6:57 pm: PuckPedia reports that Grushnikov’s deal carries a cap hit of $859,000. The structure of the deal is as follows:
2021-22: $750,000 salary, $92,500 signing bonus, $82,500 GP bonus, $80,000 minors salary
2022-23: $750,000 salary, $92,500 signing bonus, $82,500 GP bonus, $80,000 minors salary
2023-24: $800,000 salary, $92,500 signing bonus, $32,500 GP bonus, $80,000 minors salary
11:19 am: The Dallas Stars have signed another top draft pick, inking Artem Grushnikov to a three-year entry-level contract. Just yesterday, the young defenseman was loaned to the Hamilton Bulldogs for the upcoming season, but he isn’t leaving empty-handed.
Grushnikov, 18, was the 48th overall pick in this year’s draft, selected out of the MHL where he tallied five points in 29 games. The 6’2″ defenseman is not known for his offensive upside, but the transition to the OHL should provide him with a little more opportunity on that side of the puck. Selected 16th overall in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, his transition to North America and early entry-level deal bodes well for his future with the Stars organization.
A member of the Russian team that won the Hlinka-Gretzky in 2020, Grushnikov will be an interesting prospect to watch develop this season. The Bulldogs kick things off on Friday against the Oshawa Generals.
Dallas now has their top three draft picks from 2021 under contract, all of which were selected in the top-50. For a team that went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020, it was an impressive draft class to accumulate and add to the pipeline.