The Stars signed left-shot defenseman Trey Taylor to a two-year entry-level contract earlier this week, per a team release. The deal begins next season, but he’ll finish out 2024-25 on a tryout with AHL Texas. His contract carries a cap hit of $975K and includes a base salary of $877.5K, a signing bonus of $97.5K, and a minors salary of $85K each season, according to PuckPedia.
Taylor turns pro after recently completing his junior season at Clarkson University, where he was teammates with recently-signed Dallas prospect Ayrton Martino. Unlike Martino, Taylor wasn’t already in the Stars’ system. Undrafted after initially becoming eligible for selection in 2020, the 6’2″ lefty didn’t even touch college hockey until what would have been his DY+3 season. After spending time in high-level juniors with the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League and the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League, the B.C. native jumped to Clarkson for the 2022-23 campaign.
After not making much of an impression in a depth role in his freshman year, Taylor impressed in expanded usage in 2023-24. He put together a dominant two-way performance for Clarkson, posting 4-13–17 in 35 games while adding a +20 rating that earned him ECAC Best Defensive Defenseman honors. This season, Taylor improved offensively with a 9-20–29 scoring line in 39 games while serving as an alternate captain, repeating his performance as the conference’s best shutdown defenseman as well.
A sound collegiate performance should allow him to step in as an impact defender at the AHL level somewhat seamlessly. The road ahead to NHL minutes on the Stars’ blue line is less clear, especially on a team with Thomas Harley, Esa Lindell, and Lian Bichsel penciled in as its top three left-side defenders for years to come, so it’ll be interesting to see if he gets reps on his off side in Texas. He’ll be under contract through 2026-27, after which he’ll be a restricted free agent.