The Dallas Stars have made a clear bet on stability in goal, locking up Casey DeSmith on a two-year extension that keeps him in the fold through the 2028-29 season.
The new deal was signed Wednesday and is worth $5 million total, with an average annual value of $2.5 million beginning with the 2027-28 season. DeSmith is currently in the final year of his three-year contract with Dallas, a deal that will pay him $3.05 million by the end of the 2026-27 campaign, with an average annual value of $1,016,667.
“Extending Casey has been a priority for us, and we’re excited to have him locked up for two more years,” said Stars general manager Jim Nill. “He’s been incredibly reliable during his time with our organization, and we are looking forward to the tandem of Casey and Jake continuing to anchor our team moving forward.”
DeSmith, 35, has spent the last two seasons largely backing up Jake Oettinger, and he’s given the Stars exactly what they needed. In 53 games over that stretch, he’s posted a .911 save percentage and three shutouts while helping Dallas to 29 wins since arriving as a free agent in the summer of 2024.
His NHL résumé now spans 220 regular-season games with the Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks. Across that run, the Rochester, New York native has a .910 save percentage and 99 wins, and he has reached at least 10 victories in seven of his eight NHL seasons, including a 15-win season with Dallas last year.
The extension comes as the Stars prepare to open their season Friday against the St. Louis Blues at home.
Dallas will then head to Nashville to face the Predators on Saturday before returning home to take on the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 5.
In Other News...
Stars Preseason Opponent Suffers Serious Injury As Full Fallout Emerges
The preseason schedule can turn ugly in a hurry, and Minnesotas loss of Brock Faber is a reminder that even exhibition games carry real consequences. The Wild announced the young defenseman suffered a fractured skull during a game against the Stars, and the injury immediately shifted the focus away from the box score and toward his condition.
Faber underwent successful surgery, and Wild general manager Bill Guerin said he is doing well afterward. Minnesota has not put a recovery timeline on the injury yet, which leaves the team waiting for the next update while trying to absorb the loss of one of its most important blue-line pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Bring Back A Fan Favorite With Cup-Era Meaning
The Stars are leaning into a little Cup-era nostalgia next season, bringing back their popular 1999 alternate jersey as part of the clubs game-night rotation. The sweater, which echoes the design worn during Dallas Stanley Cup run, already made a postseason appearance last spring and now has a bigger regular-season role on the schedule.
What makes the reveal interesting is how the throwback fits alongside the teams other new looks, with fresh City and Stadium Series uniforms also joining the mix. For a fan base that has always connected strongly to the old green-and-black identity, the return of the 99 jersey is more than a style choice, even if the full rollout leaves plenty of room for which nights it will show up and how often it becomes the one everyone wants to see. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Used A Rare Getaway To Strengthen What Matters Most
A few days in Traverse City gave the Stars a different kind of preseason work, one that went beyond the usual rink routine. Dallas took over the former Red Wings training base for a four-day camp in Michigan, using the facilities as a setting for two practices and a stretch of team-building that coach Glen Gulutzan and general manager Jim Nill both saw as valuable heading into the regular season.
The point of the trip was to tighten the group, get players comfortable with one another and come out of camp with a better sense of readiness. For a team trying to build early-season chemistry, the change of scenery offered a rare chance to focus on the basics away from home, even as the details behind how the trip came together and how the off-ice time was spent add another layer to why it mattered. [Read more 🡒]