The Dallas Stars have their opening night roster set, and the biggest news is mostly what didn’t change.
On Monday, Dallas locked in a group of 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders for Friday’s season opener, sticking close to the shape of the roster that had been expected all along.
Up front, the Stars are rolling with the core everyone anticipated. Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz, Matt Duchene and recently extended Sam Steel all made the cut, along with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, who are both in the final years of their current deals and could be heading into what looks like one last run together in Dallas. Last season’s breakout performer Justin Hryckowian also made the team, as did Radek Faksa and Oskar Bäck.
The only notable shift among the forwards came near the bottom of the lineup. Dallas brought back Joel Kiviranta and sent Colin Blackwell to AHL Texas. Kiviranta is back with the organization after spending the last three seasons in Colorado, following the first four years of his career in Dallas.
The blue line remains untouched. Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, Esa Lindell, Tyler Myers, Lian Bichsel, Nils Lundkvist and extra defenseman Kyle Capobianco all stayed in place, giving the Stars the same seven-man group they’ve been working with.
In goal, there’s no change either. Jake Oettinger will be backed up by Casey DeSmith, who is entering the final season of his current contract.
Dallas opens its 60th season as a franchise Friday at home against the St. Louis Blues.
In Other News...
Stars Win May Have Just Created A Wild Problem To Watch
Minnesota wrapped up its preseason with a loss to Dallas, but the bigger concern coming out of that game was less about the final score and more about what happened on the blue line. The Wild are now in the stretch run before opening night, with two regular-season games left to get ready, and they have already started sorting through special teams work and defensive pairings in case their lineup has to absorb an early-season adjustment.
Brock Fabers status is the piece everyone is watching after he was hurt in the final preseason game and then stayed out of the next two practices. John Hynes said Faber was home resting, and the club was expecting a further update Tuesday, leaving Minnesota to prepare without knowing yet whether one of its key defensemen will be available when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Stars May Regret This Goalie Decision Sooner Than Expected
Remi Poiriers strong preseason put him in the mix for the backup job behind Casey DeSmith, but the opportunity never quite turned into a roster spot in Dallas. The Stars moved him to waivers, ending his push for the No. 2 job and opening the door for another club to take a closer look at the young goalie.
New Jersey did exactly that, and the fit could make the decision harder to ignore in hindsight. Poirier now has a chance to compete for what may be his first real NHL workload with the Devils, leaving Dallas to wonder whether a promising camp performance was overlooked at the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Opening Roster Sets The Tone For Dallas New Season
Jim Nills first roster of the 2026-27 season gives a clear look at how Dallas plans to open camp, with 21 active players spread across 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders. It is a group built to reflect both continuity and turnover, mixing returning pieces from last season with recent additions as the Stars settle into a new year.
The deeper significance is in how much of the roster is still homegrown, with 11 players drafted by the club among the opening group. For Dallas, that speaks to the long-running structure Nill has built, even as the team also manages the early-season injury picture and waits to see how the rest of the roster comes together. [Read more 🡒]