Dallas Stars announce opening night roster for 2025-26 season

FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today the team's roster for opening night. The 2025-26 opening night roster consists of 21 active players, including 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders. Additionally, forwards Oskar Bäck and Jamie Benn will begin the season on IR and Luke Krys, Kyle McDonald and Chase Wheatcroft will be placed on Injured Non-Roster.

The roster includes nine players drafted by the club, including first-round selections Wyatt Johnston (23rd overall, 2021), Mavrik Bourque (30th overall, 2020), Thomas Harley (18th overall, 2019), Miro Heiskanen (third overall, 2017), Jake Oettinger (26th overall, 2017) and Radek Faksa (13th overall, 2012).

RETURNING PLAYERS FROM 2024-25 (17)

F Colin Blackwell - Signed as a free agent on July 2, 2024

F Mavrik Bourque - DAL first round (30th overall) in 2020

G Casey DeSmith - Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2024

F Matt Duchene - Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2023

D Thomas Harley - DAL first round (18th overall) in 2019

D Miro Heiskanen - DAL first round (third overall) in 2017

F Roope Hintz - DAL second round (49th overall) in 2015

F Wyatt Johnston - DAL first round (23rd overall) in 2021

D Esa Lindell - DAL third round (74th overall) in 2012

D Nils Lundkvist - Acquired from the New York Rangers for a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and a conditional fourth-round selection in 2025 on Sept. 19, 2022

D Ilya Lyubushkin - Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2024

G Jake Oettinger - DAL first round (26th overall) in 2017

D Alexander Petrovic - Signed as a free agent on July 28, 2021

F Mikko Rantanen - Acquired from Carolina in exchange for forward Logan Stankoven, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick on March 8, 2025

F Jason Robertson - DAL second round (39th overall) in 2017

F Tyler Seguin - Acquired from Boston along with Rich Peverley and Ryan Button in exchange for Loui Eriksson, Matt Fraser, Reilly Smith and Joe Morrow on July 4, 2013

F Sam Steel - Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2023

OFF-SEASON ACQUISITIONS (2)

F Nathan Bastian - Signed as a free agent on Aug. 9, 2025

F Radek Faksa - Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2025

Forward Harrison Scott and defenseman Trey Taylor made the team’s opening night roster after signing entry-level contracts during the 2024-25 season at the conclusion of their collegiate career.

PLAYERS BY POSITION

Forwards (12)

Nathan Bastian, Colin Blackwell, Mavrik Bourque, Matt Duchene, Radek Faksa, Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston, Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Harrison Scott, Tyler Seguin, Sam Steel

Defensemen (7)

Thomas Harley, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Nils Lundkvist, Ilya Lyubushkin, Alexander Petrovic, Trey Taylor

Goaltenders (2)

Casey DeSmith, Jake Oettinger

IR (2)

Oskar Bäck, Jamie Benn

Injured Non-Roster (3)

Luke Krys, Kyle McDonald, Chase Wheatcroft

BY COUNTRY

Canada: 8, USA: 6, Finland: 4, Sweden: 1, Russia: 1, Czechia: 1

EXPERIENCE

Dallas’ 2025-26 opening night roster has a combined 8,323 regular-season games of experience. The 21 skaters (non-goalies) comprise 7,882 of those games, having a combined 4,652 points (1,849 goals, 2,803 assists).

The two goaltenders have a combined record of 233-127-50 in 441 career games.

Forward Matt Duchene leads all opening-night players in career games played (1,138), goals (371), assists (520) and points (891). His 891 career points rank 17th among active NHL skaters, and he is the second-highest scoring player selected in the 2009 NHL Draft.

VETERANS CLOSING IN ON SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES

Entering his 12th season with Dallas after being acquired in a trade in 2013, forward Tyler Seguin needs 11 games to reach 1,000 in his NHL Career. Selected with the second-overall pick by Boston in the 2010 NHL Draft, Seguin skated the first 203 regular-season games of his career with the Bruins and has since appeared in 786 regular-season games with the Stars.

Seguin also enters the season with several franchise milestones within reach. He has the opportunity to finish the 2025-26 season ranked fourth on the franchise all-times games played list and is 34 points and 28 goals shy of tying for fourth in franchise history in both categories.

Several Dallas skaters enter the 2025-26 season within 25 games of reaching games played milestones:

PLAYER - NEEDS - MILESTONE

Tyler Seguin - 11 games - 1,000 NHL games

Esa Lindell - 16 games - 700 NHL games

Miro Heiskanen - 25 games - 500 NHL games

Colin Blackwell - 2 games - 300 NHL games

Nathan Bastian - 24 games - 300 NHL games

Thomas Harley - 3 games - 200 NHL games

Nils Lundkvist - 17 games - 200 NHL games

Matt Duchene, who celebrated his 1,100-game milestone with Dallas last season, needs 62 games to reach the 1,200-game milestone. He also needs nine points to reach the 900-point marker.

Jason Robertson, who has totaled 394 points (168-226—394) in his career with the Stars, is six points away from becoming the 17th skaters in franchise history to total 400 points with the team.