The St. Louis Blues may be a good team this season despite playing in a rough Central Division, but the Dallas Stars are once again gonna be great. It's hard to find a weak spot on the Stars, except if you want to consider their cap space, which could end up being a problem if they look to add another building block or two for a postseason run.
But the question is, "Do they even need any?" While it's always wise to keep adding good players to your team, the Stars could go the entire 2025-26 season as-is, assuming they stay healthy, and still look like the West's top contender. Let's break them down.
Forwards
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
Jason Robertson | Roope Hintz | Mikko Rantanen |
Matt Duchene | Wyatt Johnston | Tyler Seguin |
Jamie Benn | Sam Steel | Mavrik Bourque |
Oskar Back | Radek Faksa | Colin Blackwell |
Antonio Stranges | Nate Bastian |
Jason Robertson's still in town, and while he's there, he'll wreak havoc with Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantenen. The Stars would love to ink Robertson, and the more he produces, the higher his value will get. That could be a double-edged sword for Dallas in the future, but he'll help them dominate offensively in the meantime.
Roope Hintz, as always is one of the most reliable two-way forwards in hockey, and Mikko Rantanen proved he was a good fit following a trade from Carolina.
Tyler Seguin's still a viable points producer, and we know what Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston are capable of. Overall, they round out one of the league's best projected top-six units at Daily Faceoff. Then, there's Jamie Benn, Sam Steel, and Mavrik Bourque on the third line.
Benn's still going strong heading into his age-36 season, while Steel's someone who constantly won face-off draws last year. At worst, Bourque brings a jack-of-all-trades option to the table, and could be a deep sleeper for a breakout campaign.
Radek Faksa is a player the Blues know all too well, and he was a king at winning draws in the defensive zone. Expect him to play a similar role as he returns to Dallas.
Colin Blackwell's the kind of grinder you want. As for Oskar Back, he's a do-it-all winger who doesn't need to impress anyone with flashy play.
Overall, this is one of the NHL's most solid groups, and they'll give more than the Blues headaches this season.
Defense and Goaltending
Left Defense | Right Defense |
|---|---|
Esa Lindell | Miro Heiskanen |
Thomas Harley | Ilya Lyubushkin |
Lian Bischel | Nils Lundqvist |
Alexander Petrovic | |
G: Jake Oettinger | G: Casey DeSmith |
You won't get many better first pairings out there than Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen. Lindell's your stay-at-home type with moderate playmaking capabilities, while Heiskanen can put up points like a forward.
As for Thomas Harley? There's nothing he can't do, whether it's getting in front of shots or giving teammates a chance to shine. Meanwhile, Ilya Lyubushkin brings an edge that complements Harley's play.
Lian Bischel's a sledgehammer who, if he plays a full season this year, could rack up over 300 hits. All elite playoff-caliber teams need someone to bring an intimidation factor, and Bischel drives it home. And finally, there's Nils Lundqvist, who can put up a serviceable effort with 14-15 minutes per game.
Jake Oettinger's easily one of the league's best goaltenders, and with the team he's got in front of him, they make his job even easier. Meanwhile, Casey DeSmith brings experience as the No. 2 guy.
So, if I'm the St. Louis Blues, it's all about catching the Stars sleeping on game night. But don't worry - a lot of teams are gonna say the same thing.