Now that all but two NHL clubs have begun their offseasons, more and more teams are getting their summer work done early. Earlier today the Predators extended their mid-season trade acquisition, Jeremy Lauzon, and now their central division rival, the Dallas Stars, have also announced an extension, theirs for depth winger Nicholas Caamano. The extension is a one-year, two-way contract.
The exact financial terms of the contract have not yet been revealed but Caamano, who was set to be a restricted free agent, was due for a qualifying offer of $787,500, so it’s likely that the number for this contract is around there.
Caamano, 23, was drafted in the fifth round in 2016 and has developed nicely since that point. He’s a big winger standing at six-foot-three, 200 pounds, and plays a bit faster than his size would indicate. While there’s not a ton of offense to his game, and he had only one point in 24 NHL games last season to go along with 14 points in 47 AHL games this year, his style is definitely one that plays better in a bottom-six role regardless of if he’s playing in Dallas or Cedar Park. That is why, despite the lack of production in his time as a professional, the Stars deemed him worth keeping around for next season.
Caamano did flash some offensive upside in his final two seasons of junior hockey, where he had 121 points in 131 games. Also, his 23 points in 36 games at the AHL level in 2019-20 indicates that he might have just a little bit more scoring ability than he’s shown so far. NHL teams are always looking for players who are Caamano’s size and can score, so signing this one-year extension offers Caamano an (admittedly long-shot) opportunity to prove he can become what so many teams desire and give more to his team than just his grit and physicality.