2026-27 Player Profile: Kyle Capobianco

Name: Kyle Capobianco

Age: 29

Birthplace: Mississauga, Ontario

Height/Weight: 6-3, 194

2025-26 regular season stats: 2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points, 12:08 avg. TOI in 33 games

Contract: Entering first year of two-year deal that averages $875,000

Performance evaluation: Capobianco was the eighth defenseman on the Dallas roster for most of last season and eventually slid down to ninth in the spring following the acquisition of Tyler Myers. But he did a solid job in his 12:08 time on ice per game across 33 games in the lineup. He was a relatively steady starter through the first half of the season, playing in 28 of the team’s 39 games from Nov. 15 to the start of the Olympic break. While he didn’t produce big numbers in hits (12) or blocked shots (27) last season, he had 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) and 66 total shot attempts. His goals were also pivotal, with one tying the game and the other giving the Stars the lead. He also finished sixth on the team in SAT (a stat that measures puck possession). He was a solid option for the coaching staff to slot into the lineup whenever they needed him, which likely played a significant role in Dallas offering him a two-year extension during the summer.

Expectations for 2026-27: With the departure of Ilya Lyubushkin and Alexander Petrovic, Capobianco seems to be the clear candidate to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman heading into the new season. That could mean a big uptick in games played and could put him in a significant role should anyone get hurt on the blueline. Signing the 29-year-old to a two-year, one-way (meaning his salary stays the same whether he plays in the NHL or AHL) deal shows a great deal of confidence in Capobianco, and a quick study of his history shows why. A skilled player who was taken early in the third round by Arizona in 2015, Capobianco put together two consecutive outstanding AHL seasons just a few years back. In 2023-24, Capobianco had 54 points (12 goals, 42 assists) and was plus-29 in 69 games with the Manitoba Moose. The next season with Texas, he had 50 points (7 goals, 43 assists) in 64 games and was plus-25. He was just as stellar in the playoffs with 13 points (2 goals, 11 assists) in 14 games. There seems to be plenty of offensive potential with Capobianco, and that’s important with the Stars third pairing projecting to be Lian Bichsel and Myers. Those two bring size, physicality and defensive sturdiness, so having Capobianco as an option simply gives the coaching staff a different club in the bag to use whenever necessary.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.