The Dallas Stars have announced contract extensions for two depth forwards: right winger Nicholas Caamano and center Scott Reedy. Each contract is a one-year, two-way pact.
Caamano, set to turn 25 before the start of next season, is a big six-foot-three forward who has shown flashes of offensive potential in the AHL but generally lacked consistency since turning pro from the OHL. The former OHL champion has scored 75 points in 191 career AHL games, while also racking up 194 career penalty minutes.
Caamano’s combination of physicality and bursts of scoring ability helped the AHL’s Texas Stars reach the postseason in 2022-23 and also turned Caamano into a viable option to be called up to Dallas, although he has just three points in 36 career NHL games.
With 227 combined games played at both the NHL and AHL levels, Caamano is set to cross the 260-game threshold this season which would mean he would no longer qualify as a “development player,” per the AHL’s rules.
As a result, this year is of particular importance for Caamano as he’ll need to show he can provide consistent value to his team in order for an NHL club to deem him worth investing a non-development player slot in during future seasons.
Reedy, 24, is a center who was acquired by the Stars from the San Jose Sharks in a midseason trade. He scored 10 points in 18 games for Texas and has 58 points in 111 career AHL games. Reedy is a big center who hasn’t scored a ton at the AHL level but does have a season on record where he scored 18 goals in just 38 games, showcasing some untapped offensive upside.
He and Caamano will in all likelihood be placed in top-nine roles for Texas but should be under consideration for NHL call-ups during the season, assuming they manage to be reasonably productive.