Stars hire Gulutzan for 2nd stint as coach, add Faksa to bolster 4th line

After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is examining where each team stands in preparation for the 2025-26 regular season, which starts Oct. 7. Today, the Dallas Stars:

2024-25 season: 50-26-6, second in Central Division; lost in Western Conference Final

Key arrivals

Radek Faksa, F: The 31-year-old, who played for Dallas from 2015-24, signed a three-year contract July 1 and is expected to be the center on the fourth line and get key minutes on the penalty kill. He had 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists) in 70 games for the St. Louis Blues last season. … Glen Gulutzan, coach: The 53-year-old was hired July 1 to replace Pete DeBoer after the Stars were eliminated from the Western Conference Final for the third consecutive season. Gulutzan returns to the organization that gave him his first opportunity as an NHL head coach, going 64-57-9 in two seasons before he was fired May 14, 2013.

Key departures

Mason Marchment, F: Traded to the Seattle Kraken on June 22 for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Marchment had 47 points (22 goals, 25 assists) in 62 regular-season games and five points (one goal, four assists) in 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games last season. ... Mikael Granlund, F: Signed with the Anaheim Ducks on July 1. Granlund had 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 31 regular-season games and 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 18 playoff games last season after he was acquired from the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 1. …Cody Ceci, D: Signed with the Los Angeles Kings on July 1. Ceci had nine assists in 31 regular-season games and three assists in 18 playoff games while averaging 21:31 of ice time after he was traded to Dallas with Granlund. … Mathew Dumba, D: Traded with a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 10 for 24-year-old defenseman prospect Vladislav Kolyachonok. Dumba had one goal and nine assists in 63 regular-season games before he was a healthy scratch in the playoffs. … Evgenii Dadonov, F: Signed with the New Jersey Devils on July 1. Dadonov had 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists) in 80 regular-season games and four points (one goal, three assists) in 16 playoff games.

On the cusp

Justin Hryckowian, F: The 24-year-old had 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) in 67 games for Texas in the American Hockey League last season. The undrafted forward signed his entry-level contract with Dallas on March 20, 2024, following three seasons at Northeastern University. Hryckowian was nominated for the 2024 Hobey Baker Award given to the top men's ice hockey player in the NCAA, won the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's most outstanding rookie and was named to the league's All-Rookie Team last season. He played 5:50 in his NHL debut Dec. 29 after Marchment took a puck to the face and had one assist in five games. … Arttu Hyry, F: The 24-year-old had 49 points (24 goals, 25 assists) in 67 AHL games. The undrafted forward signed his entry-level contract April 15, 2024, after playing for Karpat in Liiga, the top professional hockey league in Finland, from 2020 to 2024. He made his NHL debut Jan. 2 as an injury call-up and had one assist in five games.

What they still need

A second-line left wing to skate with Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin. Sam Steel and Oskar Back have the offensive skills to potentially slot into that spot, but are unproven as top-six mainstays. With Dallas close to the NHL salary cap ceiling, it is possible that competition in training camp could be used to identify an internal candidate.

They said it

"Everybody talks about big change. [We were a] pretty good team last year, you have to be careful. This isn't a blow-it-up situation. We made a lot of the moves teams are making [in free agency] back in February. If you had told us back in October, November, or go back even farther to free agency a year ago at this time, that you'd have a chance to get Mikko Rantanen … if Mikko Rantanen was available today in free agency, everybody is after him in that. We were fortunate, we did that in February. … A lot of our work was done back in February, now we're just trying to add the pieces around that. We're looking for some internal growth also. There's a lot of these guys that are 22-, 23-, 24-, 25-years of age so they're still hitting their prime. There's a lot of good things here." -- general manager Jim Nill

EDGE stat to watch

The Stars led the NHL in high-danger goals (150) last season and were tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for second in high-danger shots on goal (680) behind the Edmonton Oilers (703). Forward Wyatt Johnston ranked sixth in high-danger shots on goal (100) and was tied for ninth in high-danger goals (22). Center Roope Hintz ranked in the 94th percentile in both high-danger goals (18) and high-danger shots on goal (74). Defenseman Thomas Harley was tied for third at his position in high-danger goals (four). -- Chris Meaney

Fantasy spin

Rantanen, who was traded twice last season, is coming off an outstanding postseason performance with the Stars; he had the most hat tricks (two) and three-point games (five) in the NHL and finished with more than a point per game (22 in 18 playoff games). Rantanen, who formed chemistry with Hintz, is ranked among the top 10 overall fantasy players entering his first full season with Dallas. -- Pete Jensen

Projected lineup

Jason Robertson -- Roope Hintz -- Mikko Rantanen

Oskar Back -- Matt Duchene -- Tyler Seguin

Jamie Benn -- Wyatt Johnston -- Mavrik Bourque

Sam Steel -- Radek Faksa -- Colin Blackwell

Esa Lindell -- Miro Heiskanen

Thomas Harley -- Ilya Lyubushkin

Lian Bichsel -- Nils Lundkvist

Jake Oettinger

Casey DeSmith