Pavelski signs one year extension with the Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars are keeping the phenomenal Joe Pavelski for another year after signing him to a one-year contract before he became an unrestricted free agent. 

The contract extends Pavelski’s time with the Stars into the 2023-2024 season with a base salary of $3.5 million and an added $2 million in potential performance bonuses. 

Pavelski is reaching the top range of his professional career at 38 years old and has been playing with the Stars ever since he was signed by Dallas four in 2019. 

At the time, Pavelski was considered one of the top unrestricted free agents in the league and signed a three-year contract with the Dallas Stars worth $21 million dollars. 

Pavelski was present for every game the Stars played this season and ranked third amongst his teammates with 37 points in total according to the Daily Faceoffs Mike Gould.

“Since his relatively pedestrian first year in Dallas,” Gould added, “Pavelski has scored 169 points in 176 games over the last three seasons.”

Pavelski currently has a plus-minus rating of +23 in the 2022-2023 season according to the Associated Press, which makes him the Stars’ highest-ranked player and second in the league. 

“Joe continues to prove why he is one of the best players in the NHL, and we are fortunate that he will be part of our group for another season,” said Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill.

“He embodies what it means to be a professional hockey player with his approach to the game both on and off the ice,” Nill continued.

“Joe’s leadership in the locker room is invaluable and the level of respect that he has throughout the entire league speaks volumes to the man that he is,” The Dallas GM added. 

Since joining the Stars, Pavelski has racked up some impressive stats. The Associated Press noted that he was an all-star player for the fourth time in the 2021-2022 season and led his team with over 200 points. 

"What can you say about him? He just contributes in so many ways outside of the obvious scoresheet," said Stars coach Peter DeBoer when discussing the deal, "contributions that, to me, that's immeasurable and make my job easy.”

Pavelski came to the Stars after a 13-year career with the San Jose Sharks where he was one of the top players and was named captain in 2015. 

Throughout his career in San Jose, Pavelski, who was named captain in 2015, was one of the team's top playmakers,” wrote Bleach Report sportswriter Kyle Newport in his 2019 report on Pavelski’s departure from the Sharks. 

“He ranks second in franchise history in goals (355), third in assists (406), and third in points (761). He has tallied 60-plus points in six straight seasons and eight of the last nine,” Newport added at the time. 

It was while he was with the Sharks that Pavelski earned the nickname, “Little Joe” and later “Captain America.”