Arttu Hyry’s path to Dallas has already been a little bit of everything: undrafted, developed in Finland’s Liiga, then brought over by the Stars in April 2024 and pushed into the North American grind. At 25, the Oulu native has gone from prospect to real depth option in a hurry, and the 2025-26 season showed exactly why the organization keeps finding ways to use him.
Hyry split his year between Cedar Park and Dallas, but the late-season NHL stretch is what changed the conversation. He opened with just 3 goals and 2 assists in 20 regular-season games for the Stars, averaging 11:47 of ice time, yet that line doesn’t come close to telling the whole story. Once injuries hit Dallas after the Olympic break, he was recalled and became a steady fourth-line piece, appearing in 20 of the team’s final 25 games.
His first point of the season came on an assist against Utah. Soon after, he buried his first NHL goal with a shorthanded marker against Philadelphia in late March. That sparked a strong finish: three goals and one assist over his final eight games, capped by a tying goal against Toronto in the third period of the penultimate game of the season.
The faceoff circle might have been his most convincing selling point. Hyry won 121 of 209 draws, a 57.9 percent clip that ranked second on the team.
Among NHL players in the post-Olympic stretch with at least 200 faceoffs taken, that mark ranked 11th. He finished below 50 percent in only five games, and he quickly looked like one of Dallas’ more dependable centers.
He also earned trust on the penalty kill. His 2:04 of shorthanded ice time per game tied for third among Stars forwards, behind only Oskar Bäck and Radek Faksa. For a player still carving out his place, that kind of usage says plenty.
Hyry carried that momentum into the playoffs. He played in Games 2 through 5, and Game 3 stood out: 20:35 of ice time, including 3:20 shorthanded, along with three shots, four hits and 12 faceoff wins. His postseason ended early, though, after he suffered a high-ankle sprain in Game 5 when he was slew-footed.
The bigger question now is where he fits next. Dallas re-signed Jason Robertson to a one-year, $12 million deal on July 21, and according to CapWages the club has under $500K in cap space with 13 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies.
Hyry’s new two-year deal, signed July 1, carries an AAV of $875K. The first year is two-way, while the second is one-way.
With Robertson, captain Jamie Benn and Joel Kiviranta back in the fold, the Stars’ forward group is crowded with veterans. That leaves Hyry in a tricky spot.
He could begin the year in Cedar Park and be the first call-up when injuries hit, or Dallas could clear room with a late-summer move. Either way, he has made the case that he belongs in the picture.
He’s a big center who can win draws, kill penalties and handle the defensive work that coaches trust in the bottom six. He also fits into the growing Finnish presence in Dallas. Wherever he starts, Hyry looks ready to keep pushing for more.
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John Klingberg Still Has Everything Riding On His Next Decision
John Klingbergs next move remains one of the more interesting unresolved stories on the veteran defenseman market. After a productive 2025-26 season with the San Jose Sharks, he is still unsigned as a free agent, and the uncertainty around him is easy to understand: teams are weighing his recent health history after he has played limited games in recent seasons, while also trying to figure out where his asking price really sits.
For a player who can still help a blue line, the question now is less about whether there is interest and more about what kind of landing spot makes sense. The chatter has centered on a cheaper NHL deal before training camps or, if that doesnt materialize, the possibility of continuing his career overseas, leaving his next step very much up in the air. [Read more 🡒]