Stars sign 2024 first-round pick Emil Hemming to entry-level contract

The Dallas Stars announced Tuesday the signing of 2024 first-round pick Emil Hemming to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The No. 29 overall pick in this year’s draft scored seven goals and four assists for 11 points in his first season with TPS of the Finnish men’s league. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Hemming isn’t necessarily “physical,” but his reliable defensive game made him an attractive choice in this year’s draft.

He’s capable of getting creative offensively, but I feel like he’s a future bottom-six forward who can outmuscle players while staying disciplined and grinding it out all game long,” Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis wrote about Hemming in his final NHL Draft Rankings. “If he improves his skating, I can see Hemming playing a more prominent role in the NHL, but at a minimum, I think he works hard enough to earn himself a spot deeper down.

The Stars will keep an eye on Hemming through the 2024-25 season to see if his offensive game begins to pick up. He was on Finland’s fourth line during last year’s World Junior Championship, and that role should expand as he’ll likely be part of the squad again in 2025.

The Stars finished the 2023-24 season with a 52-21-9 record and 113 points, first in both the Central Division and Western Conference. The team made it to the Western Conference Final before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in six games.

Forward Jason Robertson led the team in scoring with 80 points (29 goals and 51 assists), followed by Joe Pavelski and his 67 points (27 goals and 40 assists).