Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Tristan Bertucci

Snapshots: Fiala, Norringer, Bertucci, Hemming, Terness

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Kings winger Kevin Fiala’s season hasn’t come to an end just yet.  After originally being unable to play at the Worlds due to some travel issues, the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation announced that Fiala will indeed be able to join the squad, filling their final spot.  The 28-year-old was the tournament MVP last year, notching seven goals and six assists in just eight games.  This season, Fiala had a career-high 35 goals in 81 games for Los Angeles while recording seven points in six games in their first-round exit at the hands of Edmonton.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Predators prospect Viktor Norringer has decided where he’ll play college hockey as he announced on his Instagram page that he has made a verbal commitment to Boston University. The 18-year-old was a fourth-round pick last year, going 127th overall.  Norringer had a dominant showing in Frolunda’s junior system this season, tallying 24 goals and 33 assists in just 39 games.  It’s expected that Norringer will debut at BU in 2026-27 so for next season, he could remain at home or look to play in the USHL.
  • Two of Dallas’ top prospects have seen their seasons extended. Per the AHL’s transactions log, defenseman Tristan Bertucci and forward Emil Hemming have been assigned to AHL Texas.  Bertucci was a second-round pick in 2023, going 63rd overall, and spent the season with OHL Barrie, notching 37 points in 52 regular season games while adding 18 more in 16 playoff contests.  Hemming, meanwhile, was a first-round pick (29th overall) by the Stars last June.  The 18-year-old had 48 points in 60 games with Barrie during the regular season but also improved his output in the playoffs, collecting 15 more points in those 16 playoff outings.
  • Still with the Stars’ farm team, they’ve added some goalie depth for their playoff run. Per an announcement from Ohio State (Twitter link), Texas has signed Logan Terness to an ATO agreement.  The 22-year-old split his college career between UConn and Ohio State and saved his best performance for last, putting up a 2.46 GAA and a .917 SV% in 25 outings this season.  Terness will use this stint to try to earn himself a pro deal for 2025-26.

Snapshots: Emberson, Bruins, Bertucci, Loponen

at CDT | by 8 Comments

While Ty Emberson’s acquisition was largely viewed as Edmonton merely adding some extra depth on the back end, they have an opportunity to keep him around beyond the upcoming season but will need to play him somewhat regularly to do so.  PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the Oilers will need to play the 24-year-old in at least 50 games in 2024-25 in order to retain his RFA rights (with arbitration eligibility at that time).  Otherwise, Emberson will be eligible to become a Group Six unrestricted free agent.  He was only able to play in 30 games with San Jose last season in his first taste of NHL action, missing 36 games due to injuries along the way.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Bruins are believed to be considering offering UFA wingers Kailer Yamamoto and Blake Wheeler tryouts for next month’s training camp, suggests Shawn Hutcheon of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). Yamamoto is coming off a down year that saw him record just 16 points in 55 games with Seattle while Wheeler had 21 points in 54 contests while also missing considerable time with a leg injury.  Boston could stand to add some depth on the wing but until they get Jeremy Swayman’s contract sorted out, they’re unlikely to do any guaranteed contracts.
  • Stars defense prospect Tristan Bertucci is on the move as OHL Flint announced they’ve moved him to Barrie as part of a three-team swap. The 19-year-old was a second-round pick by Dallas in 2023, going 61st overall; he has already signed his entry-level contract.  Bertucci played in 61 games with the Firebirds last season, notching 10 goals and 34 assists while adding four helpers in four playoff contests.  He also was able to make his professional debut, suiting up once for AHL Texas after Flint was eliminated from the postseason.
  • Jets prospect Markus Loponen requested and was granted a contract termination from his deal with Karpat, per a team release from the Finnish squad. The 18-year-old was a fifth-round pick back in June, going 155th overall.  Loponen had 25 goals and 29 assists in 45 games last season on Karpat’s under-20 team, earning him a first-round selection by Victoria in the CHL Import Draft this summer.  Loponen will now suit up for the Royals this season.

Stars Sign Tristan Bertucci To Entry-Level Deal

at CDT | by 1 Comment

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.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top