Expectations for 2025-26: There’s a scene in Moneyball when A’s manager Art Howe is looking for more stability than his current one-year contract and tells GM Billy Beane, “There’s not a lot of faith there.” I always think about that quote when I see a player sign a one-year deal, especially after they’ve been bouncing around the NHL. It’s often a “wait and see” move used either on a younger player that didn’t secure a long-term deal in his last stop(s) or an aging veteran nearing retirement. It gives the athlete a chance to prove themselves and earn a longer deal while also not handcuffing the team if things don’t work out. When the Stars signed Steel on July 1, 2023, they were fresh off of a run to the Western Conference Final. Their depth had been a focal point throughout the year with players like Evgenii Dadonov, Max Domi and Ty Dellandrea coming up with big goals and performances throughout the playoff run. The need for depth wasn’t pressing, but the 27-year-old had just finished off a career year in Minnesota and was a former first-round pick (30th overall in 2016) by Anaheim, so the Stars took a swing. It’s paid off in spades so far as Steel has fit nicely into a number of corners of the team’s game plan. Even on different lines and with various linemates, his production has remained steady. He’s one of the more underrated penalty-killing forwards in the NHL and has played a pivotal role in the Stars becoming one of the league’s best PK clubs. He possesses a sneaky good shot and strong puck-handling abilities and has shown flashes of offensive brilliance in his hockey career, including 50 goals and a CHL-leading 131 points with Regina in 2016-17. The season ahead could be a particularly intriguing one for Steel. With Radek Faksa returning and likely set to center the fourth line, could that mean Steel gets bumped up to the third line? With Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene all under contract long-term, the Stars’ center group is a little crowded. If all stay at their natural position, could Steel be deployed at left wing? And if that’s the case, could he even get a look on the second line in the empty spot next to Duchene and Tyler Seguin? All are questions to be answered in the months ahead in training camp and the preseason. But Steel has demonstrated an ability to play a consistent brand of hockey up and down the lineup, and that should only open the door to more opportunity as Dallas kicks off the 2025-26 campaign.
