Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer strongly believes that center Wyatt Johnston will serve as the club's captain in the future.
"(He's) mature and wise beyond his years," the bench boss said Thursday. "Even when you're speaking to him, he's got great, instinctual leadership to him. I think he's going to wear a 'C' one day for the Dallas Stars. There's no doubt in my mind.
"He's learned from the best, you know? Joe Pavelski, and now Jamie Benn. You forget sometimes how young he is until you get reminded. ... It's incredible, the names of the players that he's in the company of on some of the things he's done."
Johnston will turn 22 years old Wednesday, but he's already played in 46 career playoff games, including the Stars' back-to-back runs to the Western Conference Final.
He was instrumental to Dallas' postseason success in 2023 and 2024, leading the team with 14 goals and four game-winners in 38 outings during that stretch.
Though Mikko Rantanen's incredible play has rightfully been stealing most of the headlines this spring, Johnston continues to be a key producer. He scored three goals and seven points during the Stars' fiery first-round meeting with the Colorado Avalanche this spring, including the winner in Game 7.
Johnston has played in three Game 7s in his career and scored a goal in each of them. The all-time record for most career tallies in those situations is seven, held by Justin Williams and Glenn Anderson.
He also potted the series-clincher in the second round against the Seattle Kraken in 2023, making him the youngest player (20 years, one day) to score the winning goal in a Game 7. The record was previously held by Jaromir Jagr (20 years, 76 days), who did it in 1992.
When asked about Johnston's ability to seemingly always be in the right place at the right time, DeBoer likened him to a future Hall of Famer.
"That's what makes you a special player," the bench boss said. "I coached (Patrice) Bergeron at 19 on the (2005) world junior team, and he stepped into the NHL and was doing similar things.
"I think he has those types of instincts. That's stuff you can't teach. He has a confidence to his game, he has just a great IQ."
Benn has served as the Stars' captain since 2013 but can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Johnston has occasionally been given an "A" throughout the season.
Johnston chipped in with a career-high 33 tallies and 71 points in 82 contests during the regular season. He's hit the 30-goal mark twice in his three-year NHL career and has never missed a game.
He signed a five-year extension with an $8.4-million cap hit in March.
