Dallas Stars sign Sam Steel to one-year $850,000 AAV deal

The Dallas Stars keep the fun rolling, signing forward Sam Steel to a one-year contract worth $850,000.

Steel is coming off of a 28-point regular season with the Minnesota Wild, the best season of his NHL career.

The Anaheim Ducks didn’t qualify him last summer after a four-year run with the team that saw him score 11 points in 22 games as a rookie in 2018-19. He scored six goals and 22 points the year after before falling down to 12 points the following season.

The 25-year-old forward was the 30th selection in the 2016 NHL Draft and looked to be part of Anaheim’s future. It didn’t pan out, but he has proven to be a decently reliable depth player at a cheap AAV.

Dallas has been busy today, signing Matt Duchene to a one-year deal, as well as inking contracts for Joel Hanley and Craig Smith. The Stars also traded away Colin Miller to New Jersey in a salary cap dump.

The Stars lost out to the Vegas Golden Knights in the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but look ready to bounce back big in 2023-24. Dallas, under guidance from GM Jim Nill, has $1.357 million in projected cap space