The Stars signed left-shot defenseman Tristan Bertucci to his entry-level contract on Friday, per a team announcement. The three-year deal with a cap hit of $878K will begin in 2024-25, making him an RFA upon expiry in 2027 – which could push to 2028 if he plays less than 10 NHL games next season and activates an entry-level slide. PuckPedia has the full breakdown of the deal, which is as follows:
2024-25/2025-26: $775K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K games played bonus, $82.5K minors salary
2026-27: $800K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $55K games played bonus, $82.5K minors salary.
The initial $95K signing bonus will get paid out next season regardless of whether he plays more than 10 NHL games or not, which, in the case of a slide, would lower the cap hit of his deal slightly when it does go into effect in 2025-26.
Bertucci, 18, was a late second-round pick of the Stars in last year’s draft. Taken off the board at 61st overall, the Ontario native’s production has stagnated in his post-draft season, logging 41 points and a +10 rating in 56 games with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds this season compared to 50 points and a +12 rating in 63 games last season. He’s still a solid two-way presence with good shutdown and transition potential at the NHL level, though, and doesn’t have much support on a Firebirds team that’s been relegated to mediocrity this year with a 29-30-4 record.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and 180 lbs, Bertucci has to fill out his frame a little bit more before he’s ready for NHL action. He’ll likely return to the Firebirds next year for his fourth season of major junior play, sliding the beginning of his ELC to 2025, and will join the AHL’s Texas Stars at the end of next season. He’ll take a year or two of development there as well before hopefully cracking the NHL roster in 2026 or 2027.
Bertucci’s deal will not count against the 50-contract maximum next season if he’s not in the NHL. The Stars had until June 1, 2025, to sign him to an ELC before his draft rights lapsed.
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