First Shift 🏒
Patience has been at the center of Kyle Capobianco’s world for several years now.
The 29-year-old defenseman is in his third season in the Stars organization and has played just 36 NHL games in that span. But as the team looks to navigate the loss of Esa Lindell (lower body injury) for a week or more, Capobianco is being asked to step forward.
“The job is to stay ready at all times, and it’s easy with the coaching staff and the trainers here keeping me mentally prepared and physically prepared,” Capobianco said.
A third-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2015, Capobianco spent six seasons in that organization. While he had a couple of glimpses in the NHL, he was a top skilled blueliner in the AHL for several seasons. After leaving the Coyotes, he tallied 54 points (12 goals, 42 assists) and was plus-29 in 69 games with the Manitoba Moose and followed that up with 50 points (7 goals, 43 assists) in 64 games with the Texas Stars in 2024-25.
His stint in Cedar Park opened the door for a call-up last season, and Capobianco logged 33 games with the Dallas Stars. Capobianco was juggled along with depth defensemen Alexander Petrovic, Ilya Lyubushkin and Vladislav Kolyachonok, but after the summer, he was the only one left on the team. That opened the door, and while a slow start has been frustrating this season, he has earned the trust of the coaching staff.
“I think it really helps, in Capo’s case, just with how good of legs he has,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “The pace doesn’t get to him. He’s a very skilled defenseman and very competitive.”
Capobianco said he works hard on his skating.
“It’s a lot of short crisp sprints,” he said. “I think in a game you think it’s 40-second shifts, but you really have a lot of five-second quick bursts, so that’s when you’re going to use your legs.”
He did that in the third period on Tuesday and helped create a lot of possession for the Stars. The concept of the best defense is keeping the puck in the offensive end of the ice.
“He’s good at that,” Gulutzan said. “Where he helps is offensively. He can transport the puck.”
And he will continue to do that when asked. Lindell could be back in a few games, but in the meantime, Capobianco has a chance to help the Stars win games and also win some points for himself.
“You just do whatever you can to help the team win,” he said. “That’s what’s important, that’s where the focus is.”
