At the end of the 2025-26 season, there was a level of uncertainty with Jamie Benn‘s future. Some were wondering if it was the last time he would be captain of the Dallas Stars. Benn is a 17-year veteran of the Stars franchise, only knowing one franchise. But today at least one of those questions were answered, as the Jamie Benn contract means he will return to Dallas for one more year. It does seem, based on reports, he will remain the captain, but that might not be confirmed until a later date. Officially, the deal comes in at an average annual value of $850K. Let’s discuss.
Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars NHL hockey game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, September 24th, 2018. Manny Flores/Cal Sport Media
CAP IS BACK!! ⭐
Jamie Benn is back for another year with the @DallasStars! #NHLFreeAgency pic.twitter.com/LxXbxPSaJV
— NHL (@NHL) July 3, 2026
Jamie Benn Contract Details
There had been some rumours suggesting that he did want to make a return to Dallas for the 2026-27 season. However, the questions were, would he be captain? Would he even re-sign in Dallas?
It did seem like a foregone conclusion that the lifetime Dallas Star would re-sign in Texas.
To this point of signing this Jamie Benn contract, he has had a very successful NHL career. For example, in 2014-15 his 87 points won him the Art Ross Trophy for the NHL’s regular season scoring title. The next season his 89 points was his career high. Over the course of his career, in 1252 games, he is almost at 1,000 career points, as he enters the 2026-27 at 992. Seems like just a formality at this point. He has also accumulated 80 points in 126 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
However, it is fair to say the veteran, who is skilled, tough, and a leader, has taken a step back from earlier in his career. That is why some had questioned whether he would return as captain to big ‘D’ in 2026-27.
Last year, in 60 games, he had 15 goals, 21 assists, for a total of 36 points. He only was skating in a more supporting cast role at 13:17 of average ice time a game, well down from the peak of his career when he was at 19:09 or above for six consecutive seasons.
Now he looks to pass on his knowledge in the dressing room and be a guy that his teammates look up to. His toughness remains an asset for the lineup, as he could still protect some of the Stars younger, skilled guys. Furthermore, his contract is the product of a tremendous career to this point, and he deserves to go out on his terms, as this may be one of the last NHL contracts Benn signs.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
