Ready for more: Thomas Harley bets on himself

The Stars defenseman shuffle will touch pretty much every player on the blueline this season, but the work to get to this point helps bring sense to the moves.

On paper, Miro Heiskanen can play his natural left side next to Matt Dumba and have great success. Esa Lindell is a veteran who can help Nils Lundkvist take the next step in his career. And by slotting next to solid defender Ilya Lyubushkin, Thomas Harley could have the chance to stretch his legs more.

“It is a challenge to elevate your game and take that leadership role. I think he’s ready for that,” said Stars assistant coach Misha Donskov, who was subbing in for head coach Pete DeBoer during media duties before Friday’s 4-2 win over Colorado. “He had a great off-season. He’s good with the puck and confident with the puck. I think he’s ready for more.”

The education of Harley is a textbook in preparing a young defenseman for the NHL. Drafted 18^th overall in 2019, Harley got stuck on the covid shutdown in the OHL. He joined the Stars for two months in the Edmonton bubble and was a part of meetings and practice while the Stars made it to the Stanley Cup Final. He then split time between the NHL and AHL before DeBoer came in and decided Harley needed more seasoning.

Harley played 66 games in the AHL in 2022-23 before getting called up and helping the Stars to the Western Conference Final. After that, he became a lineup regular and had a breakthrough season. Harley last year had 15 goals among 47 points in 79 games and that led to a two-year contract extension this fall at $4 million per season.

“I’m really happy for him,” DeBoer said when the contract extension was announced. “This is a kid who 12 months ago was playing in the American League and has established himself, both contractually and on the ice, as one of the elite young defensemen in the league.”

Stars GM Jim Nill said at the time, “Thomas Harley, what a great story. Drafted in the first round, got stuck in COVID times, that hurt his development, we had him up here and he wasn’t playing. We sent him down and the job they did with him down there and to see him now, it was an amazing turnaround. That’s a credit to them and to the player.”

Harley said the process was crucial for him. When he was in the AHL, he said he was hoping he wouldn’t get called up, because he knew the work was making him a better player. He worked hard on defensive details and built the base of his game.

“It’s a process,” Harley said. “It’s development. It’s everything Jim Nill preaches. It takes time. As boring as that is, you just have to work at it.”

He said he has a great deal of pride in his contribution to the process.

“I look back to camp even two years ago, I’m a completely different player,” Harley said. “Just my habits out there.”

Because of those habits, he now could take the lead on a pairing. He played off of Heiskanen last season, but should be able to take more leadership with Lyubushkin this year.

“For Harls, giving him a guy like Lyubushkin, a stay at home, steady defenseman, it’s a good complement and definitely a pair we’re looking at,” said Assistant Coach Alain Nasreddine, who runs the defensemen.

But Nasreddine added that it takes a while before a player is ready to take that next step.

“When he plays his best hockey, he moves his feet, moves the puck, and joins the rush,” Nasreddine said. “But in the NHL, you have to defend even if you’re an offensive D, so Harls realized that last year and he takes pride in it.”

On Friday, Harley and Tyler Seguin talked before a faceoff that they might be able to run a play. Harley took the puck, slipped up the left boards and around the net, and found Seguin on the doorstep.

“I don’t know if anyone else knew the play but us, but it worked out,” Seguin said.

Seguin and Matt Duchene were the two top players for Dallas on Friday. Duchene had two goals and an assist. Seguin had a goal and two assists. Kole Lind had a goal and four shots on net to aid his efforts in making the opening night roster. Dallas is now 4-0-0 in preseason. Harley played 20:08 and had eight shot attempts.

Harley didn’t sign his two-year contract extension until the day before camp started, and said that was another part of his education.

“I was confident it was going to be done. That was never in doubt,” Harley said. “But it was a grind."

Harley was able to get just two years, and that opens up the opportunity that his next deal will be much bigger. That was a gutsy strategy, Seguin said.

“It’s great to see,” Seguin said. “He’s betting on himself, signing a two-year deal. He has confidence he can put up another 15-plus [goals].”

Playing beside Lyubushkin, it might be the perfect fit.

“I know how good I am and how I can help this team win,” Harley said. “If I can do that every night, I’ll be happy.”

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.