Jere Lehtinen doesn’t throw around platitudes when it comes to player evaluation.



The general manager of Team Finland approaches his current job in a very similar way to his prior on-ice career with the Dallas Stars. He’s detail-oriented, thinks defense first, and values getting the job done more than anything. He doesn’t worry about how flashy or explosive something may look.



And that’s how Lehtinen evaluates players. While he enjoys creative offensive hockey as much as he loves heavy metal, which is quite a bit, he doesn’t get caught up in the hype and has always been honest about the all-around performance of a player or prospect.



That’s why his endearment to Miro Heiskanen speaks volumes to a greater degree than anything he’s ever said about the Stars’ top prospect. In a conversation a couple weeks ago, leading into the NHL draft, I asked Lehtinen about Heiskanen’s ability to play in the NHL this...