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Stars sign ’15 first-round pick Gurianov to entry-level deal

2015 NHL Draft - Portraits

SUNRISE, FL - JUNE 26: Denis Gurianov poses for a portrait after being selected 12th overall by the Dallas Stars during the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

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Just a day after a disastrous Game 7 home loss to the St. Louis Blues, the Dallas Stars began work for the 2016-17 season.

The Stars signed 2015 first-round pick and forward Denis Gurianov to a three-year entry-level contract, beginning next season. The deal was announced Thursday.

The Stars took Gurianov, 18, with the 12th overall pick in last year’s draft. He spent this season with Lada Togliatti in the KHL, appearing in 47 games with five points.

The Stars’ selection of Gurianov may have seemed like a surprise at the time, though Dallas management and hockey staff apparently had him ranked quite high in last year’s draft.

“There is a risk-reward involved,” Stars GM Jim Nill told the Dallas Morning News last summer. “When I talk to my staff, I want the best asset available, and right from the start they said he was a top three to five pick.”