Stars
A preview of the 2025-26 NHL season for the Dallas Stars, including predictions from VSiN NHL Expert Jonathan Davis. For all other NHL team previews, check out our NHL page.
Key Additions: Glen Gulutzan (head coach), Radek Faksa
Key Departures: Pete DeBoer (head coach), Mason Marchment, Mikael Granlund, Evgenii Dadonov, Cody Ceci, Matt Dumba
Overview
The Stars have put up three consecutive 100-point seasons and their six playoff-round victories over that period are more than the other seven Central Division teams combined (2). Last season will be remembered for the in-season trade that brought Mikko Rantanen to Dallas and former head coach Pete DeBoer’s postgame press conference after the Stars were eliminated by the Oilers. DeBoer took a verbal shot at goalie Jake Oettinger’s lack of success against the Oilers in the playoffs, which ultimately cost him his job.
Dallas hired Glen Gulutzan, who returns for his second stint as the Stars head coach after spending the past eight seasons as an assistant with, ironically, the Oilers.
Offense
The 275 goals scored last season by Dallas were the third-most in the league. Thirty-three of the teams’ 50 wins were by two or more goals and they scored four or more goals in 33 of their 50 wins.
Dallas was one of four teams last season that had at least three players with 30 or more goals. Matt Duchene led the team with 82 points and 52 assists. The acquisition of Rantanen at the Trade Deadline from Carolina was a perfect fit. In 38 games with the Stars, he had 14 goals and 40 points, highlighted by his hat trick in Game 7 against Colorado. Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz give the Stars one of the NHL’s best 1-2 punches down the middle. Johnston has scored 89 goals in his first three seasons and increased his point total each season as well. Hintz fell just short of his fourth consecutive 30-goal season, finishing with 28.
Defense
The Stars’ 222 goals surrendered were the sixth-fewest given up last season. Offensively, the Stars blue line had a bit of a drop off from the 2023-24 season going from 12th to 21st overall. Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley give the Stars two defensemen that provide offense, as Harley’s four goals and 14 points in the playoffs trailed only Rantanen for the team scoring lead.
Esa Lindell (170 blocks) and Liam Bichsel (155 hits) focus on the defensive part of the game for Dallas. Bichsel was 14th among all defensemen in hits, despite playing just 38 games. Project his hit totals over 82 games and he would have finished with 334 hits, good enough for second overall in that category.
Goaltending
Mike Palm (VP of Circa and VSIN host/contributor) has referred to Stars goalie Jake Oettinger as a “fake ace”. Oettinger has started all 56 playoff games for Dallas over the past three seasons with a less than spectacular 29-26 record. He has been bested by Stuart Skinner twice, and Adin Hill once in the Western Conference Final the past three seasons.
Backup goalie Casey DeSmith got the bulk of the starts on the back-end of back-to-backs, starting eight of the 11 games in the second half of back to backs, going 6-2.
Player to Watch
There was chatter during the summer that Jason Robertson, an impending restricted free agent, could be on the move out of Dallas. From the betting perspective, I like targeting players in a contract year. His projected point total is 80.5 and I like the Over. Robertson has landed on exactly 80 points each of the last two seasons following his career best 109 in 2022-23.
Outlook
Something to keep in mind when looking at Stars future bets, they are one of 12 teams that don’t have a player on their roster that was drafted first or second overall. Since 2009, only the 2019 St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup without having a player on their roster who was one of the top two selections in the NHL Draft.
Team Futures
Regular Season Points: 103.5
To Make the Playoffs: -1000
To Miss the Playoffs: +600
To Win the Central Division: +225
To Win the Western Conference: +450
To Win the Stanley Cup: +1000
2024-25 Recap
Record: 50-26-6,106 points (2nd Central Division)
Over/Under: 35-43-4
Home Favorite: 27-12 // Home Dog: 1-0
Road Favorite: 19-12 // Road Dog: 3-4
Win Score 4 or more: 33 of 50 // Lose Give Up 4 or more: 21 of 32
Puck Line Wins: 33 of 50 // Puck Line Losses: 21 of 32
Front End Back-to-Back: 6-5 // Back End Back-to-Back: 8-3
Points Leader: Matt Duchene – 82
Goal Leaders: Jason Robertson – 35, Wyatt Johnston – 33
Assist Leader: Matt Duchene – 52
Shots on Goal Leader: Jason Robertson – 211
Blocked Shots Leader: Esa Lindell – 170
Depth Chart
Forwards
Jason Robertson / Roope Hintz / Mikko Rantanen
Matt Duchene / Wyatt Johnston / Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn / Sam Steel / Mavrik Bourque
Oskar Back / Radek Faksa / Colin Blackwell
Defense
Esa Lindell / Miro Heiskenen
Thomas Harley / Ilya Lubushkin
Liam Bichsel / Nils Lundkvist
Goalies
Jake Oettinger / Casey DeSmith
Power Play Unit 1
Matt Duchene, Roope Hintz, Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley
