The Stars got a useful snapshot of where their roster stands Wednesday night, and it came in the form of a 2-0 preseason shutout of Minnesota.
With salary-cap pressure shaping the roster and injuries adding more uncertainty, Dallas is heading toward Oct. 2 with some moving parts. Tyler Seguin, Matt Duchene and Colin Blackwell are all rehabbing injuries, and the team may not be able to carry the full 14 forwards and seven defensemen allowed under league rules. That has left coach Glen Gulutzan working through some gaps in a lineup that is already missing several players from last season.
Against the Wild, the depth showed up.
Rémi Poirier stopped all 24 shots he faced, Kyle Capobianco picked up two assists and Matthew Seminoff scored a goal and dropped the gloves. Each player could open the season in the AHL, but all three made a strong case that they can help when Dallas needs them.
“Guys are clawing,” Gulutzan said.
Seminoff, 22, was the clearest example. Drafted by Dallas in 2022 with the 179th pick, he spent the past three seasons in the minors before taking a major step last year with Texas, where he posted 50 points - 24 goals and 26 assists - in 72 games. He kept that momentum going Wednesday, reading Capobianco’s rush to the net in the second period and finishing for the game’s first goal.
“You look at his mentality and he probably had a fight tonight because he’s climbed that ladder and he’s pushing,” Gulutzan said. “That’s a good sign.”
Seminoff also helped set up chances for teammates and said his focus is on controlling what he can.
“You try to get involved any way you can,” said the winger who played his junior hockey in Kamloops with former Star Logan Stankoven. “There’s a lot you can’t control, but you control what you can and try to show up with a positive attitude every day.”
Poirier had his own chance to stand out, and he took it. The 24-year-old went 27-19-6 in his fourth AHL season with a 2.61 GAA and .912 save percentage, while leading all AHL goalies with 52 games played. He is basically locked into the No. 3 goaltending role behind Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith, but when Oettinger dealt with lower body tightness after morning skate, Poirier got the start and looked sharp throughout.
With Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Trey Taylor, Capobianco, Lian Bichsel and Tyler Myers in front of him, Poirier was steady and outplayed Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt.
“I thought Remi was really good,” Gulutzan said. “He made some big saves and he made some stuff look easy, which is always a sign of good positioning. I thought he was pretty smooth tonight.”
“I was excited to play a full game in preseason,” he said. “Full games are always fun and I’ll take everything right now. It helped that there were basically six guys from the NHL on D, and those guys were really good for me.”
Poirier said he has focused on controlling rebounds better and building patience, and he feels more comfortable now when he’s on the ice with NHL players.
“I think the big difference from the year past is that I feel when I’m going on the ice, I know the players and I know I can communicate with those guys, and I know it’s going to be all right,” Poirier said. “It’s just experience for me, and I feel comfortable when I’m out there. If it’s NHL, I don’t even realize that.”
Capobianco, 29, is further along in his career, with 107 NHL games on his résumé and 33 of them coming with Dallas last season. He has climbed the depth chart after the Stars lost Ilya Lyubushkin and Alexander Petrovic in the offseason because of salary-cap concerns, and his puck-moving ability could matter even more if Dallas leans into the “tweak” in style Gulutzan mentioned.
“I still think Capo is a guy who can grow in this league,” Gulutzan said. “He hasn’t played full time for a bit, and I think he can. I thought he was good tonight.”
Capobianco, who was drafted by Arizona in 2015 and joined the Stars organization in 2024, has already shown his offensive touch. Two seasons ago, he put up 50 points - seven goals and 43 assists - in 64 games for Texas. He said the way Dallas wants to play suits him.
“I like it,” he said. “It’s a little bit of what I’ve played before, less passive and more aggressive. You’ve got to be on your toes, which is a style I like.”
Dallas improved to 3-0-0 in the preseason and wraps things up Friday in Minnesota. Oettinger will be re-evaluated at practice Thursday, which will determine whether he plays. Even if he doesn’t, Wednesday’s performance suggested the Stars have some useful answers waiting in the wings.
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