May 31, 2025 | 10:02pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

BENN WANTS TO KEEP PLAYING WITH STARS

Jamie Benn, forward

The Dallas Stars lost in the Western Conference Final for the third consecutive season after another impressive season and now the focus shifts to how the team will look next season.

One of the club’s biggest questions going into the off-season revolves around the future of captain Jamie Benn, who turns 36 next month.

Eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, Benn is in the final year of an eight-year, $76 million contract. He is one of seven pending UFAs the Stars currently have on the roster.

With just under $5 million in salary cap space, Stars GM Jim Nill is going to have to quite creative this summer as he looks to build off this season and add pieces to help push this team forward.

Benn expressed his desire to play again next season with the Stars while speaking to the media on Saturday.

“I’m going to go into the summer planning on playing next year, and prepare like I do every summer, like I’m going to play,” he said.

“I don’t see myself going anywhere else. This is all I know. So hopefully we can get something figured out and then I don’t have to answer these questions.”

Benn will most certainly take a significant pay cut on his next deal, which could come in the form of a one-year deal.

With limited cap space and multiple free agents to worry about, including pending restricted free agents Mavrik Bourque and Nils Lundkvist, the Stars may have to move out some money in order to keep some assets on the roster, such as Benn, Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund.

Benn feels his team is on the cusp and has one thing in mind going into the summer and next season, hopefully locked in with Dallas.

“That’s the goal around here, it’s all about winning,” he said. “I think now, we’ve been to the same spot three years in a row. It’s about how can we make that next step to get into the Final. We’re tired of losing in the Western Conference Final.”

In 80 games with the Stars this season, Benn registered 16 goals and 33 assists for 49 points.

“I love the city, I love the fans, I love this organization, I love my teammates,” Benn exclaimed. “Hopefully we can figure something out.”