The future looks even brighter for the Dallas Stars today after they kicked off their re-sign phase by locking down one of their prime young forwards.
It’s highly unlikely that when the Dallas Stars expected something significant in return when they traded Erik Cole to the Detroit Red Wings in March 2015.
Cole was an aging veteran who was having a decent year on the Stars’ wings and the Red Wings simply needed some more push on offense. When they knew Cole was available at the deadline, they offered up Mattias Janmark, Mattias Backman, and a pick for him.
The Stars, who were a hefty nine points out of the final wild card spot in the West, happily accepted the two prospects and pick for Cole and a pick of their own.
It didn’t look like much of a return at the time. Neither Janmark or Backman had any NHL experience and looked as though they would join the already deep prospect pool that Dallas owned.
Dallas Stars
But Janmark finished the season on a strong note with the Texas Stars and earned himself an invite to the Dallas 2016 training camp. After another stellar showing in camp and the preseason, Janmark earned a starting spot on the opening night roster for the Dallas Stars. He ended up scoring his first NHL goal on his first shot during his first shift. The rest is history.
Janmark had a stellar showing in his rookie year, scoring 15 goals and tallying 29 points in 73 games and also put up a highly commendable +12 rating. He did all of this in an average of 14:10 on the ice.
In the postseason, he scored two goals and tallied five points in 12 of the 13 playoff games.
The 24-year-old was one of the few multidimensional Stars, playing both at center and on the wings during the year. He built some excellent chemistry with veteran center Jason Spezza and proved to be an indispensable scorer for the team.
After a productive rookie showing, Janmark began preparing for an even larger role his second season with the Dallas Stars. But his preparation was cut short in the preseason after finding out that he would need a serious surgery on his knee that could very well end his NHL career.
Janmark had to skip the entire season due to osteochondritis dissecans in his knee that required surgery in September, and it was evident that the Stars missed him dearly.
Though he tried to make a late-season comeback, the medical staff decided that it was best for Janmark to avoid any type of competitive play in the 2016-17 season.
Entering the 2017 offseason, Janmark was scheduled to be a restricted free agent. And considering the season he had in 2015-16, it’s easy to see why the Dallas Stars officially extended him today.
The Stars announced this morning that they signed Mattias Janmark to a one-year extension worth $700,000. This is a slight recession from his previous contract of $733,750, but is still a decent-sized deal for the young Janmark.
Stars GM Jim Nill announced that they are expecting Janmark to make a full recovery and that they will be excited to see him at training camp and in the lineup next season.
Next: Is Tyler Seguin For Carey Price A Good Deal?
This extension is one of many that the Stars will need to conjure up this offseason with multiple RFAs on their board. But the signing of Janmark is just another representation of the youth movement that the Stars have on their hands.
All that’s left is to let them all reach their full stride.