The Stars are signing college free agent netminder Ben Kraws to a one-year entry-level contract, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports.
Kraws, 23, has spent the last five seasons in college hockey with three different universities. Once a backup/tandem goalie for Miami University and Arizona State, Kraws transferred to St. Lawrence University for his graduate season, where he broke out as the team’s starter and ended up a nominee (but not finalist) for this year’s Hobey Baker Award.
The 6-foot-5 New Jersey native had a spectacular run to close out the season, recording a save percentage north of .920 in seven straight contests as St. Lawrence upset their way through the ECAC conference tournament before losing the final to Cornell last weekend. He played in 37 out of their 39 games on the season, recording a 2.49 GAA, .919 save percentage, two shutouts, and a 14-17-6 record behind one of the weaker teams in the conference.
Since it’s a one-year and not a two-year ELC, that suggests the signing age of the contract is 24, meaning the deal goes into effect for the 2024-25 campaign, not immediately – it would be a two-year deal if so. Kraws could join AHL Texas on a tryout for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign, however. He’ll be an RFA in 2025 and is just the third Stars netminder under contract for next season, joining Jake Oettinger and minor-leaguer Rémi Poirier.
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