As the Stars look to halt an ugly three-game post-All-Star skid tonight, there will be some added intrigue, as 20-year-old prospect Tomas Vincour is expected to make his NHL debut. Vincour, a natural right wing, is one of the Stars' better prospects and gets the call despite underwhelming offensive numbers (5-7-12, -1 in 44 games) in his rookie season in the AHL with the Texas Stars.
↵Vincour is a big-bodied (6-2, 203), skilled winger with a solid shot and good instincts, as well as some defensive responsibility in his game. He was viewed as a top draft prospect early in the process, but shoulder issues in the season leading up to the 2009 draft hindered him and caused him to slip to the 5th round, where the Stars gobbled him up. The overwhelming question in his game is his skating ability. He gets some positive reviews on his top end speed (for his size), but he has to use his instincts in place of agility in positioning himself and getting to spots. He has a fan in Marc Crawford, as the coach told Mark Stepneski during training camp:
↵↵↵"He's always in the right place. He's got great instincts. He's also got good puck protection skills. He's also got a very good shot," said Crawford. "The question is can he handle the impact of NHL bodies, can he get his game and his intensity at the level that it can be. For me there's no doubt he's going to play, it's just how soon. We're very excited about Tomas. He's a very bright prospect for the Dallas Stars."
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He came to North America as a 16-year-old to play in the WHL, so he already has a nice command of the English language and has made the adjustment from his native Brno to the culture here. He has also played on small rinks dating back to his early teen years in the Czech Republic, so his game has a lot of North American style to it.
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