Dallas Stars: Travis Morin And John Nyberg Sign, Solidify Texas Stars
By Josh Clark
The signings spree is well underway for the Dallas Stars organization. Over the past two days, they have signed defenseman John Nyberg and forward Travis Morin. These two will help balance out the Texas Stars’ lineup next season.
It’s always fun to watch your favorite hockey team sign a player. It could be the first contract for a young rookie, re-signing a fan-favorite, or locking up a big-name player through free agency.
The Dallas Stars organization has hit a little bit of all of the above in the past month and a half. How exciting.
First it was Mattias Janmark signing a one-year extension just a few days after the season ended. In his rookie campaign, the young Swede gained the hearts of a lot of Stars’ fans with his youthful exuberance and flashy style of play. His re-signing gives Dallas more excitement to look forward to in the future.
Following that, Nill made a blockbuster move by trading for veteran goaltender Ben Bishop. Three days after the trade, he locked Bishop up on a long-term contract for six years. The signing gives Dallas their first big-name addition of the offseason and will give the Stars a lockdown crease during the 2017-18 season.
Dallas Stars
But the Stars organization is nowhere near done. In fact, they’re just getting started.
Over the past few days, the Stars have spent some time solidifying their AHL group through contract signings and extensions.
On Thursday morning, the Dallas Stars signed defenseman John Nyberg to a three-year entry level contract, officially kickstarting his career with the Dallas organization.
The 20-year-old was drafted in the sixth round at 165th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He’s played in Sweden for the past three seasons, spending the most recent year with Frolunda HC. In 49 games, he scored seven goals and tallied 15 points along with a +8 rating.
He’s a puck-moving defender that plays aggressive and fast-paced, making him a unique player to possess for the Stars.
Nyberg will not be an NHL player next year. He just signed his first pro contract and will have to prove himself in the AHL first. Luckily, the Texas Stars will be able to give him that chance. Nyberg has shown potential, but don’t expect to be seeing him in Dallas next year (unless something absolutely drastic happens). It’s all about proving yourself at this point. Will Nyberg have what it takes? His play in Cedar Park over the coming years will help pave a clear path for his future.
One day later, the Texas Stars signed captain Travis Morin to a one-year AHL contract. The 33-year-old center has been one of the Texas Stars’ most productive players over his eight years with the team and is a fan-favorite in the organization. He’s amassed 467 points in 543 career AHL games with Texas.
He’s the only player in franchise history to skate with Texas in each of the eight seasons since their creation before the 2009-10 season. He’s a member of the Texas Stars Foundation and has publicly stated his love for Cedar Park and how he considers it his home.
Considering he signed a contract with the Texas Stars instead of the Dallas Stars, Morin will not be able to play for Dallas next season. But that’s okay. He’s played 13 games with Dallas in his career and was never able to catch fire and get going. With the Stars’ newfound depth at center, it’s unlikely that the 33-year-old will be making a push for the NHL anytime soon.
But, as I said above, that’s okay. Morin has been the cornerstone of the Texas Stars for the past eight seasons and was influential in their drive to the franchise’s first Calder Cup back in 2014. He’s won the AHL scoring title and also the AHL MVP Award. The Texas Stars need Morin, and he needs them. It was a terrific signing by Texas and will only help the Stars in terms of leadership and veteran depth next season.
Next: Johns, Oleksiak, And Crew Will Thrive Under Hitch
With the interesting part of the offseason quickly approaching, the Dallas Stars and Texas Stars are getting their ducks in a row. The organization is adding plenty of quality depth for 2017-18, and that always goes a long way.