The Dallas Stars are coming off their longest offseason in a while, and are now primed to set up for another deep playoff run
Dallas Stars
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Last season: 50-20-12, lost in first round of playoffs.
COACH: Glen Gulutzan (114-77-21 over three seasons in two stints with Stars).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 2 vs. St. Louis.
DEPARTURES: C Mavrik Bourque, D Tyler Myers, D Alexander Petrovic.
ADDITIONS: F Joel Kiviranta.
GOALIES: Jake Oettinger (35-12-6, 2.59 goals-against average, .899 save percentage), Casey DeSmith (15-8-6, 2.43, .907).
What to expect
Another deep playoff run, like the three consecutive appearances in the Western Conference Final the Stars made before losing a first-round series in six games to Minnesota last season. The roster is pretty much the same for the second season of Gulutzan's second stint with the team, and many of the players were also part of those trips to the West finals from 2023-25.
“We’re excited about the season," general manager Jim Nill said. “We know we’ve got a good team.”
Top scorer Jason Robertson (45 goals, 51 assists) is back, along with with five other players who had at least 44 points: 23-year-old center Wyatt Johnston, going into his fifth season, Mikko Rantanen, top defenseman Miro Heiskanen, Matt Duchene and Roope Hintz. Jake Oettinger has won 173 regular-season games the past five seasons, and Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy is the only NHL goalie in that span with more (180).
Strengths and weaknesses
The good: Along with all their scoring depth, the Stars were pretty good at preventing goals. They allowed only 2.71 goals a game last season, second in the league to division rival Colorado's 2.40. Gulutzan is clearly a more seasoned coach than his first stint with the Stars from 2011-13, an awkward period for the franchise as it went through bankruptcy and an ownership change while being basically run by the league.
The not-so-good: Another season with questions about Robertson's future. He avoided salary arbitration with a $12 million contract, but could become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The earliest a contract extension with the Stars could happen is Jan. 1. Without one before the trade deadline March 1, there will be questions about whether the Stars would deal Robertson to avoid possibly losing him next summer for nothing. Dallas had a sign-and-trade deal in place to send him to Seattle during the NHL draft in June, but Robertson didn’t agree to a reported $120 million, eight-year contract ($15 million a season) with the Kraken that was necessary to complete that deal.
Players to watch
Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin go into their 14th and maybe final season together. This will be the 37-year-old Benn's 18th NHL season, all with the Stars, and he is again playing on a one-year contract. Seguin won a Stanley Cup title as a rookie with Boston in 2011 before traded to Dallas in 2013, at the same time Benn became the Stars captain. Seguin, was limited to 47 games the past two seasons because of hip and knee injuries and is at the end of a $78.8 million, eight-year contract.
“We are where we are and just trying to take advantage of these last opportunities we have,” Seguin said.
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