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Stars Reward Consistency From Bottom Six Forward With New Contract

taylor newby
·2 min read

After surprising many with his inclusion in the opening night roster, Oskar Back has established himself as an every night player, and now has a new contract to reward his play.

The Dallas Stars signed Back to a two-year deal on Thursday that runs through the 2026-27 season, worth an average of $825,000 per season.

Back was a third-round pick, 75th overall, in the 2018 draft. Since then, Back spent some time in the Swedish Hockey League before moving over to the AHL to play for the Texas Stars.

Last season for the Texas Stars, he recorded 36 points - seven goals and 29 assists - in 59 games. This season with Dallas, he has tallied one goal and eight assists in 31 games. His offensive production may not jump off the page, but he has consistently created chances on the fourth line and chipped in more routinely than expected with crucial assists.

Back has been playing a fourth-line role, usually paired with Sam Steel and Colin Blackwell, and has made himself an important piece of the impressive penalty kill. The Stars penalty kill currently sits third in the league at 84.7%. Lately, he has been given the opportunity to step up to the third line and pair up with Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Borque.

Last season, Texas Stars head coach Neil Graham likened Back to a 401k. Graham said that much like money in a 401k, you can put him in, let him play and know that he will always be a reliable asset. The Swede has lived up to that comparison even at the NHL level, and that kind of reliability will get rewarded every time.

Now, Back can fund his own 401k with the earnings from his new contract as a result of that steady play.

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