Stars' AHL affiliate signs former first-rounder Nikita Scherbak, five others

The Texas Stars have added six players on AHL contracts for the 2020-21 season, bringing in a ton of experience and depth for their minor league run. Nicholas Baptiste, Cole Schneider, Nick Moutrey, Derek Barach, Nikita Scherbak have all joined the team, while Josh Melnick re-signs after spending last season in Texas.

These aren’t just minor league depth pieces, as Baptiste, Schneider, and Scherbak actually all have NHL experience. Baptiste, 25, was a third-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2013 and played 47 games at the highest level. He split last season between the Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators, scoring 11 points in 35 games.

Schneider, 30, has just six games of experience at the NHL level but has been a force in the AHL for years. Last season he recorded 18 goals and 46 points in just 54 games for the Milwaukee Admirals.

Scherbak, 25, may be the most interesting name of the bunch, given he was a first-round pick in 2014. Selected 26th overall by the Montreal Canadiens, he has played in 37 games at the NHL level but never could quite make his mark. After spending some time in the Los Angeles Kings system, he left for the KHL last season and recorded 11 points in 31 games.

Texas will begin its season on February 5 against the Iowa Wild.