Braden Holtby signs a 1 year deal with the Dallas Stars

Goaltender Braden Holtby is signing a 1 year deal with the Dallas Stars worth $2M.

Braden Holtby, one year, $2M AAV in Dallas@TSNHockey @TheAthletic

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 28, 2021

Holtby has become one of the NHL’s elite goalie since becoming the starter for the Washington Capitals in 2012-13, and was a key to their run to the Stanley Cup in 2018.

In 2014-15, Holtby faced the most shots in the NHL (2,044), made the most saves (1,887), played the most games (73) and finished second in wins (41). In 2015-16, Holtby tied Martin Brodeur’s NHL record with 48 victories when he was voted winner of the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie in the League.

After an up-and-down regular season in 2017-18, Holtby began the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the backup to Philipp Grubauer but took over in Washington’s second postseason game and sparked the Capitals to their first championship by going 16-7 with a 2.16 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and two shutouts — which came in Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

He helped the Capitals finish first in the Metropolitan Division in 2018-19 and was named to the NHL All-Star Game for the fifth consecutive season in 2020.

Holtby was a fourth-round pick (No. 93) by the Capitals in the 2008 NHL Draft after going 42-58-11 in two seasons with Saskatoon of the Western Hockey League, where he was 42-58-11. But in his third season, Holtby nearly equaled his win total from the previous two; he was 40-16-4 in 2008-09 and led Saskatoon to the WHL playoffs.

As a rookie in the Capitals organization in 2009-10, Holtby split time with South Carolina in the ECHL and Hershey in the American Hockey League, where he finished 25-8-2 with a 2.32 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.

Holtby made his NHL debut on Nov. 5, 2010, earning the victory after entering the game in the third period against the Boston Bruins. Holtby made his first NHL start two nights later in a 3-2 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers, but his first shutout didn’t come until March 9, 2011, when he made 22 saves in a 5-0 win against the Edmonton Oilers.

During the 2011-12 season, Holtby played seven regular-season games, but assumed the starting role to open the Stanley Cup Playoffs and led Washington to a seven-game series victory against Boston in the opening round before falling in seven games to the New York Rangers in the second round.

By 2012-13, Holtby was Washington’s starter; in 2014-15 became one of the NHL’s workhorses, playing a League-high 4,247 minutes and finishing with nine shutouts.

During his Vezina Trophy-winning season, Holtby was 48-9-7 with a 2.20 GAA, a .922 save percentage and three shutouts. He finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting as League MVP and was named an NHL First-Team All-Star.