The Dallas Stars’ season is nearly here. The team returns to North Texas this week to begin training for its 2025-26 season.
The Stars will hold training camp at Comerica Center in Frisco Thursday through Saturday with their preseason slate beginning Saturday night at American Airlines Center against the St. Louis Blues.
After reaching the Western Conference finals and falling short of the Stanley Cup Final for the third year in a row, the Stars enter this season seeking to finally get over the hump. While they return most of their roster from last year, a new coaching staff will take over.
Here are five storylines to watch during training camp this week:
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How will Glen Gulutzan and his new staff mesh with the veteran group?
Glen Gulutzan enters his second stint as the Dallas Stars’ head coach in a unique position. Most coaches — especially those without much head coaching experience — don’t take over a team with a roster built to win a Stanley Cup.
But Gulutzan and his staff arrive in Dallas to find a veteran group of players who have been knocking on the door for years. With returners like Mikko Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen and Jake Oettinger, Dallas has a roster capable of winning the Stanley Cup. The question is how the new staff will be able to inherit that group and whether it’s a better match than it was under Pete DeBoer.
In addition to Gulutzan, former Texas Stars head coach Neil Graham and former Edmonton Oilers skating coach David Pelletier are new to the staff. They join returners Alain Nasreddine (defensive coach) and Jeff Reese (goaltenders coach).
Who will be the Stars’ seventh defenseman?
There isn’t expected to be much competition for roster spots in training camp, but one spot that might be up for grabs in Dallas’ seventh defenseman.
The Stars return Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Thomas Harley, Ilya Lyubushkin, Nils Lundkvist and Lian Bichsel, who solidly make up the top six. But without any big offseason moves for a blue liner, the Stars will have three players likely compete for that final spot.
Alexander Petrovic has the best chance to finally crack the Stars’ roster out of training camp. Despite spending the last four regular seasons mostly with the Texas Stars, he has been a mainstay on the Stars’ roster during the playoffs. Petrovic has played just five regular-season games in Dallas over the last two seasons but 24 playoff games, recording a goal, an assist and an average of 12:45 of ice time last postseason.
Two other less less-experienced defensemen will challenge him for that roster spot. Kyle Capobianco spent last season in Cedar Park and proved to be a talented defenseman with some offensive abilities, which the Stars are always looking for. He has 74 games of NHL experience over his near-decade-long career.
Finally, the Stars brought in 24-year-old Vladislav Kolyachonok in the July 10 trade for Matt Dumba. He also has 74 games of NHL experience, including 12 games in Pittsburgh last year.
Could a Texas Stars forward make the roster?
Once the seventh defenseman competition is settled, the Stars still have room for one more player on their roster if they wish to add a 23rd.
Dallas may add an eighth defenseman with two of Petrovic, Capobianco and Kolyachonok making the roster. They may leave the cap space in case they wish to call up someone later.
But could a young forward impress in camp and earn a spot on the roster like Wyatt Johnston did a few years ago? Last year, Oskar Bäck won the competition for the 13th forward spot.
The Stars’ prospect pool isn’t nearly as loaded as it was when Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque were down in Cedar Park. But a few players have the potential to make an impact at the NHL level.
Watch for Justin Hryckowian, who was named the AHL’s rookie of the year last season, recording 60 points in 67 games played. Arttu Hyry is another player the Stars have been watching closely after he recorded 24 goals and 25 assists in his first AHL season after spending his entire career playing in Finland.
What will the Stars’ line combinations look like under Gulutzan?
A new coach and new team mean new line combinations for Dallas. While they likely won’t be fully sorted out by the end of camp, the three-day session in Frisco could shed some light on the potential combinations Gulutzan is considering.
Who will play on the top line with Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen? How will Dallas handle the shortage of left wings? What will the defensive pairings look like?
Most, if not all, of Dallas’ lines will be different this year after the departure of players like Mason Marchment and Mikael Granlund, so it’ll be important for the new combinations to build chemistry starting in camp.
Will the Stars enter the season healthy?
The Stars dealt with serious injuries all of last season, from Tyler Seguin’s hip surgery to Miro Heiskanen’s knee injury to Jason Robertson’s foot surgery last offseason, which caused him to miss most of last training camp.
Stars GM Jim Nill often provides an update at the start of training camp on any offseason injuries and procedures that Stars players had to undergo. It should indicate whether the Stars expect to enter the season healthy.
Roope Hintz, Nils Lundkvist, Tyler Seguin and Lian Bichsel were among the players injured late last playoff run, and we’ll soon learn their statuses after a full offseason to recover.
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