When he was named the AHLâs Rookie of the Month on Thursday, Stars prospect Riley Damiani was busy shooting an 80 on the golf course.
Some guys just have it.
Damiani, the Starsâ fifth-round pick in 2018, has started his AHL career with a bang, entering the weekend tied for second in the league in both points (23) and assists (17). The 21-year-old has cracked the scoresheet in 13 of the 17 games heâs played and had his five-game multi-point streak snapped on Wednesday night.
âThis wasnât just a five-game swing or whatever,â Stars assistant general manager Scott White said. âHeâs been really steady and impactful, whether heâs scoring or not. Obviously, the scoring helps, but heâs been good. Heâs got a good brain, his instincts are very good.â
Damiani has been the engine for Texasâ offense this season, along with linemate Adam Mascherin, who also has 23 points and is second in the AHL with 11 goals. Texas coach Neil Graham has put Damiani on the top line with Mascherin and Nick Baptiste while recently moving him to the top power play unit manned by Thomas Harley.
âHeâs done a great job of putting me in a position to be successful,â Damiani said. âI think heâs got trust in me to create offense and make plays and play the offensive side of the puck, whereas in junior I had responsibility to play more on the D side of the puck.â
He had two goals in his pro debut on Feb. 5 in Iowa and recorded his first hat trick on March 13 against Colorado.
âHe understands the game, he understands spatial awareness on the ice,â Graham said. âHeâs responsible on the defensive side and his vision offensively is very good and he sees the game exceptionally well.
âIf he has the puck in the o-zone, he knows where guys are really in the whole zone. If he doesnât have the puck, he knows a good area to get to where the puck may go next. Defensively, he uses the same mindset in the d-zone where heâs responsible. He understands what the other teamâs trying to do, so heâs usually in a pretty good position on the D side of the puck.â
On a couple plays on the power play this year, Damiani sent no-look passes to teammates at the net-front. On other plays, heâs feeding a cutter from behind the net. He sees the lanes that barely crack open, and he hustles back on defense if they do close.
Damiani is undersized at 5-10 and 173 pounds, but his hockey mind makes up for it.
âWhere some guys might use their size to gain space, he doesnât necessarily have that, but heâs got a really good brain,â White said. âMost of the time, the brain over size wins.â
Damiani said: âItâs definitely a faster game, a tougher game. Guys are a lot bigger, faster, stronger, but itâs also the same game Iâve played my whole life and I canât really get away from that.â
Stars general manager Jim Nill said Damiani profiles as a center in the NHL and that he âplays with a fire in his belly. You combine that with his skill level, itâs a pretty good combination.â
In the offseason, Damiani worked closely with Stars player development coordinator Rich Peverley. The two were on the ice together sometimes in Guelph, Ontario, as Peverley helped Damiani find ice during pandemic restrictions.
In Cedar Park, Damiani has found a familiar roommate in rookie defenseman Dawson Barteaux. They roomed together three times before at the U17 Hockey Canada camp, U17 Hockey Canada tournament and U18 selection camp. Then the Stars drafted both of them.
âRight away, I shot him a text and just said âThereâs no way we canât live togetherâ because weâre basically living together at these events for two, three weeks at a time,â Damiani said. âThere was never any issue, no conflict, no problems. Heâs just a real, easy-going guy. It works out really well.â
Whatâs next for Damiani?
Graham and White both said theyâd like to see him gain more experience and physically mature since he just turned 21 two weeks ago. But if Dallas fades at the end of the season, or suffers more injuries, might Damiani get a call to the NHL?
âRight now, Rileyâs in a good spot,â Nill said. âHeâs playing lots. Heâs playing 18-20 minutes a night. Heâs having success. Itâs his first year pro, so to come up here, sit on the taxi squad, right now, weâd rather him playing hockey.
âIf we get any more injuries and we have to add to that taxi squad and make changes, heâs definitely in the mix. Heâs deserved that.â
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