Summer Coolers – Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars remain one of the NHL’s strongest regular-season teams, but another painful playoff exit raises an increasingly uncomfortable question: is their Stanley Cup window beginning to close? Dallas finished second in the Central Division, second in the Western Conference, and third overall before blowing a 2-1 series lead and losing to Minnesota in six games. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine Glen Gulutzan’s remarkable impact on the power play, the difficult moves required to keep Jason Robertson, Jamie Benn’s shrinking championship window, and why Robertson’s contract situation could become the defining storyline for the future of the Stars.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00:00] Dallas finishes second in the Central Division, second in the Western Conference, and third overall, putting the Stars in another excellent position entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

[00:00:20] Despite their regular-season success, the Stars are eliminated by the Minnesota Wild in six games during the opening round.

[00:00:40] Dallas holds a 2-1 series advantage and appears positioned to take control of Game 4, leading with only 5:20 remaining before Minnesota ties the game and eventually wins in overtime.

[00:01:00] The loss becomes even more frustrating when placed alongside Dallas’ recent playoff history. The Stars had reached—and lost in—the Western Conference Final in each of the previous three seasons.

[00:01:20] Vic notes that no matter how well positioned Dallas appears each spring, something continually seems to go wrong before the Stars can finish the job.

[00:01:40] Neil believes Stars fans are understandably becoming impatient. Dallas has consistently been good enough to contend, but the franchise has repeatedly fallen short of reaching its ultimate goal.

[00:02:00] One of the biggest positives from the season is the impact of Glen Gulutzan, who returned for his second stint in Dallas after serving as an assistant and power-play specialist with the Edmonton Oilers.

[00:02:20] Gulutzan’s influence produces a dramatic transformation with the man advantage. Dallas jumps from 16th on the power play in 2024-25 to second in the NHL at 28 percent.

[00:02:40] Neil credits Gulutzan with bringing effective power-play concepts from Edmonton and turning what had been an average Dallas unit into one of the NHL’s most dangerous.

[00:03:00] The Stars are equally impressive defensively, finishing second in the league at 2.66 goals against per game.

[00:03:20] Jake Oettinger remains the foundation in goal, with Casey DeSmith providing support behind him and helping Dallas maintain one of the league’s best defensive records.

[00:03:40] Unlike several other contenders, Dallas experiences relatively little offseason roster movement, but one trade becomes necessary because of the salary cap.

[00:04:00] Maverick Bourque and Ilya Lyubushkin are traded to Nashville for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round selection.

[00:04:20] The move is largely about creating enough financial flexibility for Dallas to retain restricted free agent Jason Robertson.

[00:04:40] Robertson signs a one-year contract worth $12 million, keeping the Stars’ premier goal scorer in Dallas for another season—but setting up an enormous decision when he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2027.

[00:05:00] Captain Jamie Benn also returns, signing a one-year deal worth $850,000 with the opportunity to earn more than $1 million in additional bonuses.

[00:05:20] Vic believes the lack of major roster changes puts even more pressure on the current group. Dallas has been close repeatedly, but the opportunity to win with this particular core may be running out.

[00:05:40] Neil agrees that Benn is clearly on the clock. The longtime captain has experienced years of playoff contention in Dallas, but there are fewer opportunities remaining for him to lead this version of the Stars to a championship.

[00:06:00] Robertson’s future may be an even bigger concern for General Manager Jim Nill. Dallas must determine what it will take to retain its best goal scorer beyond the upcoming season.

[00:06:20] Neil also views the loss of Bourque as unfortunate because the young forward was beginning to come into his own just as Dallas was forced to move him.

[00:06:40] Bourque and Lyubushkin become meaningful additions for Nashville, illustrating the difficult choices championship-caliber teams sometimes have to make to remain under the salary cap.

[00:07:00] Neil and Vic agree that the championship window is beginning to close on the current iteration of the Dallas Stars. The talent remains, but the pressure to finally convert regular-season success into a Stanley Cup run continues to increase.

[00:07:20] Dallas does have younger players who could begin contributing, including forward Emil Hemming, the 29th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft.

[00:07:40] Hemming produced 63 points in 46 games with Barrie of the OHL last season, making him one of the organization’s prospects to watch as Dallas attempts to transition younger talent into its veteran lineup.

[00:08:00] Defenseman Trey Taylor is another prospect worth monitoring as the Stars look for internal options capable of helping extend their competitive window.

[00:08:20] Dallas enters 2026-27 still capable of competing with the NHL’s best teams. But after four consecutive disappointing playoff endings, the central question is no longer whether the Stars are good enough—it is how many more chances this core will have to finally win the Stanley Cup.