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Jamie Benn finally has his new contract with the Dallas Stars.
The team announced Thursday evening that it has agreed to terms with Benn on a five-year, $26.25-million contract, keeping its young power forward with the team through the 2018-19 season.
Benn had been one of the last of the remaining restricted free agents without a contract. Now that he is signed, it leaves Montreal's P.K. Subban as the only one remaining.
"Jamie Benn has proven in his short, but very productive NHL career that he is not only this franchise’s cornerstone player, but also an emerging superstar in the league,” said general manager Joe Nieuwendyk in a team statement. “We believe that Jamie has the necessary tools to continue his growth and lead this team into the next great era of Dallas Stars hockey."
Referring to Benn as the franchise's cornerstone player is certainly high praise given the presence of Loui Eriksson, one of the best two-way forwards in the league.
Benn, 23, has improved his production every year he's been in the NHL and is coming off a 2011-12 season that saw him score 26 goals to go with 37 assists for the Stars.
Now that they finally have Benn back in the mix, their top lines can really start to take shape. Along with Eriksson and veterans Michael Ryder, Jaromir Jagr, Ray Whitney, and Derek Roy (once he's able to return to the lineup after offseason surgery) the Stars will have a very formidable collection of forwards who could be good enough to help them end their current playoff drought.
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