The Dallas Stars announced Monday that the club has issued a qualifying offer to forward Antonio Stranges, thus retaining his negotiating rights.
The Stars signed Stranges, 23, to a three-year, entry-level contract in 2022 after selecting him in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL draft.
The 6-2, 200-pound lefty forward has spent the past three seasons with the Texas Stars, Dallas’ AHL affiliate.
Last season, Stranges racked up 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 55 regular season games — all AHL career-highs. He also appeared in nine postseason games with Texas.
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Had Dallas not offered an offer to Stranges, he would have become an unrestricted free agent, available to sign with any organization.
A qualifying offers does not mean a player has signed a new contract with a franchise, but instead that another team would have to sign them to an offer sheet in order to sign them officially.
The Stars could then match that offer sheet to retain that player, or not match it and receive potential draft pick compensation depending on the salary of the player.
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