2026-27 Player Profile: Lian Bichsel

Name: Lian Bichsel

Age: 22

Birthplace: Olten, Switzerland

Height/Weight: 6-7, 237

2025-26 regular season stats: 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points, 15:40 avg. TOI in 50 games

2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs stats: 0 points, 16:54 avg. TOI in 6 games

Contract: Entering final year of entry-level deal with a cap hit of $918,333

Performance evaluation: For the second straight year in his young NHL career, Bichsel was unable to make a full 82-game impact on the Stars lineup. He made his big league debut in December 2024 and played his first eight NHL games before being reassigned to the Texas Stars (AHL). The 2022 first-round pick was recalled a month later and quickly became a natural in the Dallas lineup for the remainder of the season and playoffs. He posted nine points, a plus-2 rating and a remarkable 155 hits in 38 regular season games as a rookie and even held a lineup spot for all 18 playoff games in 2025. As a result, the sky looked to be the limit for the young blue-liner as he entered the 2025-26 campaign. It certainly played out that way through the first two months, with Bichsel posting three points, a plus-6 and 85 hits in the first 25 games. But on November 30, he suffered an ankle injury in a game against Ottawa that required surgery and a three-month recovery. He returned to the lineup after the Olympic break and played in 24 of the team’s final 25 regular season games. Bichsel showed small flashes of offense, including his first career multi-goal game in a 6-1 demolishing of Vancouver on March 2 and tallying the game-winning goal in a high-scoring affair at Pittsburgh on March 28. And even after being sidelined for 32 games, the second-year defenseman still finished second on the team with 139 hits. That was just slightly off from the 155 he logged in his rookie campaign (in 12 fewer games), but his average ice time spiked from 14:53 to 15:40 as he really started to find his place in the Dallas defensive order.

Expectations for 2026-27: This could end up being an altogether big season for Lian Bichsel. Not only is he entering the final year of his entry-level contract, but the hope is that both the team and the league will finally get a full 84-game view of the towering defenseman. Bichsel’s strengths clearly revolve around his size and physicality. At 6-7, he’s currently tied for seventh tallest player in the NHL and is second on the team only to fellow defenseman Tyler Myers (6-8). He knows how to use that size to his advantage, too. Over the last two seasons, his 3.3 hits per game sit 15th in the NHL, including 3rd among defensemen. He’s one of the Stars’ more rugged players and has become a poster boy for Glen Gulutzan’s “one degree more” desire in the physicality department. The question now seems to be if he can continue that trend while also finding a more consistent offensive groove. While scoring isn’t a main theme in Bichsel’s game, he boasts a deceptive shot and has shown flashes of his offensive ability. He posted 27 shots on goal in 50 games last year, which averages out to 0.54 per game (7th lowest in the NHL). It was a noticeable dip from the 39 he had in 38 games during his rookie year. Even a slight bump in offensive aggression should only help further round out the young defenseman’s overall game. And while we’ll have to wait until training camp for concrete defensive pairings, the thought of Bichsel playing alongside veteran Myers to create a behemoth duo in the Stars’ back end is intriguing. The sky is still the limit for Bichsel as he enters his third season as an NHL pro.

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

Josh Clark is a writer for DallasStars.com. Follow him on X @Josh\\\\\\\_Clark02.