situations both on offense, defense, and on special teams. In terms of shooting, he knows how to score goals on the doorstep but also possesses a strong wrist shot. Here is a scouting report on Dellandrea from Red Line Report: Here’s the Red Line Report on Ty Dellandrea: pic.twitter.com/uHkdk3Bv0D — Mark Stepneski (@StarsInsideEdge) June 23, 2018 This may not seem like an ideal pick (for those of you who were high on other people available), but this is a good pick for Dallas. Dellandrea has potential and is ready to give his all to the team, and that speaks volumes to Dallas general manager Jim Nill. “It’s how he competes,” said Nill. “We like how he improved during the season. It was his attitude. He went to a team that was a mess and said, ‘I want to be part of this and help to change the culture and everything else.’ That was a big part. And then to watch him when he did go to the tournaments, he played with better players and he was an elite player and really showed his skill at prospects games and under-18’s. He really got to flourish in those situations.” Dellandrea will attend the Dallas Stars Development Camp next week in Frisco (so get out there if you want to see a firsthand look at their newest prospect). In addition, Nill also expects him to compete for the Stars at the annual Traverse City Tournament and also attend training camp in September. But for now, he’s just enjoying the moment. “It means everything,” Dellandrea said. “Just to share with my family because they’ve done so much for me. It’s their journey as well. I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done and to share it with my friends and family and extended family. It means the world to me to be there and share it with them.” We’ll have more on Dellandrea and the rest of the Dallas Stars’ draft action in the coming days. Until then, round one is over and the Stars did well, drafting an underrated player that could turn out to be big.<doc-sep>As you’ve all likely heard by now, the Dallas Stars took the draft by surprise yesterday when they selected center Ty Dellandrea from the OHL’s Flint Firebirds. Here is Dallas legend Mike Modano and current captain Jamie Benn making the selection: "I'll trade that Art Ross Trophy that me and my teammates won for that Stanley Cup banner any day." @jamiebenn14 and @9modano shared some laughs at tonight's #NHLDraft. pic.twitter.com/9TOfiteyg8 — Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) June 23, 2018 (And in case you were wondering: yes, there was a script.) Mike Modano said he and @Razor5Hole wrote the dialogue with Jamie Benn on stage. "We just needed to get the script done early so he could have two hours to look at it. It was only two lines. But the name of the draft pick sent him for a loop," said Modano of Benn. #NHLDraft — Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 23, 2018 Here’s what Stars General Manager Jim Nill had to say about the selection: Stars GM Jim Nill provides some insight on the decision to draft Ty Dellandrea with the 13th overall pick tonight. #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/rfcLfaPZfo — Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) June 23, 2018 And here’s what the newest Star had to say about himself after being drafted: Ty Dellandrea describes himself as an all-around centerman who can play in all situations and is reliable in his own end. #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/fZXtGgbjoE — Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) June 23, 2018 More Dellandrea News I’m sure you want to read all about the Stars’ latest draft pick, so don’t worry: I have you covered. First, here are five things to know about Ty Dellandrea: [SportsDay DFW] Next, read about why the Stars fell in love with the OHL center in the first place: 'He's going to blossom pretty quick': What impressed the Stars about their #NHLDraft pick Ty Dellandrea @gfraley | #GoStars https://t.co/Mh2XutTYzX — SportsDay Stars (@dmn_stars) June 23, 2018 Many people are worried that this pick was a reach, but the Stars are confident in their selection: With added intel, Stars confident they made right choice in Ty Dellandrea https://t.co/5x5aTaJvLE — Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) June 23, 2018 Josh Lile also argues why the Stars might have made a good choice by taking the underrated center. [SportsDay DFW] And here’s one final read on the Stars’ newest prospect: For more on new Stars draft pick Ty Dellandrea, you can read Max Bultman's fantastic story here. https://t.co/qmK9V5Zz8U — The Athletic (@TheAthleticDFW) June 23, 2018 Pre-Draft News Before we get to the actual draft, let’s talk about some news that hit before the draft. First up, the Washington Capitals traded Philipp Grubauer to the Colorado Avalanche: TRADE | The Washington Capitals have acquired a second round pick, 47th-overall from the Colorado Avalanche in the 2018 NHL Draft in exchange for defenseman Brooks Orpik and Philipp Grubauer. #ALLCAPS https://t.co/xUUHHVPQfu — Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 22, 2018 By offloading Brooks Orpik and his contract in the deal, the Capitals have put them in a good position for re-signing John Carlson. [The Hockey News] But let’s be honest, that wasn’t the biggest news before the draft. No, the real headliners came courtesy of the Arizona Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes: Coyotes go retro, Hurricanes get new look with third jerseys https://t.co/MpHR28TExM — NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) June 23, 2018 First Round Roundup Now it’s time for more draft talk! First, check out our list of every first round pick if you haven’t already: [Defending Big D] Corey Pronman breaks down the first round, delving into each player and giving feedback on the pick: [The Athletic] There were a couple of trades yesterday, but not until later in the draft: Ottawa trades the 22nd overall pick to the Rangers for picks 26 and 48 in this year's draft — Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 23, 2018 Leafs and Blues make a trade. Leafs send 25 to St Louis for picks 29 and 76. — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 23, 2018 If the draft day trades feel underwhelming, there’s some potential reasons for that: A few GM’s on the Draft floor believe many of the trade possibilities have been stalled in waiting on Tavares and Kovalchuk decisions. — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 23, 2018 Filip Zadina fell to the Detroit Red Wings at No. 6, and he has some choice words for the teams that passed him up. [Sportsnet] Finally, here is Pronman’s take on the top players left on the board:<doc-sep>Dennis Busby wasn't even ranked in the NHL Central Scouting list, but he came with an asterisk. The asterisk wasn't enough to deter the Arizona Coyotes, who took the Flint Firebirds defenseman with the 21st pick in the fifth round of the NHL Draft Saturday in Dallas. Busby was given a "limited viewing" designation thanks to a collarbone injury that limited him to just two games during the 2017-18 season. The 5-foot-10, 188-pound defenseman played 62 games in 2016-17, scoring two goals with 14 assists. He joined Ty Dellandrea as Flint's NHL draft picks. Dellandrea became the first Firebirds player in history to get drafted in the first round when the Dallas Stars took him with the 13th pick in the draft. Dellandrea, a 6-foot-1, 183-pound center, scored 27 goals with 32 assists in 67 games for the Firebirds. Three other Flint players were expected to get drafted but were not. Connor Roberts, Hunter Holmes and Riley McCourt will become free agents.<doc-sep>
The newest member of the Dallas Stars organization is Ty Dellandrea. He was selected 13th overall in the first round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Dellandrea has most recently played with the Flint Firebirds and recorded 27 goals, 32 assists, and 59 points in 67 games played through the most recent season. He was team’s leading goal scorer this season. David wrote a prospect profile a few weeks back on him and you can read more about his style of play and what to expect from him here. Here are some of the great things to expect though: The truth is, there is still creativity involved in simple plays — and that’s where Dellandrea stands out. Turning a small chip into an adroit pass, putting himself in prime position for rebounds, identifying the release points with footwork, and pivoting toward high danger areas keeps the center from Toronto an intriguing pick for teams in need of a straight forward, tools-y center who can log tough minutes. Scouts for the Stars have come to know Dellandrea’s style of play well, as he played on the same team as Nick Caamano, who was drafted by the Stars in 2016. Craig Button had this to say about Dellandrea: Dellandrea led Flint with 27 goals and was nearly a point per game player in the OHL last year. Here is what Craig Button said about him before the draft. pic.twitter.com/Z26yYlekFB — Josh Bogorad (@JoshBogorad) June 23, 2018 And Mike Modano and Jamie Benn were onstage to welcome Dellandrea to the Stars family: The past, the present and the future. @9modano and @jamiebenn14 give Ty Dellandrea a warm Dallas welcome. #GoStars pic.twitter.com/pnVQkEkdGX — Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) June 23, 2018 We’ll have more interviews and content about Dellandrea in the coming days thanks to our staff at the draft in Dallas.