Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn is staying put. The 35-year-old forward accepted an incentive-laden one year contract to remain in Dallas. The deal pays a $1 million base salary. The player can make up to an additional $3 million in performance bonuses.
Benn became the face of the Stars’ franchise in the early-to-mid 2010s. He won the Art Ross in 2014-15 (87 points). Benn peaked statistically in 2015-16 with a 41-goal, 89-point season. Overall, the power forward has had five seasons of 33-plus goals and 70-plus points. Not too shabby for a fifth-round pick (2017) drafted out of junior A hockey. He also brings toughness and physicality to the mix. He’s played center or left wing at different junctures of his 1,192 game career in Big D.
Over the past year, in the final season of his contract, the veteran warning signs of decline. He also accepted a somewhat reduced role in the Dallas lineup (16 goals, 49 points). Moreover, he struggled with bad penalties and had a tough time scoring in the playoffs.
Given the Stars’ cap issues this off-season, general manager Jim Nill and Benn had to get creative to keep the player in Dallas. Benn took a modest base salary and accepted the incentive-driven offer for one season. The Stars have come a long way over Benn’s career from a pesky underdog not-quite play team in bankruptcy to a contender with stable ownership.
Dallas has reached the Western Conference Final four times in the 2020s, including a trip the 2020 Stanley Cup Final during the pandemic. However, they’ve never been able to take that final step to Stanley Cup champions during the Benn era. He wants one more kick at the can.
