Dallas Stars News: Stars Sign Roman Polak To One-Year Extension

The Dallas Stars made another sizable move in free agency on Thursday morning by signing defenseman Roman Polak to a one-year extension. Polak will return to the Dallas blue line for a second year after initially signing with the team last season.

It’s not often that the Dallas Stars begin delving through their list of pending free agents before the Stanley Cup Final even comes to an end. But in the 2019 offseason, GM Jim Nill is taking things a different route.

Just one week after exit interview day, the Stars made their first big offseason splash by signing defenseman Esa Lindell to a six-year contract extension. Lindell was set to be a restricted free agent in the 2019 offseason but had proven his immense worth in the 2018-19 campaign and solidified himself as a cornerstone for the future of the Dallas defense.

In addition, reports arose that Nill has already cut ties with Jason Spezza and Marc Methot, two pending UFAs that will now enter the free agent market.

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But on Thursday morning, he dealt out a new extension to another defenseman.

The Dallas Stars announced on Thursday that they re-signed defenseman Roman Polak to a one-year contract extension. The deal will carry an AAV of $1.75 million and provides the 33-year-old with a $0.45 million raise from his previous deal.

In his first season with the Stars, Polak played in 77 games, posting one goal, nine points, and a +6 rating. He also led the team in penalty minutes with 67, blocked shots with 152, and finished second on the team with 191 hits. He averaged 19:10 on the ice per game.

When the team initially signed him on July 1, 2018, he was expected to serve in a seventh-man, depth defender role. But after the Stars were hindered with injuries on the blue line in the first month of the season, Polak stepped in and helped fill a major void. On a relatively undersized defensive group, he provided physicality, strong penalty killing skills, and a viable edge.

He played the majority of the season alongside rookie Miro Heiskanen on the second pairing. Together, the duo helped round out the Stars’ top four on the blue line.

“Roman personifies what it means to be a professional and his mentorship to our younger players proved to be invaluable to our organization,” said GM Jim Nill in the press release. “His team-first attitude and physical style of play is endearing to both his teammates and the coaching staff, and we’re thrilled to have him back.”

Assuming that Stephen Johns is healthy and returns to the lineup for the 2019-20 season, the Stars will likely use Polak as a third-pairing defender that can kill penalties and help out with stopping offensive rushes.

Either way, bringing a high-character player like Polak back into the fold never hurts, especially when the cap hit is the lowest of any defender currently under contract with the team. He’s a leader in the dressing room and on the blue line and serves in an important veteran role in an otherwise young defensive group.