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June 15, 2007
By DallasStars.com

The 2007 NHL Entry Draft is just a week away at Columbus' Nationwide Arena, starting with the first round on Friday, June 22, with rounds two through seven on Saturday, June 23. DallasStars.com had the opportunity to sit down with Assistant General Manager Les Jackson to discuss a variety of topics as the club prepares for the Draft.

Jackson oversees the Stars' wide-reaching scouting staff, which reaches throughout North America and across to the various European leagues, and he makes countless trips to tournaments and games on both continents. Along with Director of Amateur Scouting Tim Bernhardt, Jackson has the final say on the club's draft selections and is instrumental in the club's player personnel and player development operations, including the team's affiliates in Iowa and Idaho.

Next season will be Jackson's 20th in the Stars organization, dating to the club's days as the Minnesota North Stars, and he has overseen Stars drafts through the years that have produced such talents as Mike Modano, Derian Hatcher, Jarome Iginla, Marty Turco, Jere Lehtinen and Brenden Morrow.

DallasStars.com's interview with Jackson was split into two installments, with the first running yesterday and the second appearing today.

DallasStars.com: The last three first-round picks by the Dallas Stars have each been defensemen (Mark Fistric in 2004, Matt Niskanen in 2005 and Ivan Vishnevskiy in 2006). Do you see that trio as the teams future blue line core?

Jackson: "I think all of our defensemen have the opportunity to play in the NHL and the level they achieve will be determined by their play. There was a time in the organization when we had an older defensive lineup and we basically had to restore that group. I think with Mark Fistric, Ivan Vishnevskiy and Matt Niskanen, plus a guy like Niklas Grossman, those players all have a good chance to play. They all have a great base of fundamental attributes that is going to allow them to improve. They are all good character guys that want to win, and I think that they all have elements that will help us win."

DallasStars.com: How far down the line do you try to envision the NHL club when drafting players? With three defensemen picked in a row, does your focus shift toward goaltenders or forwards?

Jackson: "When you are dealing with 17- or 18-year-old kids, you basically have to take the best player that you feel is there at that time. If you have to take all defensemen, then you take all defensemen. The needs of the organization will change in three or four years, so the most important goal is to obtain assets. If you have a good group of defensemen, chances are there is a team who has a good group of forwards that is willing to make a trade. Although position seems to be important on draft day, you always have to take the best player."

DallasStars.com: Ivan Vishnevskiy and Mark Fistric seem to have very different skill sets as young defensemen. What kind of games do they possess?

Jackson: "Vishnevskiy is a skilled player and his game revolves around the puck. He can do a lot of things with the puck that a lot of players cannot. Fistric plays like Anton Volchenkov from Ottawa, a large guy who makes a good first pass, and a capable defender. To me, he is a guy that you know what you are going to get and he may not be the flashiest guy, but he has substance. Those two are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. If we were down one, and needed a goal, Vihnevskiy has that capability. If we were defending the lead or needed to shut down a particular player, Fistric would be the guy."

DallasStars.com: Dallas Stars fans have heard a lot about Finnish prospect Perttu Lindgren's abilities, and the franchise has obviously had success with players from that nation in the past. Who would you compare him to and how close is he to making the jump to the NHL?

Jackson: "Lindgren is a top player in the Finnish league and he just came out of the World Championships as the leading scorer, so that says a lot about his ability. He is like a lot of young guys coming in. He will have to adapt to the North American lifestyle and learn the game over here, so I suspect Iowa would be the most logical place for him to start developing his game. He played in an exhibition game with us last year and you can't really measure that, but you can tell by his talent, the way he reads the game and manages the ice, that he is not far from our team. When the time is right, we will know and I suspect that will be sooner than later."

DallasStars.com: There seems to be more American players near the top of the draft in recent years. Do you think that American hockey is gaining ground? What about Texas hockey?

Jackson: "I think the base of good, young American prospects is developing very quickly. Just look at our situation here in Dallas. There are some really talented kids here and it is only a matter of time before you see kids who came up through the system in Dallas playing in the NHL. A lot of these kids go up to the young tournaments in Canada and do well. There is good coaching here and a real commitment by the parents, too. If we could ever have a kid from Dallas playing for us, that would be awesome. To me, it used to be just Minnesota, Michigan and Boston, but now there are kids from all over the U.S. in good programs, and that's the greatest thing that ever happened to the NHL."

DallasStars.com: One of Dallas' big stories this year was the insertion of several Iowa Stars into the Dallas Stars lineup. Now that the season is over, how do you view players like Krys Barch, Joel Lundqvist and Chris Conner?

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