Name: Sam Steel

Number: 18

Age: 26

Birthplace: Ardrossan, Alberta

Height/Weight: 6-0, 185

2023-24 stats: 9 goals, 15 assists for 24 points in 77 games

Contract: On a one-year contract for $1.2 million

Performance evaluation: Sam Steel has had a challenging journey. He was a first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks (30^th overall in 2016) but after four seasons was not qualified and was allowed to walk in free agency in 2022. He signed with the Minnesota Wild and had a really good season, but also went unsigned and was allowed to walk in free agency again. The Stars signed him last season at a bargain basement price of $850,000, and he had a good year in Dallas. Steel played 77 games, had 24 points (9 goals, 15 assists), and became a dependable penalty killer. He played all 19 games in the playoffs and repeated his regular-season time on ice of 13:15 and his points per game of about 0.30. The big key for Steel was he earned the trust of the coaching staff, beating out Ty Dellandrea for a regular shift and often pushing Radek Faksa to the wing. In fact, when the team was healthy and the coaches had to make a scratch, Steel was typically the last pick behind Faksa, Dellandrea and Craig Smith. That was a pretty big win, considering where Steel has been in his career.

Expectations for 2024-25: With the departure of Faksa, Dellandrea and Smith, Steel walks into the 2024-25 season with a pretty secure spot in the lineup. He was third among forwards in shorthanded time on ice behind Faksa and Dellandrea last year, so he’s pretty much the No. 1 penalty killer right now. Wyatt Johnston looked great in the playoffs on the PK, and he was often a partner with Steel, so the guess is those two will lead the Stars in that category. Roope Hintz, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin can also help, and Mavrik Bourque was an excellent penalty killer in the AHL, so he also should be in the mix. But it sure looks like Steel will get more minutes this upcoming season because of the lineup changes. Steel averaged 13:15 in overall time on ice, and that was down from what he did in Minnesota the year before (14:58). In fact, all of Steel’s numbers were down from his year with the Wild (10 goals, 18 assists, 28 points) which makes you wonder why Minnesota let him go. What that time in Minnesota indicates is that Steel can take a bigger role and can contribute more points if given the chance. Steel should have a little more breathing room when it comes to healthy scratches, but he likely won’t let that impact his play this upcoming season.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @MikeHeika.