Undrafted, Under the Radar Rookie Joel L'Esperance A Good Surprise For Stars
CEDAR PARK, TEXAS -- During media availability after the Texas Stars' 3-1 win over the Manitoba Moose on Friday, Joel L'Esperance paused to let out an ear-to-ear smile.
It was when I told him he was the second-leading goal scorer in the entire American Hockey League that the new father let out a childlike grin of his own.
A free agent signing out of Michigan Tech last March, L'Esperance was never a lethal goal-scorer in college, but has found his own as a scorer and as a complete player in his first full season in the AHL.
"It's pretty cool, I guess, but I just gotta keep playing and not let that get to my head," L'Esperance said. "I'm just trying to go out there and do what I can do."
With 19 tallies in 34 games, the big-bodied center has outscored any single-season total from his four-year tenure in the WCHA. Only AHL All-Star and Grand Rapids Griffins forward Chris Terry (22) has more goals on the 2018-19 campaign.
A top-six mainstay for the Stars for the better part of the season, the 23-year-old leads all AHL rookies in goals and sits third amongst rookies in points (19G-11A-30P). Only Troy Terry (33) and Alex Barre-Boulet (31) are rookies with more points this season than the Brighton, Michigan native.
"For us, he's moved up the ladder in our lineup throughout the year just because of hard work, and he's taken advantage of every chance he's getting," Stars head coach Derek Laxdal said of him. "He is not far away from being an NHL player. He's enjoying it, he's riding the wave while he can."
In the absence of some regular anchors in the Texas lineup, Roope Hintz and Erik Condra, L'Esperance has jumped into one of the top center roles on the team between former league MVP Travis Morin and three-time 20-goal scorer Michael Mersch. Throughout the weekend, the Morin-L'Esperance-Mersch line was Laxdal's best.
On Friday, Morin scored a power play goal and L'Esperance added the other two markers in the 3-1 win. On Saturday, the line was held scoreless in a shootout loss to Manitoba, but managed seven shots on goal, which led the four forward lines of the Stars.
"[Morin] is unbelievable. He can put a pass on your tape from anywhere on the ice, it's pretty fun playing with him. You just have to get into a spot and he'll get it to you," L'Esperance said. "Mersch is the same way. He's a great player, he finds a way to get you the puck and he gets to the net, too. He creates space for you by getting to the net."
Like he has done for the Stars' overall offensive output this season, L'Esperance drove his line's efforts during the two-game set against Manitoba last weekend.
"He's finding his way now, he's learning how to fight through adversity and battle through it, and teams are gonna check him a little bit harder but he's doing a great job," Laxdal said. "He's just constantly growing as a player. It's great to see his game taking off and developing.
As well as generating offense at will, L'Esperance has matured into a two-way threat who kills penalties and takes critical late-game faceoffs. The righty credits his responsibility in the defensive end as a big reason for his goal-scoring prowess. "I'm just trying to play the right way. Play defense first, get pucks out, get pucks deep, and then get my body to the net and try to find those loose pucks."
L'Esperance was a staple in the lineup for the Stars down the stretch, and was an instrumental two-way force during their run to the Calder Cup Finals. The Dallas Stars brass showed confidence in the 6'2" center by inking him to a two-year entry-level contract and letting Sheldon Dries, a somewhat similar player, walk in free agency last summer.
His play with Texas this season is proving Stars general manager Jim Nill and company right. L'Esperance is a name to watch out for as the season, and his overall development, goes on. "I have gotten a good opportunity here and it's gone my way so far, and it's been fun."
OTHER TEXAS STARS NOTES
The Stars split a recent weekend series against the Manitoba Moose, winning 3-1 on Friday and falling 3-2 in a shootout on Saturday. The pair of games give the Stars a streak of eight consecutive home contests during which Texas picked up at least a point.
The team leader in points per game and an emerging force for the Dallas Stars, Denis Gurianov was named an AHL Central Division All-Star and is slated to compete in Springfield, MA in late January.
The Stars currently sit at 18-11-3-2 with 41 points after 34 games of play. They host the Bakersfield Condors on Wednesday, January 9 while trying to chip away at the six-point deficit between the Texas (fifth in the Central Division) and the first-place Iowa Wild.
Texas plays 10 games over the course of the next 18 days, a stretch that kicks off on Wednesday night.
