Stars Rumors

With the regular season now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team accomplished over the offseason.  Next up is a look at the Dallas Stars.

The Stars have been knocking on the door of the Stanley Cup Finals for a few years now, but haven’t managed to get there since the 2020 playoffs, which were played in a pandemic bubble. While the team has made some decent playoff runs, it hasn’t lived up to expectations so far and is approaching the later stages of its competitive window. Now, there’s no doubt they remain a Stanley Cup contender with such a highly talented roster, but with a couple of expensive extensions coming up, there’s a good chance that their depth could start to weaken as more of their star players cash in.

Draft

3-94 – RW Cameron Schmidt, Vancouver (WHL)
4-126 – LW Brandon Gorzynski, Calgary (WHL)
5-146 – C Atte Joki, Lukko U20 (U20 SM-sarja).
5-158 – G Måns Goos, Färjestad BK J20 (J20 Nationell)
6-190 – RW Dawson Sharkey, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
7-222 – RW Charlie Paquette, Guelph (OHL)

The Stars didn’t pick until the third round this past off-season, and with their first selection, they chose a highly talented but undersized forward from the WHL. Schmidt has an incredible release on his shot and is accurate whether he’s in motion or working off the rush. Despite his size, he’s very capable of creating open space for himself to set up one-timers or catch passes and release them quickly. Schmidt would likely have been drafted higher if not for his 5’8”, 161 lb frame, and he could be a steal for Dallas, whether he adds more size or not.

Gorzynski is a high-energy forward who moves quickly on the ice and plays a very north/south style. He doesn’t shy away from physical play and seems to enjoy any chance to engage physically with opponents. He creates space for his linemates both on the rush and in the offensive zone, which should make him popular among his teammates.

Joki probably won’t be a regular scorer in the NHL, but not everyone who makes it does, and that doesn’t mean he’s not valuable. His off-the-puck effort is outstanding, even if his puck handling is simple. He’s not much of a playmaker or passer and won’t be leading the Stars’ transition game anytime soon, but he can shoot accurately if given the chance to finish plays.

In the fifth round, the Stars picked a goaltender named Goos, who is 6’5” tall and weighs 198 lbs, giving him a solid NHL-sized frame. Goos doesn’t shrink in the net like some other bigger goaltenders; he makes himself appear larger through good technical positioning. His main weakness is rebound control, and he also struggles with in-zone plays and puck tracking. If he can improve in these areas, there’s a real chance he could develop into an NHL netminder.

Trade Acquisitions

D Vladislav Kolyachonok (from Pittsburgh)

Kolynachonok’s acquisition through trade was more about moving on from veteran defender Matt Dumba’s contract than gaining a young defenseman. Dumba was a healthy scratch in the playoffs and couldn’t fit under the salary cap in Dallas, which led the Stars to trade him along with a second-round pick in exchange for Kolyachonok.

Kolyachonok might not be part of the Stars’ plans for the future, but that doesn’t mean they should completely close the door on him. The 24-year-old posted decent underlying numbers in Utah but didn’t fit well with the Penguins and struggled to finish the year. He has the potential to develop into a sixth- or seventh defenseman if given the opportunity, which would be a bonus for Dallas, since they acquired him primarily to facilitate the trade.

UFA Signings

RW Nathan Bastian (one year, $775K)
F Adam Erne (one year, $775K)*
C Radek Faksa (three years, $6MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Stars didn’t have much extra cash this summer and had to take a cautious approach to free agency. They brought back a familiar face, Faksa, a defensive center who doesn’t contribute much offensively. The 31-year-old spent the first nine years of his NHL career in Dallas before being traded to St. Louis in July 2024. He spent just under a year with St. Louis before signing with Dallas on July 1, 2025, as an unrestricted free agent. His return gives the Stars a player who is very limited offensively but strong defensively. Faksa hasn’t exceeded 30 points since 2018-19 and has only surpassed 20 points in two of the six seasons since 2019.

The Stars also signed Bastian to a one-year deal at the NHL minimum. The 27-year-old provides good size and physicality to Dallas and should see some time in the team’s bottom six, likely in a limited fourth-line role. Bastian won’t score much and isn’t the best skater, but he is a solid defensive player and can contribute on the penalty kill, winning puck battles in the corners and in front of the net.

RFA Re-Signings

C Mavrik Bourque (one year, $950K)
G Benjamin Kraws (one year, $775K)*
D Nils Lundkvist (one year, $1.25MM)
G Remi Poirier (two years, $1.55MM)*
LW Antonio Stranges (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

The Stars likely preferred a longer-term deal with Bourque, but due to salary cap constraints, they chose a low-cost, one-year agreement. In the short term, this should work well for the Stars, but if Bourque makes a significant leap this season, a longer-term contract could become more costly. Bourque didn’t impress many during his rookie year, tallying just 11 goals and 14 assists in 73 games. However, he achieved this while playing only 12:43 per game and starting nearly 60% of his shifts in the defensive zone. If he gains better offensive opportunities, there’s a strong chance his scoring will increase noticeably.

The Stars took a short-term gamble with defenseman Lundkvist, who remains somewhat of a mystery despite being several seasons into his time with the team. There have been glimpses of the talent that convinced Dallas to trade a first-round pick for the 24-year-old, but between those glimpses, he’s had stretches where he takes too many penalties, gets caught out of position, or turns the puck over. He might never reach his full potential, but for now, Lundkvist seems to have an opportunity to prove to the Stars that he can become a top-four defenseman, which is what they hoped for when they made the trade for him.

Departures

F Matej Blumel (signed with Boston, one year $875K)
D Cody Ceci (signed with Los Angeles, four years $18MM)
F Evgenii Dadonov (signed with New Jersey, one year $1MM)
D Matt Dumba (traded to Pittsburgh)
F Mikael Granlund (signed with Anaheim, three years $21MM)
G Magnus Hellberg (signed in Sweden)
F Mason Marchment (traded to Seattle)
F Mathias Emilio Pettersen (signed in Sweden)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Stars experienced several significant departures this past summer, and while a few of them created gaps in their lineup, most of the players who left were overpaid and either shipped out of town or signed elsewhere for better deals.

The Granlund contract surprised many this summer after he signed for $7MM annually on a three-year deal. Granlund is a reliable offensive player, but beyond his passing and playmaking, there isn’t much else. Some may forget, but two years ago, when Kyle Dubas was hired in Pittsburgh to fix Ron Hextall’s mistakes, he traded Granlund to the San Jose Sharks as part of a salary dump during the Erik Karlsson trade. Granlund performed well in San Jose, netting 105 points in 121 games on some bad Sharks teams, but he still demonstrated slow skating and weak defensive play. In Dallas, he was a valuable depth scorer, but with the Stars already at the cap, there was no way they could come close to matching the deal Granlund signed with the Ducks.

Ceci was another player who was heavily overpaid in free agency, and considering his playoff run last year in Dallas, it doesn’t seem like the Sharks will miss him. However, they might need to rely on Alex Petrovic on the right side of their defense quite often. Ceci was arguably the biggest overpay in free agency and could end up being a contract that the Kings regret or be forced to buy out later.

Dumba was another right-shot defender who had a turbulent time with the Stars. The 31-year-old is now on his fourth team in two years and could be traded again before the end of this season, depending on how his year unfolds. A former seventh overall pick, it wasn’t that long ago that Dumba looked like a genuine top-tier right-shot defenseman. However, in recent seasons, that shine has faded, and Dumba has become more of a depth defenseman than a top-tier one. Dumba is still a valuable NHL player, but with him earning $3.75MM this season, the Stars were forced to move his contract, and the Penguins were more than happy to acquire it along with a second-round pick.

The Marchment trade to Seattle was mainly about dollars going out for the Stars, who likely understood Marchment for what he is—a solid offensive contributor with valuable skills. The Stars probably wanted to keep him, but given his salary, age, and closeness to free agency, they clearly thought it was best to move on. Marchment remains a handy player capable of producing offense and playing a physical game, but he tends to turn the puck over and is not a playmaker.

Lastly, Dadonov was an interesting case because he scored 20 goals and 20 assists the previous season and seemed like an excellent fit for the Stars. He left to sign a $1MM deal with the Devils that also includes another $2.25MM in potential bonuses. His departure was surprising because he can still produce, and for the price tag, he should outperform his contract. It’s easy to speculate about what could have happened. Still, Dallas and Dadonov both likely expected he would do better financially this summer and might have parted ways before the financial realities set in. In any event, the Stars will miss the offensive depth Dadonov provided last year, but they should have some younger players who can step in and replace some of that missing offense.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Stars faced a significant cap crunch this past summer. They will need to navigate additional salary cap challenges throughout the season, as they currently have only $341K in cap space. Injuries and call-ups will be challenging to manage with such limited flexibility, and adding depth won’t be easy. Currently, any in-season move by the Stars would have to be dollar-for-dollar, or they could attempt to dump salary on teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have already taken on bad contracts from the Stars and other clubs.

Key Questions

How will Jake Oettinger respond after the end of last season?

Oettinger’s season ended about as badly as it could last year when he gave up two goals on two shots in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final before former Stars head coach Pete DeBoer pulled him. They were the only two shots he faced in the game, and much was made in the media about DeBoer’s decision to pull Oettinger, as well as his comments after the game, where he said he was hoping a goalie switch would spark the Stars and that Oettinger had lost six of seven games against Edmonton. From a development perspective, there are two ways that Oettinger can respond. One way would be to let the comments rattle him and affect his game, while the other would be to let them motivate him going forward, and hopefully something he can look back on as a learning experience. How he responds is up to him, but so far this season, he appears to be responding well.

Is the championship window shrinking?

The Stars have several of their top players locked up long-term. Still, with Thomas Harley and Jason Robertson expecting significant raises next summer, it’s fair to wonder how much longer they can keep the band together, especially if this year ends in another playoff disappointment. The Stars are built with a ton of offensive talent and wouldn’t be the first powerhouse team to have a terrific decade of success without any Stanley Cups to show for it. They are probably a few years away from that reality, but time moves fast, and every season without a title is one year closer to the competitive window slamming shut.

Will Robertson re-sign in Dallas?

The Stars will have some time to decide Robertson’s future as he is an RFA for one more year after this season, meaning Dallas doesn’t have to sign the forward until next summer. It appears that both sides are comfortable waiting until the summer to decide the long-term plan, which allows Robertson to put up elite numbers one more time before he heads back to the negotiating table. He is currently earning $7.75MM, and while that figure is healthy, he will certainly exceed it on his next long-term deal. How much of a raise he gets will depend on his production this year, and it’s up to the Stars to decide if they give him that raise or if he finds it elsewhere.

Photo by Sergei Belski-Imagn Images