Free-Agent D Will Butcher Signs with the Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars announced today that they have signed D Will Butcher to a one-year contract, terms undisclosed.

Butcher was originally a fifth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche, eventually signing with the New Jersey Devils as a free-agent. In New Jersey, Butcher had a very solid rookie campaign, scoring 44 points in 81 games. He had a rough sophomore slump & has never been able to reach his rookie-level production again.

He was traded along with a fifth-round pick to Buffalo in the summer of 2021, where he managed only 8 points in 37 games as a Sabre.

His underlying numbers leave a bit to be desired, but he does score at a solid clip per sixty-minutes. He doesn't take a lot of penalties either, but aside from that he is a replacement-level defenseman who is likely playing for his right to play NHL hockey at this point. With Butcher's ability to rack up points, he is a decent buy-low option for the Stars, and it could be a unique fit.

Newly appointed Head Coach Pete DeBoer could have a net-positive effect on Butcher that could prove quite useful for Dallas. Statistically speaking, DeBoer's teams rely on shots from defenseman more than most NHL teams.

Per TopDownHockey, DeBoer's Vegas Golden Knights ranked eighth in 5v5 shot attempt share by defenseman with 36.6%. Between DeBoer's emphasis on point-shots & Dallas' strong team, Butcher could resurge his career & earn himself another contract. Although, if he continues his downward trajectory he could see himself out of the NHL in a year's time.

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