Expectations for 2026-27: When the Stars re-signed Blackwell to a two-year deal on July 1, 2025, the contract was built to be a “win-win.” For Dallas, they were getting back a versatile and gritty fourth-liner that can alternate as the 13th forward and plays like he’s 6-2, 200. For Blackwell, it was term and security on a contending team that the veteran welcomed after playing for six teams in the five seasons prior to his arrival in Texas. So far, that deal has worked out nicely for both sides, and the expectation is that harmony should only continue in the year ahead. An intriguing nugget nestled within Blackwell’s tenure with the Stars is that he was the centerpiece of two of the team’s most memorable playoff moments over the last two seasons. In April 2025, he was the Game 2 hero with an overtime game-winning goal against the Avalanche to even the series after being a healthy scratch in Game 1. This past spring, he delivered a bone-rattling hit to Wild forward Yakov Trenin in the neutral zone to rile up both the crowd and the Stars on their way to a Game 2 win to knot the series. Trenin, who is listed as 6 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than Blackwell, led the NHL in the regular season with 413 hits. For Blackwell to be undeterred going after one of the league’s most physically punishing forwards is a testament to both his mentality as a player and his unwavering commitment to give his all on every shift. It’s part of the reason the Stars re-signed him last summer, and a good reminder to what he can bring to the lineup in the 2026-27 campaign.
