The Dallas Stars have wasted no time shoring up their crease for next season.
The Stars got the ball rolling on their summer plans on Thursday afternoon, agreeing to terms with goaltender Scott Wedgewood on a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1 million.
The deal, which ties Wedgewood to Dallas through the 2023-24 season, offers the netminder a sense of stability that he decidedly lacked last season after Wedgewood split the campaign between three different teams in the Stars, New Jersey Devils, and Arizona Coyotes.
Now, Wedgewood will have the chance to earn a regular spot as Jake Oettinger’s understudy.
It’s not a surprise that the Stars would want to retain Wedgewood, either. The 29-year-old fit splendidly with the team after arriving at the trade deadline, posting a 3-1-3 record in seven appearances with the Stars throughout the final stretch of the season along with a .913 save percentage that helped them make a late push for a playoff spot that was ultimately unsuccessful.
On the whole, Wedgewood managed to perform admirably despite his near-constant shuttling between different organizations. In 37 total appearances in 2021-22, Wedgewood finished with a 13-15-6 record, a .910 save percentage, and one shutout.
Now given a multi-year extension, perhaps Wedgewood can use his newfound stability to take his game to another level.