The Dallas Stars are no stranger to signing Finnish players, and with the three year entry level contract inked by the 2024 fifth rounder Niilopekka Muhonen, the Stars hope to have another defenseman to join the Finnish mafia down the road.
Muhonen, a 19-year-old already with a massive 6-foot-5 frame, recently won the Ed Chynoweth Cup with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League. Medicine Hat was heads above everyone else in the WHL playoffs and made it all the way to the finals of the Memorial Cup before losing to the London Knights of the OHL.
Muhonen adapted extremely well to the tough nature of the WHL, posting four goals and 13 assists over 60 games played while recording a stellar +20 rating while on the ice. During the playoff run, Muhonen pitched in for four points including one goal.
The Stars have to rely on finding potential NHL talent in later rounds with their early round draft capital being given away for the ability to try and win a Stanley Cup. This season, Dallas did not select a player until the third round, going back to the WHL for a 40-goal scorer in Cameron Schmidt of the Vancouver Giants.
If Dallas can continue to draft and develop NHL talent without the ability to select first round talent like Thomas Harley or Wyatt Johnston, it would be crucial to keep the pipeline of young talent flowing into NHL while still fielding a winning team each season.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
Dallas Stars Promote Assistant Coach from AHL
Stars Bring Back Veteran for Two More Years