Dallas Stars 2026 Offseason Preview

The Dallas Stars go into the 2026 offseason looking to bounce back from a disappointing but hard fought 7 game series loss in the opening round to the Los Angeles Kings. They face big questions after going nearly all-in at the trade deadline, adding plenty of pending UFAs at the expense of future draft capital. 

The biggest name who’s pending to be a free agent likely isn’t going to be a big question mark. Although F Nikita Kucherov, team captain, has an expiring contract, there is little doubt the Dallas Stars are planning to bring him back to the only team he’s ever known in the RHL. Kucherov may still be battling for his elusive first championship, but his level of play on the ice is unquestioned. Expect him to be the team’s priority re-sign from their stable of UFAs.

That means leaves another longtime Dallas Star, defenseman and alternate captain D Jared Spurgeon in a little more doubt. He’s spent the last 6+ years of his career in Dallas, but at age 37 and no longer the #1 defenseman on the team, there’s a question of alignment between the role he wants and the role he’d get on Dallas. He’s likely been surpassed by both D Mikhail Sergachev and D Mackenzie Weegar on the depth chart, but there’s a gaping hole in talent level between Spurgeon and the rest of the pro defensemen on Dallas. It remains to be seen if the Stars look to bring Spurgeon back on the open market or if they explore options to go younger. 

D Chris Tanev, acquired at the trade deadline by Dallas, is another pending UFA who leaves a big hole on the blueline. His defensive prowess and leadership filled areas of need for the Stars, and he quickly made an impact on the locker room. But with a long injury history and now in his late 30s, he too may have aged himself out of the Stars’ plans.

The last big piece from the Stars’ defense who will not be back next season is D Darren Raddysh. The Stars took a gamble at the deadline on 2025-26’s biggest breakout player, but he struggled in a sheltered role for Dallas. He’ll be a UFA who the Stars weren’t going to prioritize over Kucherov, so his signing rights were sent to Tampa Bay. In return, the Stars received F Teddy Blueger who showed potential signs of offensive growth last season. He’ll likely be a staple on the third line, penalty kill, and may get an audition as the do-it-all grinder pairing with F Jack Eichel and F Nikita Kucherov on the top line at points. 

In addition to those defenseman, another trade deadline acquisition F Yanni Gourde will be a UFA this offseason. The Stars finally brought him back to his first-ever RHL organization and he played an important role on the ice and as a locker room leader during the stretch run. The Stars don’t have as many holes up front as they do on the blueline, but they could give Gourde a look on the open market if they end up moving a forward to improve the defense.