Dallas is wasting no time making its case.
After Plano voters turned down a measure that would have used venue taxes to help pay for a proposed Stars arena, Dallas leaders stepped in and started pushing for the team to stay downtown. The Stars, for their part, said they’ll look at other financing routes, and Plano officials are now going back to rethink their approach.
That leaves the big question hanging in the air: what happens now? The vote didn’t lock the team into any final home, but it did deepen a decision that could shape where Stars fans go for games for years, maybe decades. For Dallas, the rejection opened the door to make its own pitch.
Around the Central, it was a packed night.
Minnesota edged Montreal 2-1 in overtime, with Kirill Kaprizov scoring on the power play 21 seconds into the extra frame to lift the Wild to a league-best 30 points.
Colorado handled Toronto 6-3 and stayed second in the division with 24 points.
Winnipeg beat New Jersey 4-2 for its fourth straight win, and Connor Hellebuyck drew “COWARD” chants from fans in Winnipeg even though he didn’t play.
St. Louis snapped a three-game skid with a 3-2 win over Detroit.
Nashville kept rolling with a 3-0 win over Los Angeles, good for its fifth straight victory in what looks like a resurgent season so far.
Tonight, Utah visits Vegas at 8:30 p.m. CT.
In the World of Chel, one hit stood out, and so did a hockey fight worth keeping in the mix.
Down in Cedar Park, the Texas Stars dropped a shootout to the Manitoba Moose last night, but they get another shot tonight at 7 p.m. CT.
And on the arena front, the sense from here is pretty simple: Plano has spoken. For the locals, the next question is what comes next.
In Other News...
Stars Still Have One Big Issue Despite Their Strong Start
The early returns on Dallas season have been encouraging, even if they have not looked exactly the way the Stars hoped when they set out to address last springs playoff scoring issues. At 10-5-2, they sit ninth in points percentage and have built a strong foundation on the back end, with Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith giving them steady goaltending and Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Thomas Harley helping drive the defensive play.
What has not fully arrived yet is the extra offense the Stars were chasing. The changes Glen Gulutzan put in place have helped make Dallas harder to play against, but the scoring has not taken a meaningful jump, leaving the club in an odd spot: good enough to win, structured enough to control games, and still waiting for the attack to catch up to the rest of it. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Still Have One Huge Jason Robertson Decision Looming
The Stars have one more major item on the front-burner as the calendar turns toward December, and it centers on Jason Robertson. General manager Jim Nill said the team will begin contract extension talks with the pending unrestricted free agent forward next month, even though Robertson is not eligible to sign a new deal until Jan. 1. It is the kind of conversation Dallas has to have sooner rather than later, especially with a core scorer whose future carries obvious weight for a team trying to stay in the thick of the West.
For now, the Stars are also taking a broader look at their roster before making any other significant calls. Nill has said the club wants to see everyone healthy before settling into its next round of decisions, which adds another layer to a situation already worth watching closely. Robertson's camp, meanwhile, can afford to let the market develop a bit before anything is finalized, leaving Dallas with a familiar front-office balancing act: plan ahead, stay patient, and hope the timing works in its favor. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Are Suddenly Getting Help Where They Need It Most
Chicagos injury picture is starting to brighten in a way that could matter quickly, with head coach Jeff Blashill saying Patrick Kane and Bowen Byram are expected back at practice and in games within the next few days. The Blackhawks also added some experience behind the bench, bringing in former Stanley Cup champion Mark Eaton as a defensive coach, a move that fits the broader push to stabilize a group that has been trying to piece things together on the fly.
On the other side of the matchup, the Stars made a roster move of their own by recalling defenseman Trey Taylor, a bit of added depth that comes at a time when Dallas is still working through its own blue-line health issues. It is the kind of transaction that can look routine on paper but tends to matter more when the schedule tightens and the margins get thin, especially with key minutes still needing to be covered. [Read more 🡒]