DALLAS _ Anton Khudobin isn't going anywhere.
The Stars signed the goaltender and breakout playoff performer to a three-year contract worth $3.333 million annually on Friday, the first day of NHL free agency. With Khudobin's return, the Stars will reassemble one of the league's best goaltending duos with him and Ben Bishop.
"I told (my agent) that if we're not going to seal the deal in Dallas, he knew where I want to go," Khudobin said. "I didn't want to go just for money or for years. I wanted a team that had a chance to win. That's it. This signing here means we still have a chance."
Khudobin led the NHL is save percentage last season, posting a .930 mark in 30 games while backing up Bishop. In the playoffs, with Bishop sidelined following knee surgery, Khudobin started 24 games, going 14-10 with a .917 save percentage and 2.69 goals against average.
Khudobin was the Stars' best player in the Western Conference final against Vegas and saved the Stars with standout performances at times against Colorado and Tampa Bay. Had the Stars won the Stanley Cup, Khudobin would have been a candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the postseason's most valuable player.
"As an organization, we thought it was very important to do what we could do to keep this pair together," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "They play for each other. When somebody gets hurt, the other guy steps in. It's important. We're pretty fortunate to be in the NHL and have two No. 1 goalies. They've proven that."
Khudobin played the playoffs despite numbness in two fingers in his right hand that made gripping his stick tough. Khudobin underwent surgery on Wednesday to fix the issue, and should be fine for the start of next season, which will not be sooner than Jan. 1.
Nill said the numbness started in the second round against Colorado.
"I had to figure out how to hold the stick," Khudobin said. "Playing the puck, to be honest. I couldn't put too much power in the shot, so I had to figure out how to play with defensemen. ... I have another three fingers so I play just with three fingers."
The two sides had contract negotiations during the season, but paused them during the pandemic and through the postseason. They did not reach a deal before the start of free agency on Friday, but did about two hours after the market opened.
In those two hours, free-agent goaltenders found homes elsewhere. Henrik Lundqvist (one year, $1.5 million AAV) signed with Washington. Braden Holtby (two years, $4.3 million AAV) signed with Vancouver. Cam Talbot (three years, $3.67 million AAV) went to Minnesota. Calgary appeared poised to land Jacob Markstrom.
"I really wanted to be done today," Khudobin said. "It was too much talks about it. It was too much information, where you might go, where you might not go, where this and that, where you're getting that and this. Stuff like that. Since this morning, there was a couple talks and stuff like that. I really wanted it done today and just forget about it and be happy knowing that I'm still playing hockey."
By re-signing in Dallas, Khudobin will spend three consecutive seasons with the same team for the first time in his career. If he remains in Dallas through his contract, he would have spent five of his 14 years in the NHL with the Stars.
Both Nill and Khudobin said a three-year contract was the starting point for negotiations.
"I know everything here now," Khudobin said. "I know what to expect. I know Jeff Reese really well. I knew guys. Whoever was going to come new, it was going to be one or two or three new guys. I don't have to put in my navigation where to get to one restaurant or another restaurant. I know here everything, so that's why the decision was really easy."
While the Stars signed Khudobin for three years, he may not be around for the length of the contract. The Seattle expansion draft will happen after next season, and Dallas can only protect one goaltender. The Stars will have to protect Bishop at that time because of the no-move clause in his contract, opening the possibility that Khudobin is available for the Kraken.
Other goaltending options for Seattle could include Holtby or Thatcher Demko in Vancouver, or free agent goalies like Antti Raanta, Tukkaa Rask or Petr Mrazek.
Nill said the expansion draft didn't impact Khudobin's contract and that the Stars would "deal with that when it comes up."
If Khudobin remains with the Stars, both his contract and Bishop's contract will expire at the end of the 2022-23 season, creating a potential road block for Jake Oettinger's path to the NHL. Oettinger was a first-round pick in 2017, and just completed his first professional season with AHL affiliate Texas. He was the backup goalie to Khudobin most of the postseason and made his NHL debut by playing to two playoff games.
Nill said Thursday the Stars would be comfortable using Oettinger as their NHL backup as soon as next year, but he now seems destined to be the organization's starter in the AHL this season, if there is an AHL season. Oettinger will be 24 years old when Khudobin's contract expires in three years.
The 2020-21 season will likely be condensed given the later start date and the NHL's desire to play a full schedule and begin a return to a normal league calendar.
"There's going to be opportunity," Nill said. "I've talked about condensed schedule. I've talked about how competitive our league is. Is there going to be injuries. We know that we have another young goalie that's ready to step in to help us."
