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Stars Sign Former Penguins Goaltender

The Dallas Stars added to their goaltending depth with the addition of a former Pittsburgh Penguins' goalie.

Jacob Punturi

Nov 7, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Magnus Hellberg (45) defends the goal against Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (44) during the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Magnus Hellberg (45) defends the goal against Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (44) during the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
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The Dallas Stars are one of the best teams in the Western Conference and the NHL. With back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals under their belt, the organization is trying to pull the right strings to propel the team over the hump.

One of the areas the team is trying to improve is their depth behind goaltender Jake Oettinger. The 25 year-old is a stalwart in net, winning 30 games for the Stars in three straight seasons. He's one of the best in the league and a huge piece of Dallas' championship puzzle.

But the Stars know that the cannot overexhaust Oettinger, which is why the team brought in two dependable veterans to back him up. They signed Casey DeSmith at the beginning of free agency, giving the team a goaltender with years of NHL experience as a back-up who can start for a spell if needed.

The team also announced the signing of a third-string goaltender, former Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Magnus Hellberg. The Stars announced the signing of the Swedish goaltender via their X account.

"We have signed Magnus Hellberg to a one-year, two way contract," the team wrote. "Welcome to #TexasHockey, Magnus!"

The deal is a one-year, two-way contract for Hellberg, who figures to begin the season with the Stars' AHL affiliate. A former second round selection of the Nasvhille Predators, the 33 year-old journeyman goaltender has bounced around the league over the last decade. Last season with the Penguins, he appeared in just three NHL games, but was solid in all outings. Posting a 1-1-0 record, his 2023 season highlight was a winning 33-save effort against the Los Angeles Kings.

Despite being under an NHL organizations' control for over a decade, he's only appeared in 26 career NHL games with the Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators. Over those 26 appearances, he carries a 8-8-1 record with a 3.08 goals against average and a save percentage of .890.

Hellberg has spent the majority of his NHL career in the American Hockey League . He's made 218 AHL regular season appearances over his professional career, compiling a record of 100-83-17. He's also posted a career goals against average of 2.52 and a save percentage of .913. With this signing, the Stars now have three dependable goaltenders in their organization.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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