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It was a bit of surprise -- and perhaps a sign of change for the Dallas Stars.

Last week, the Stars called up 20-year-old forward Tomas Vincour. And while most people noted that Vincour had been struggling in the minors, we noticed something different: He was drafted in 2009 -- less than two years ago.

This is remarkable because, historically, the Stars are extremely patient with their prospects. On average, Stars prospects have had to wait 3.3 years to make their NHL debut after being drafted, making Dallas the most patient team in the NHL (the league average is about 2.6 years). However, Vincour made it in just 1.5 years.

So perhaps second-year general manager Joe Nieuwendyk is playing by different rules than his predecessors.

But is that a good thing? Have the Stars been too patient? Or is patience a virtue that should be left alone?

First, a few facts:

1. Mathematically speaking, patience is usually a good thing. There is a strong correlation between how patient a club is, and how often they make the playoffs. It's partly because better teams don't have to rush prospects to fill holes.

2. The Stars promote players at a similar rate as the NHL average -- about 35 percent of drafted players play at least one NHL game.

3. The Stars find NHL contributors (minimum 82 games played) at a higher-than-average rate -- about 23 percent of drafted players.

But here's the downside: Stars' draftees rarely contribute early.

To read the full list of the NHL's most patient teams, you must be an ESPN Insider.