$76,000,000 Stars winger clears the air on his future with Dallas as free-agency looms

Jamie Benn plans to keep playing next season. He made that clear when he spoke with reporters on Saturday. The Dallas Stars captain also said that he wants to stay with the team.

“I don’t see myself going anywhere else. This is all I know,” Benn said.

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Benn is set to become an unrestricted free agent. His eight-year, $76 million contract ends after the 2024-25 season. The deal carried a cap hit of $9.5 million per year.

The 35-year-old has played his entire career in Dallas. The Stars picked him 129th overall in the 2007 NHL Draft. He has scored 956 points in 1,192 games over 16 seasons.

Benn had a quiet playoff run this year. He posted one goal and two assists in the postseason. Still, the team’s leadership values his presence. In a Q&A with reporter Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News, general manager Jim Nill and owner Tom Gaglardi said there’s a spot for him if he wants it.

“I think we want Jamie, and Jamie wants to be here, and it’s pretty clear he can still play...," Gaglardi said, in April. “With Jamie, there’s just been really no talk about a future deal. The two parties are gonna sit down, and Jamie’s going to decide if he wants to play and how much longer.

"I don’t think it’s going to be a difficult, contentious process. We love him, and he loves us, so I think if he’s playing hockey, it’s going to be as a Dallas Star.”

Benn has worn the captain’s “C” longer than anyone else in franchise history. His future now depends on what comes next in contract talks.

Jamie Benn frustrated as Dallas Stars fall short in West final again

The Dallas Stars were knocked out in the Western Conference Final for the third straight year. They lost 6-3 to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 and didn’t reach the Stanley Cup Final. Jamie Benn said it was frustrating to get close and fall short again.

“Three years in a row now, you get that close and you come up short ... obviously not a good feeling,” Jamie Benn said via apnews.com.

The Stars had scoring problems throughout the playoffs. They scored just 2.5 goals per game and were shut out four times. During the regular season, they averaged 3.35 goals per game.

The team often gave up the first goal and had trouble playing from behind. A long scoreless streak on the road also hurt their chances.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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Edited by Akshay Saraswat