This off-season, the Dallas Stars made another savvy value play by staying in the family, signing Dylan Hryckowian, the younger brother of breakout forward Justin Hryckowian, to a two-year entry-level contract that will begin in 2026-27.

Justin was the blueprint, signed as an undrafted college free agent out of Northeastern in March 2024, he needed less than a full AHL season to force his way onto Dallas's radar, earning AHL Rookie of the Year honors with the Texas Stars in 2024-25 after piling up 60 points in 65 games. 

He carried that momentum into an opening night roster spot last fall and never let it go, developing into a legitimate middle-six fixture with a physical, agitating style that made him one of the more entertaining storylines of Dallas's season. 

Justin's knack for creating chaos, drawing penalties and getting under opponents' skin turned him into a fan favorite, all while chipping in a respectable scoring line in a bottom-six role.

Dylan is cut from similar cloth, and the Stars clearly liked what they saw enough to go back to the same family and the same college program for their next find. The 21-year-old just wrapped up his junior season at Northeastern, where he posted a career-high 37 points in 30 games, led the Huskies in both goals and shots, and earned Hockey East First Team All-Star honors along with a Hobey Baker nomination. 

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Across three seasons at Northeastern, Dylan finished with 107 points in 100 games, remarkably close to the 1.07 points-per-game pace his brother posted during his own college career. He signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in March and immediately joined the Texas Stars on an amateur tryout to close out the season, giving him an early taste of pro hockey before his entry-level deal officially kicks in.

The hope in Dallas is that Dylan's path mirrors his brother's, an AHL grind that eventually turns into meaningful NHL minutes at a fraction of the cost of a typical roster addition. 

That kind of value matters more than ever for a Stars team already pressed against the salary cap, with restricted free agent Jason Robertson still needing a new deal. Cheap, productive depth like the Hryckowian brothers provide gives Dallas flexibility it wouldn't otherwise have.

Given how quickly Justin's timeline moved, from college free agent to AHL standout to full-time NHL contributor in the span of about a year and a half, it's fair to expect Dylan to spend most of next season with Texas as he adjusts to the professional game. If he follows anything close to his brother's trajectory, a push for a Stars roster spot as soon as 2027-28 wouldn't be out of the question.

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