The Dallas Stars have inked another prospect, signing Matthew Seminoff to a three-year entry-level contract that begins in 2023-24. The young forward currently plays for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL, where he will remain and participate in a Memorial Cup run as the host city.
Seminoff, 19, has 82 points for the Blazers this season, good enough for third on the team, 15 points behind fellow Stars prospect Logan Stankoven. The familiarity of the two will certainly benefit them as they enter professional hockey, though Seminoff has one more year of junior to play, given he won’t turn 20 until December.
He also has much lower expectations, given he was the 179th overall pick in 2022. Even earning an entry-level deal by this point is an impressive feat, and should bode well for his future in the Stars organization. The test will be whether he can keep up that production level once Stankoven leaves the WHL next season, now that Dallas has committed to him.
The Stars may have found a nice late-round steal to join their impressive group of young forwards if he can. With Wyatt Johnston leading the way as an NHL regular, plenty more talent could be on the way to Dallas.
179th pick overall is a 6th round pick. The Stars have had some amazing success with late rounds in recent years, having snagged Jamie Benn and John Klingberg in the 5th round. Somebody in that organization must have a crystal ball.