Quick scouting reports on the Dallas Stars final four picks in the 2017 draft

The Dallas Stars closed out the draft by selecting three centers and a goalie in the final four rounds.

The final four picks aren’t big names and this draft will ultimately be graded on the success of the first three picks (Miro Heiskanen, Jake Oettinger, and Jason Robertson), but the final four players all showed some form of promise that intrigued Dallas.

Fourth round: Liam Hawel, C, Guelph Storm (101st overall)

Hawel is a big lanky center at 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds. He split his time this past season between Guelph and Sault Ste. Marie, scoring 28 points in 64 games.

Hawel is a bit of a project pick, but was picked in the proper range at 101. He needs to add some muscle and get stronger on the puck, while he has some decent skill with the puck. His skating isn’t much of a concern, and he skates well for a larger player.

“He had a tough first half of the year, once he got traded he started to play an awful lot more, I didn’t say he had a tough year, but he was basically a fourth liner (before the trade to Guelph),” Stars director of amateur scouting Joe MacDonnell said. “He’s a big guy that can skate that’s just got to grow into his body and we’ll see how it all pans out.”

Fifth round: Jacob Peterson, C, Frolunda (132nd overall)

Peterson is a left-handed center who had 27 points in 44 games last season with Frolunda’s under-20 team. He is still only 17, and projects a long-term project (which is common for picks after the fifth round).

“I only saw him once but our (area scouts) are very strong on him,” MacDonnell said. “He’s just scratching the surface. Skinny, skinny kid. One of those typical Swedish guys that will take a little bit longer to mature and develop. But his hockey IQ is excellent.”

Sixth round: Brett Davis, C, Kootenay Ice (163rd overall)

Davis is a 6-foot-1, 181 pound center from the WHL.

“(Area scout) Dennis Holland, that’s his area. We relied on him for that,” MacDonnell said. “Not the biggest guy, he’s not small by any means. Real good skater, real good skillset.”

Seventh round: Dylan Ferguson, G, Kamloops Blazers (194th overall)

Ferguson is a goalie in the WHL with Kamloops who was the backup behind Connor Ingram. He should be the starter this season in Kamloops.

“He’s a guy that I don’t think a lot of teams saw play,” MacDonnell said. “Back-up basically to Connor Ingram. And the only time he played a string of games was over the World Junior time when Ingram was away with Team Canada. But he had good numbers, he’s a 6-foot-1 guy — not the smallest in the world — and he’s going to be their No. 1 goalie next year.”