Former Dallas Stars and Texas Stars goaltender Cristopher Nilstorp has signed a contract with the Vaxjo Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League,reported on Monday by Hockeysverige.se. Update: Confirmed by report on the team’s website.
Nilstorp spend two seasons with the Stars organization, signed out of the SEL as a promising late-blooming goaltender who had experienced plenty of success in Sweden and who hoped to breakout into the NHL. Yet the transition was far from easy for Nilstorp, who appeared in just six NHL games — just one this past season — and finished with NHL totals of just a 3.26 GAA and .890 save percentage.
The 30-year old found his groove this past season with Texas, however, taking most of the starts with Jack Campbell injured, and took his team to the Calder Cup Finals. While he wasn’t perfect he was certainly spectacular at times and showed promise that he could, at the very least, contend for the backup position in the NHL next season. It seems that the promise of a chance wasn’t enough, however.
“He wants to play, participate and have the chance to win something, and he gets it with us. He likes our focus and see that we are going to do any good. But just because I am sure he has not given up his NHL dream,” says Vaxjo sports director Henrik Evertsson, per the article.
The Dallas Stars now have just a handful of goalies in the system and are now without a backup goaltender; Jack Campbell could be given the chance to earn the backup spot but after his injury-filled season the Stars might keep him in the AHL a bit longer. Campbell is currently the only goaltender under contract with Dallas that is set to play in the AHL or ECHL next season.