The Dallas Stars have signed defenseman Nils Lundkvist to a one-year, $1.25 million contract.
Lundkvist, who was an unrestricted free agent after the Stars chose not to extend a qualifying offer when his three-year entry-level contract with a $925,000 cap hit expired, has re-signed with the team. Despite not receiving an initial offer, the Stars circled back to secure his services for another year.
Details regarding no-move or no-trade clauses and signing bonuses have not been disclosed.
Lundkvist’s new contract gives him a $200,000 raise on his cap hit for the year, though it’s $550,000 less than his average annual value (AAV) from his previous deal when performance bonuses are considered. This contract marks the first time he will earn a seven-figure salary, with his cap hit now the highest of his career.
Lundkvist’s deal accounts for 1.42% of the 2024-25 salary cap, sharing a cap hit with defensemen Mike Reilly, Zach Bogosian, Matt Benning, and Daniil Miromanov.
Last season, Lundkvist’s playing time varied, but he still managed to contribute 2 goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 59 games, setting a career high in points. This improved upon his previous best of 16 points in the 2022-23 season. However, in the playoffs, he only recorded 1 assist in 13 games, with limited usage as the Stars were eliminated in the third round by the Edmonton Oilers.
Lundkvist, the 28th overall pick by the New York Rangers in the 2018 NHL Draft, spent three years in the Swedish Hockey League before making his NHL debut in the 2021-22 season. After requesting a trade due to limited playing opportunities with the Rangers, he was dealt to the Stars at the start of the 2022-23 season in exchange for a first-round pick, which became Theo Lindstein. He has played the last two seasons in Dallas.
Lundkvist is one of six signings the Stars made on the first day of free agency. They also re-signed Matt Duchene and added Matt Dumba, Casey DeSmith, Brendan Smith, and Ilya Lyubushkin to the roster. After these signings, the Stars have just over $4.6 million in projected salary cap space, with defenseman Thomas Harley as the lone restricted free agent on their roster.
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