News broke yesterday that the Stars have extended rookie forward Oskar Bäck for another two years, keeping the future bright for a franchise that will have some turnover and big decisions to make over the next couple of seasons.
Jim Nill is making every effort he can to solidify this young Dallas Stars core – at least enough to see what the current group can do before it’s time to make a more long-term commitment to some of the younger guys up for new deals after next season (Wyatt Johnston, Mavrik Bourque & Nils Lundkvist), barring an extension.
That’s not to mention some key decisions that will need to be made after this season regarding some of our upcoming unrestricted free agents. This group includes Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene, Evgenii Dadonov, Sam Steel, Colin Blackwell and Brendan Smith. Not all of these guys will return, so extending Bäck for what I consider to be a very team-friendly deal was a great move given the offseason uncertainty.
What are your thoughts on the extension and long-term prospects for the Stars?
You can read the release here.
Stars Stuff
The family grows:
MAFIAAAA RAHHHH 🦁🇫🇮@budlight | #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/5Jq2IkGjtI
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 3, 2025
Around The Central
A few Central Division teams have Friday night dates:
- The Chicago Blackhawks host the Montreal Canadiens in hopes of snapping a five-game skid. Montreal, on the other hand, is riding a three-game winning streak.
- The St. Louis Blues are courting the Ottawa Senators after their dominant Winter Classic win against the Blackhawks on New Year’s Eve.
- The Nashville Predators, losers of three straight, will try their Friday best against the Vancouver Canucks.
Elite being elite:
Nathan MacKinnon (0-3—3) recorded his League-leading 50th assist of the season as the @Avalanche staged their second multi-goal third period comeback win of the season.#NHLStats: https://t.co/tEemP96T2t pic.twitter.com/In75v0wv7E
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 3, 2025
Yeah, yeah, I know it’s the Avs…but c’mon, goals like these always give me some good chills. I’m done with Avs stuff after this, I promise.
ABSOLUTELY ELECTRIC ⚡️ https://t.co/Ymu95GeQbD pic.twitter.com/R8Gb0H6kQQ
— NHL (@NHL) January 3, 2025
The World of Chel
Too busy winterizing things around the house in preparation for this week’s freezing temps? Reading this will warm you up:
Alex Ovechkin continued The Gr8 Chase with the @Capitals, while Nathan MacKinnon and the @Avalanche completed a three-goal comeback win during Thursday’s slate of games.#NHLStats: https://t.co/tEemP96T2t pic.twitter.com/VCzhxqBRoE
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 3, 2025
Getting closer!
HE'S 24 GOALS AWAY#ALLCAPS | @Venture_Global pic.twitter.com/CNGKvazdOE
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 3, 2025
This should give a nice boost to his trade value (if that’s the direction the Rangers are going):
MIKA 7️⃣0️⃣0️⃣. pic.twitter.com/Oba9snqd3m
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 3, 2025
Personal take, but I think Askarov is going to live up to all the hype and being extremely exciting to watch. Now, the Sharks just need to find a way to create a winning culture…
YAROSLAV ASKAROV SHUTS THE DOOR! 🙅♂️ pic.twitter.com/qkIH4RszWx
— NHL (@NHL) January 3, 2025
Finally
The Dallas Stars’ minor affiliates Texas Stars and Idaho Steelheads hit the ice for the first time tonight in 2025. The Stars will shave ice with the Tucson Roadrunners, and the Steelheads will face off against the Allen Americans.
In other minor affiliate news, Texas Stars captain Curtis McKenzie has been named one of the captains for the AHL All-Star Classic next month! Check it out here!