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Dallas Stars: Jim Nill’s 5 Best Free Agent Signings

By Summer LeBel

VANCOUVER, BC - OCTOBER 30: Alexander Radulov #47 of the Dallas Stars celebrates after scoring his overtime winning goal during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena October 30, 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - OCTOBER 30: Alexander Radulov #47 of the Dallas Stars celebrates after scoring his overtime winning goal during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena October 30, 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Dallas Stars
TORONTO, ON – JUNE 12: Mike McKenna #29 of the Texas Stars stops a shot against the Toronto Marlies during game 6 of the AHL Calder Cup Final on June 12, 2018 at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Texas defeated Toronto 5-2. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /

Mike McKenna

Contract: 1 year at $650,000.
Stats: 2 GP, 1-1-0, .900 SV%, 2.96 GAA
AHL Stats: 32 GP, 17-9-1, .909 SV%, 2.64 GAA.
AHL Playoff Stats: 22 GP, 14-8-2, .927 SV%, 2.41 GAA.

Nill signed Mike McKenna to a league-minimum contract with the Dallas Stars for 2017-18 after McKenna made a deep AHL playoff run in 2016-17. He didn’t spend much time in the NHL, only coming up briefly when starter Ben Bishop was injured. Because of his minimal NHL playing time, he gets the honorable mention spot here.

Why This Was a Good Signing: Goaltending has been an issue in Dallas for several years and the pipeline has been a bit of a mess. The Texas Stars needed someone to come in and help out Landon Bow, and McKenna was their guy. The Dallas Stars also needed someone to be next in line if there was an injury. The Stars were lucky on the injury front the past few years with goaltenders, but their luck ran out this season when Bishop went down. McKenna was there and able to step in while Bishop recovered.

McKenna’s contract was cheap, so it didn’t pose much of a risk. It paid off as he helped the Texas Stars make it the the Calder Cup Finals. It was his second consecutive appearance in the AHL championship, having played for the Syracuse Crunch in 2016-17, ironically in the Lightning system just like Bishop.

On the Other Hand: McKenna is 35 and his starts take away from potential development of young goalies in the system. However, that’s not much of a downside when a league minimum player meant to help the AHL team ends up as their starter in the Calder Cup Finals.

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