The Dallas Stars came to terms with another member of their UFA class on Thursday afternoon as they signed defenseman Taylor Fedun to a two-year, two-way contract extension.
Building defensive depth is a high priority for GM Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars organization. And on Thursday, he further added to that depth by re-signing Taylor Fedun.
It was announced on Thursday afternoon that the Stars and Fedun had come to terms on a two-year, two-way contract extension. The contract will pay him an AAV of $737,500 in the NHL, though a minors salary of $350,000 in 2019-20 and $375,000 in 2020-21 are also attached to the deal.
Fedun, 31, started the year with the Buffalo Sabres before being dealt to Dallas in exchange for a seventh-round pick in November. Through the first month, he had fallen down the AHL depth chart in Rochester and it looked as though his brief hockey career was nearing an untimely close.
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Following the trade to the Stars, however, he put together a quick turnaround that propelled him into an NHL starter. He was called up from the Texas Stars less than two weeks after the trade and made his debut in Dallas on Nov. 23, 2018. With that debut came one goal, a +1 rating, and five shots on net in 12:54 of ice time.
With an impressive debut under his belt, Fedun became a staple on the Stars’ third pairing as the team combated injuries to Stephen Johns and Marc Methot.
He finished the regular season with career-highs in games played (54), goals (4), points (11), and blocked shots (58). In addition, he made his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut with seven games played. Fedun was a valuable asset on the Dallas penalty kill, had an occasional offensive element to his game, and turned into a capable and confident no. 6 defender that rounded out the Stars’ blue line.
Bringing him back into the fold is a good move for Dallas, especially with the two-way part of the contract.
As mentioned above, the Dallas Stars are known for their defensive depth. From their NHL starters, to the healthy scratches, to the group in the AHL, they are in the process of building a steady and young blue line that could be dominant for years to come. It’s why they used three of their four 2019 NHL Entry Draft picks on defensemen (including the 18th overall pick on Thomas Harley) and have also signed free agent defensive prospects like Gavin Bayreuther and Emil Djuse over the past few years.
Thrilled to be heading back to the Lone Star state! ⭐️ https://t.co/lxBcsTCkd9
— Taylor Fedun (@tfedun88) June 27, 2019
With Fedun, the Stars have an expendable defender that can play in both leagues.
While Esa Lindell, John Klingberg, Miro Heiskanen, Stephen Johns, Jamie Oleksiak, and Roman Polak already own spots on the Dallas roster and there’s talk that the Stars may be in the market to add another NHL defender this summer, Fedun could end up on either roster by the time the regular season rolls around.
Fedun is a quality third-pairing option for Dallas, but could also add a veteran element to the Texas Stars blue line if the Dallas roster gets too crowded. And with his two-way contract splitting his salary depending on where he plays, it could play a major benefit for the Stars.
But if the Dallas Stars end up needing a proven and NHL-ready defenseman to round out their defensive group at any point during the 2019-20 season, they once again have Fedun as an option. It’s a well-deserved deal for the 31-year-old defenseman after taking a major step forward in his hockey career with the Stars this past year.