Joe Pavelski signs one-year, $5.5M deal to stay with Stars

The Dallas Stars may not have yet decided if they will be buyers, sellers or neither ahead of the NHL trade deadline set for March 21 but made a logical and reasonable business decision before the weekend. 

Per the league's website, Dallas signed veteran forward Joe Pavelski to a one-year contract that has a base salary of $5.5 million and carries an additional $500,000 in performance-based incentives. Pavelski was set to become an unrestricted free agent in July, the same month he'll turn 38 years old. 

One wouldn't guess Pavelski's age by looking only at his production. According to ESPN stats, he leads the Stars with 59 points and 37 assists this season, and he's third on the team with 22 goals. He originally signed with the Stars in the summer of 2019. 

"(Wife) Sarah, (son) Nate and I have loved the city of Dallas and the Stars organization since Day One," Pavelski explained. "We are very committed to winning here and have full belief in (owner) Tom Gaglardi and his family and (general manager) Jim Nill to give our group every resource in order to do so. We have a great dressing room, and it was important to me, and my family, to show that we are all-in."

Heading into Friday's NHL action, Dallas holds a one-point advantage over the Edmonton Oilers for the Western Conference's second wild-card spot. The Stars next host the New York Rangers on Saturday night. 

"I take big-time pride in it, and I want to keep playing," Pavelski added. "I want to play at a high level, and I want my minutes, and I want the opportunity to be out there at the end of the game. That's kind of what keeps you driving."

The Stars have gone 14-5-1 over their past 20 games.