Kyle Capobianco heads into 2026-27 with a clearer path than he had a year ago.
The 29-year-old defenseman, who was born in Mississauga, Ontario, is entering the first season of a two-year deal that carries an average annual value of $875,000. After spending most of last season as Dallas’ eighth defenseman and then sliding to ninth in the spring following the acquisition of Tyler Myers, Capobianco could now be in line to open the year as the Stars’ seventh defenseman.
That role would come with a real chance to play more often, and possibly a bigger one if injuries hit the blue line.
Last season, Capobianco appeared in 33 games and posted 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points while averaging 12:08 of ice time. His workload was modest, but he handled it well. From Nov. 15 through the start of the Olympic break, he played in 28 of Dallas’ 39 games and was a steady presence when the coaching staff needed him.
The numbers weren’t flashy in the physical categories - he finished with 12 hits and 27 blocked shots - but he still found ways to matter. He logged 66 total shot attempts, ranked sixth on the team in SAT, and scored two goals that carried real weight: one tied the game, and the other put the Stars in front.
Dallas’ decision to give him a two-year extension makes more sense when you look at his track record. Taken early in the third round by Arizona in 2015, Capobianco has shown plenty of offensive skill over time, including back-to-back standout AHL seasons not long ago.
In 2023-24 with the Manitoba Moose, he produced 54 points - 12 goals and 42 assists - and finished plus-29 in 69 games. The following season with Texas, he had 50 points - 7 goals and 43 assists - in 64 games and was plus-25.
He also kept rolling in the playoffs, putting up 13 points - 2 goals and 11 assists - in 14 games.
That offensive upside matters for Dallas, especially with the third pairing projected to be Lian Bichsel and Myers. Both bring size, physicality and defensive reliability, which makes Capobianco a useful alternative when the Stars want a different look on the back end.
In Other News...
Tyler Seguins Recovery Leaves One Big Question For Stars Fans
Tyler Seguin is back on the ice and back in the familiar grind of a comeback, skating again after the torn ACL that interrupted his season and sent the Stars into waiting mode. For a veteran who has been through plenty over the years, the return to skating is an encouraging marker, the kind that suggests the rehab is moving forward and the long road back is starting to feel a little more like hockey and a little less like a medical timeline.
The bigger issue for Dallas is the same one that hangs over every late-stage recovery: when, exactly, will Seguin be ready to play again? He talked about the difficulty of the process, and the Stars will keep watching each step closely as the regular season approaches. Even with progress on the ice, there is still uncertainty around his status for the opener, which leaves one of the teams most important forwards in the gray area between recovery and return. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Seguins Latest Rehab Update Keeps Stars Fans On Edge
Tyler Seguins road back from ACL surgery has been anything but straightforward, and the Stars veteran made clear just how demanding the rehab has been as he works toward a return. He has not played since the December injury, has dealt with setbacks along the way and is now moving forward again, trying to get his body ready for training camp and a season opener that are suddenly not all that far away.
Seguin also revisited the broader story of his career health, including the hip surgeries that came before this knee issue, a reminder of how much wear and tear has piled up on one of Dallas most important players. For the Stars, the timing matters because Seguin is still a central piece of what they do, and every update on his recovery carries weight as the club inches closer to the start of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Fans Have A Finnish Prospect Entering A Crucial Test
The NHL Prospect Games have given Dallas fans a useful snapshot of three Finnish names worth tracking, with Niilopekka Muhonen, Jesse Kiiskinen and Luka Arkko all part of the conversation. Muhonen has drawn attention for the kind of defensive game the Stars tend to value, while Kiiskinen remains the more obvious offense-first watch after a recent move to Detroit changed his path but not his reputation as a scorer.
For Dallas, Muhonen is the one who best fits the organizations long-term need for steady blue-line depth, even if he is still in the stage where every shift is part showcase, part test. The scouting read on him is all about whether his size and positioning can translate against faster pro pace, and these prospect games are exactly the sort of setting where a player can either strengthen that case or leave more questions hanging for the next stop on the ladder. [Read more 🡒]