Have the Stars’ Chances of A Stanley Cup Faded? Depends on Who You Ask

It’s not often in pro sports that a head coach who led a team to the conference finals in three consecutive years is fired, or considered by some to have failed, but welcome to the Dallas Stars. The 2025-26 version of the NHL club has a new leader behind the bench now that Glen Gulutzan has returned to Dallas to take over for the aforementioned successful, but not successful enough Pete DeBoer. 

Regardless of your views on whether the old coach deserved to be booted, it’s worth noting that the switch was the biggest change to the team in the offseason. It can easily be argued that Dallas’ blockbuster trade for all-star right winger Mikko Rantanen late last season was the biggest move any NHL team would make from that point, through the entire offseason. Although DeBoer’s tenure was impressive for the trio of deep playoff pushes, it’s nice to know that Gulutzan was on the staff of the team that sent Dallas packing in each of the last two seasons, so the club isn’t missing quality playoff experience in its leadership. 

Unlike with the other area pro teams, there’s plenty of reason to think the Stars are one of the few teams in their league with legitimate reasons to see themselves as a major title contender. The regular season kicks off on Thursday when Dallas takes on the Winnipeg Jets, one of last year’s top teams, in Canada. 

What Do The Experts Think About the Stars?

It seems that falling short, even as deep into the playoffs as they have done so, has worn some pundits down. In its season preview, The Athletic sees promise in Dallas but isn’t totally sold on the Stars’ chances.

“This season’s forecast puts the Stars right in the mix again, but they start on the outside of the top five,” the Athletic’s report notes. “In the West, Colorado, Edmonton and Vegas all stand in Dallas’ way to the top. The Stars aren’t far off and the margins are slim, but they start at the bottom of the pecking order.”

NHL.com seems to believe a bit more in Dallas, writing that the Stars need to stay the course and make sure their youngest talents continue to grow.

“The Stars just need to do what has worked over the past few regular seasons. It starts with production, which was there in the regular season (3.35 goals per game, tied with the Winnipeg Jets for third in the NHL),” the NHL report says. “The Stars were just as sturdy on defense, a calling card for many seasons, allowing 2.71 goals per game (sixth). Most importantly, goalie Jake Oettinger needs to shake off the way things ended last season, when he was pulled after allowing two goals on the first two shots he faced in the first period of Game 5 against the Oilers. It was a difficult end to an otherwise terrific season, but those around Oettinger believe he’ll respond well.”

Who Are the Main Additions and Subtractions This Year?

For many, Gulutzan is the primary addition to the team this year. Few major moves were made to the player roster, so it’s hard to argue with that. With the amount of young talent in line to make the next step in their respective developments in the lineup and the aforementioned Rantenen trade in the rearview, fans shouldn’t be surprised or bothered that it was a rather quiet offseason for the club. We’d be lying, though, if we said we wouldn’t miss the physical, gritty play of left winger Mason Marchment, who was traded to Seattle in the offseason. 

The left wing position will be an interesting one to watch this season, and could be a problem area now that longtime captain Jamie Benn is due to miss considerable time following surgery for a collapsed lung and a season where the status of Jason Robertson will continue to be questioned as his contract nears its end. If you want to get creative with the definition of “addition,” it’s not unreasonable to think that exciting young center Mavrik Borque’s development into a more prominent force will be every bit as valuable as a crafty offseason trade should he take that next step so many experts believe he can. 

What are the Betting Odds for the Stars?

Again, opinions of Dallas this season are high, but perhaps not as high as they have been in the past couple of seasons. ESPN Bet lists the Stars with +900 odds to win the Stanley Cup, the fifth-best odds in the league, while DraftKings shows the Stars as merely the sixth-best pick to win it all at +1000 odds. FanDuel, on the other hand, sees things a bit differently and has the Stars with the second-best odds of winning the Stanley Cup at +850. 

Key 2025-26 Season Games 

• Oct. 9, Dallas at Winnipeg (Opening night)
• Oct. 11, Dallas at Colorado (Playoff rematch)
• Oct. 28, Washington at Dallas (All-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin visits)
• Nov. 1, Dallas at Florida (Visit Stanley Cup champions)
• Nov. 4, Edmonton at Stars (Western Conference Finals rematch, Gulutzan’s former team)
• Jan. 6, Dallas at Carolina (Visit Stanley Cup betting favorite)
• March 22, Vegas at Dallas (Late regular-season game against conference rival)
• April 4, Colorado at Dallas (Late regular-season game against conference rival)
• April 15, Dallas at Buffalo (Final regular season game)

How Can I Watch Stars Games This Year?

As has been the case for teams across all professional sports in recent years, you’ll need a few different streaming and cable subscriptions to catch all the games. Thankfully, the Stars are one of the teams leading the way with offering regionally available broadcasts, or the games not shown exclusively on national outlets like ESPN or Hulu, for free. If you haven’t already, download the Victory+ app on your device and tune in—no cable or other streaming service required.