Casey DeSmith shines bright as Stars pick up second straight preseason win over Blues

Casey DeSmith had maybe the best season of his NHL career last year.

He jumped right back to that level on Monday night in his return to preseason hockey ahead of the 2026-27 season.

DeSmith, who posted a 15-8-6 record with a 2.43 GAA and .907 save percentage in 2025-26, started out this new campaign by stopping 30 shots in a 2-1 win over St. Louis at American Airlines Center. Sure, it was just a preseason game, but he looked pretty darn good.

“It’s the same ol’ Case,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “The bottom line is he’s competitive. He’s a competitive guy in practice, he’s a competitive guy in the games, he’s vocal in the locker room, he’s earned it.”

Among goalies with 25 or more appearances last season, DeSmith was fifth in GAA. That helped the Stars rank second overall as a team at 2.71. He really built on a solid 2024-25 season (his first in Dallas) and helped the Stars finish with the third best record during the regular season.

“Casey is probably the best backup in the league,” Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist said. “He’s been unreal.”

Maybe the best example of that was when Dallas was shorthanded for a long stretch in the second period on Monday. The Stars were two men short for a full two minutes and that was sandwiched around some regular PK time. DeSmith came up big with six saves along with the help of some blocks from his teammates, including 24-year-old Trey Taylor, who played last season in the AHL and is now pushing for a chance at the NHL.

“It was great,” DeSmith said. “Some of the young guys blocking shots, you love to see that. That’s the kind of compete that we’re going to need.”

DeSmith is a big part of promoting that “compete.” The 35-year-old has had to earn his place in the league, playing three years at the University of New Hampshire and then working his way up through the Pittsburgh Penguins system. After a year in Vancouver, he joined the Stars and has helped create a fantastic pairing with Jake Oettinger.

“You’re confident no matter who is in goal and that’s a great feeling,” said forward Mikko Rantanen. “It’s a big part of who we are.”

DeSmith could get even more time this year, and he said he’s excited about the season getting started.

“It was nice to get that regular season feel, play the whole game and really sink my teeth into it,” DeSmith said. “It’s fast and just being back in the action feels good. In practice, it’s kind of hard to simulate that – the speed, the bounces, making reads…it’s just different.”

Dallas moves to 2-0-0 in the preseason and has just two games left against the Minnesota Wild. The NHL is moving to 84 games in the regular season, so the Stars have to manage their roster a little differently this year. Gulutzan played some big names in Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz and Thomas Harley, who scored a goal. He also received good games from Lundkvist, who had a goal in almost 20 minutes of ice time, and Justin Hryckowian, who had five hits and went 10-5 in the faceoff circle.

The Stars have a tight salary cap this season, so bubble players might not be on the opening night roster, but many are making their marks in hopes of an early callup.

“We’ve got some tough decisions to make,” Gulutzan said. “We’ve got some guys playing well, and everyone can see the cap number. We’ve had a good competitive camp, making the decisions hard.”

Notebook: The Stars announced a four-year contract extension for forward Sam Steel at a cap hit of $3.7 million per season that will start next year. “For me, he’s evolved his game,” Gulutzan said of the 28-year-old. “He came in as an offensive guy and still has touches of that, but he adapted and he’s a two-way player you can use up and down the lineup.”…Wyatt Johnston led the team with five shots on goal and went 8-1 in the faceoff circle…Matt Duchene (maintenance) and Colin Blackwell (lower body) are out right now, but the Stars are hoping each will be ready for the regular season.

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.