Stars sign Hakanpaa, Raffl

The Dallas Stars signed defenseman Jani Hakanpaa to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $1.5 million, the team announced Thursday.

The club also signed forward Michael Raffl to a one-year contract worth $1.1 million.

Hakanpaa split time between the Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes last season. Overall, he mustered up two goals and two assists in 57 games.

"Jani is a big, physical defenseman that sees the ice well and skates at a high level for a man of his size," general manager Jim Nill said. "He is a reliable penalty killer and will help balance out our backend."

The St. Louis Blues drafted the right-shot blue-liner in the fourth round of the 2010 NHL Draft, but he never suited up for the team. The 29-year-old spent four campaigns playing with Karpat of the Finnish Elite League before returning to North America in 2019.

Raffl spent his entire NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers before being dealt to the Washington Capitals at last year's trade deadline. The 32-year-old had four goals and seven assists through 44 games.

"Michael is a solid two-way forward with good hockey sense, allowing him to play in a variety of situations," Nill said. "He has a strong, physical presence on the ice and will add veteran savvy and depth to our lineup."

Hakanpaa has 62 games of NHL experience under his belt with three goals and two assists. Raffl is a veteran of 514 games and has totaled 82 goals with 81 assists.

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