The Dallas Stars have signed forward Jordan Kawaguchi to a one-year entry-level contract. Confirmation of the signing came from the team’s official Twitter account on Wednesday afternoon.
We’ve signed forward Jordan Kawaguchi to a one-year, entry-level contract. Kawaguchi will report to the @TexasStars. #GoStars https://t.co/GMD5xZP9I5
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) March 31, 2021
Jordan Kawaguchi Signs With Dallas Stars
Jordan Kawaguchi spent four years at the University of North Dakota and finished his college career as captain of the Fighting Hawks. According to Elite Prospects, he has amassed a total of 40 goals and 126 points in 136 games in the NCAA. His college career included a Hobey-Baker calibre junior year where he tallied 15 goals and 45 points in 33 games. Although he lost out to the eventual winner Scott Perunovich, who signed with the St Louis Blues in March 2020.
Kawaguchi will now report to the Dallas Stars AHL affiliate team, the Texas Stars. Unfortunately, his college season in 2020-21 has already ended on the back of a cruel five-OT loss to Minnesota-Duluth in their NCAA regional final. The Fighting Hawks were ranked first in the country for much of the season.
What This Means Going Forward
Undrafted in 2015, the Abbotsford, BC native played his junior hockey for the Chilliwack Chiefs. Though after years of consistent production in college, he has finally found a home in the NHL. What’s more, the Dallas Stars seem like the perfect fit.
According to our prospect expert, Ben Kerr, Kawaguchi “has a powerful frame and low centre of gravity. This allows him to hold his own in the dirty areas of the ice, whether it be driving the net or battling along the boards.”
The news of his signing will likely cheer up Stars fans who have had a difficult season to date. Not only has Dallas suffered a Stanley Cup Final hangover but the team has also been severely disrupted by COVID, endured a state-wide power crisis and are missing some of their biggest contributors like Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov and Ben Bishop.
However, there is still a chance of playoff hockey this year. Currently, Dallas is seven points adrift of a playoff spot with four games in hand.
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