Stars Realign: 2025 Offseason Review

Although the inaugural RHL Waiver Draft still looms, the Dallas Stars have put most of the finishing touches on an offseason overhaul. Through free agency and trades, they filled every hole they went into the offseason with: second line center, second line defenseman, backup goaltender, and reimagining the fourth line. But most importantly, they finally made a major shakeup to their core after another playoff disappointment. The Stars made a blockbuster trade, shipping out longtime F William Nylander in order to land top pair D Mikhail Sergachev. You can check out more about that trade here: https://rhl.simhockey.ca/news.php?article=347

Trading away Nylander left a gaping hole at the second line center position on the depth chart. The Stars, ever in win-now mode, addressed this with a bold move. They traded away their first round selection in the 2025 draft to Toronto in order to bring F William Karlsson aboard. Not only did they add a bona fide top six center, the Maple Leafs agreed to retain half of the contract, leaving Dallas on the hook for just a $2.5M cap hit in 2025-26.

The Stars have made a habit of dealing away first round picks over the last 5+ years. Even the lone selection they’ve kept, F Brendan Brisson in 2020, was traded away two years ago in a deal for F Timo Meier. But that’s the price they must pay to stay in contention with the star core they’ve built up. Even so, the Stars did raise some eyebrows from draft analysts with the picks they did end up retaining and making in the 2025 Entry Draft. They went completely off the board with their second round selection, drafting D Owen Conrad from the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders despite rumors he would go undrafted. On the positive side, they also selected F Hunter St Martin and D Finn Harding – two older prospects who could join the farm team as soon as next season. They made just one additional selection in F Jan Chovan, and chose to prioritize acquiring 2026 picks instead.

Dallas did send away a 2025 4th round pick in order to improve their 4th line, which was a glaring need going into the offseason. They brought in F Justin Brazeau who, at 6-6 227 pounds, brings a physical game to blend well with F William Carrier, another 4th liner acquired in the Nylander trade. Brazeau is also signed for three seasons at a modest $1.5M cap hit, making him a long-term fix if he settles into his role well.

After their trades and draft picks, the Stars enjoyed a fruitful free agency season. After letting veteran D Dmitry Kulikov reach unrestricted free agency, Kuli ultimately decided to return home to Dallas and continue chasing a ring. He mentioned how much he’s looking forward to playing with fellow countryman Sergachev, who he’ll likely be paired up with to start the season. The Stars also landed one of the best backup goaltenders on the market, inking G Eric Comrie to a four year deal at a reasonable $1.25M cap hit. While he’s never had a true chance to start, he’s been great when he plays and will likely just need to fill in for locked in starter G Ilya Sorokin for 17-20 starts.