Stargazing: A Dallas Stars Puckcast | Defending Big D

Well, the Dallas Stars exited the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs sooner than anyone wanted. It's going to be a long summer for all of us. What now?

In this episode of Stargazing, Wes and Mark examined the takeaways from the Stars' all-too-short run. And along with the obvious issues (injuries, penalties, name it), they found some surprisingly positive evidence for the future (and you may or may not be surprised at how much of it probably ties into the promotion of Neil Graham).

So are you rooting for the asteroid, or the giant truck? We're Stargazing...

The Dallas Stars are coming home to a best-of-three series after another overtime in Minnesota – this one ending in a loss. What's next?

In this episode of Stargazing, Wes and Mark discuss everything from the Nils Lundkvist's injury to Thomas Harley's impact, and from the performance of the top line to Michael Bunting's possible fit into the lineup.

Who needs to go off if the Stars want to close the deal? We're Stargazing, and we have our ideas.

What did you see in Game 4? Let us know at Defending Big D. And please do...

The Dallas Stars did what the Dallas Stars do on Wednesday night. And it worked out just fine – this time – as Dallas Stars things are liable to do, especially during series with the Minnesota Wild. (What did that one guy say?... Sixty percent of the time, it works all the time.)

In this episode of Stargazing, Wes and Mark take a dive into the double-overtime victory in St. Paul. They discuss the revival of Dallas' special teams, who's really winning at 5-on-5, where puck luck and regression can make a difference (and for whom), why stupid fouls coul...

The Dallas Stars won on Monday night, and all of a sudden the Minnesota Wild look like the team that needs to adjust. The Stars' depth is beginning to come through. Will the Wild respond by shortening their bench to about five guys?

In this episode of Stargazing, Wes and Mark go back to the blanket analogy: Whenever you cover one thing, you risk leaving something else exposed. They discuss how and why an early lead played to Dallas' strengths and Minnesota's weaknesses, what happens when every player succeeds in his role, and what we might see...

There is nothing wrong with the Dallas Stars. Their systems work, and so does their lineup. And this Minnesota Wild team is still exactly what we thought it was. So how do we square these things with the...effort we saw in Game 1?

To make sense of Saturday's loss, we needed to bring in the big guns. So Wes and Mark tackled the topic with NHL.com's Taylor Baird – whom you also know as DBD's editor-in-chief. They went over the lines that worked (and didn't), the injuries that still dog the team, and what the Stars will do...

And here we are again. The Dallas Stars will face the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs — which probably says more about the NHL's desperate need to revise their postseason format than anything, but that's a question for another time, and at any rate it's beyond the scope of this recording.

Rather, Wes and Mark would like to talk about how the Stars will approach the challenge at hand. In this episode of Stargazing, they discuss which players have the most to prove, how matchups will shape up given the crucial home-ice ad...

With around 300 man-games lost to injury this season, the 2025-26 Dallas Stars have been fortunate to get quality reinforcement from their AHL squad. Which, predictably, left their AHL squad struggling as players fought to adapt to the depletion of their own team.

So it's especially satisfying that the Texas Stars have not just survived, but thrived as they prepare for a postseason run of their own.

It's always the right time to catch up with Cedar Park, and Wes and Mark called in a top player for the task. Stephen Meserve, founder of the go-to...

First of all, no: The Dallas Stars don't need to sit Jake Oettinger, and fans need to let go of that talking point. And no: It's not just because he tallied two shutouts in about a week.

In this episode of Stargazing, Wes and Mark talk about why the Stars have placed so much of their trust in Otter — and it has almost nothing to do with his future Vezina Trophy prospects. They also discuss what the Lian Bichsel-Tyler Myers pair can bring to a Stanley Cup Playoffs series, how to evaluate goalie performance as part of te...

The Dallas Stars have visibly struggled with late-season injuries in the past couple of weeks. And nowhere has this been more apparent than in the depleted forward corps. How do you rotate lines when the second line is missing?

In this episode, Wes and Mark talk about this in depth. They discuss whether Michael Bunting needs to play on the first line, the possibility that Tyler Myers has a Jordie Benn problem, the state of the defense, how the Stars' run-up to the Stanley Cup Playoffs is panning out, and – of course – who falls where on the Expe...

What's the most important thing about These Dallas Stars? Maybe it's the two most important things – the players who are Him, and the players who have that Dawg in them. OK, make that the three most important things, because of the players who are both Him and Dawg.

If you're a regular Stargazing listener, you may know that Wes and Mark like to talk about this, as well as the associated stat they created pretty much out of thin air. For branding and hashtagging purposes, we'll call it Expected Rawr (xRawr). In this edition, they discuss how Ma...

The Dallas Stars got a big defender and a left wing before the NHL shut down for the final run toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs. How does this help, exactly?

Wes and Mark have their ideas. In this edition of Stargazing, they talk about how the Central Division will play during bonus weeks, what the Stars' lines and pairs could look like, and why the most interesting signing may not be the one you think it is.

Everyone needs more dog in their lineup. We're Stargazing, and we're brought to you by our favorite law...

The Dallas Stars brought quite a bit of hardware home from the 2026 Winter Olympics. They also brought a couple of concerning injuries and at least one troubling illness. And now that Tyler Seguin is officially out for the season, does the front office have to make a move before the March 6 NHL trade deadline?

Wes and Mark have been pondering this question for quite some time. In this edition of Stargazing, they talk about the Stars' identity, the roles Cedar Park can't fill, the possibility of the team flexing its physical side during the Stanley Cup Playoffs...

There's very little like three straight victories over the St. Louis Blues to get Dallas Stars fans buzzing. So how do we talk about this team now that the mood of the Victory Green faithful has swung back from "Will they ever win again?" to "Let's start the Stanley Cup Playoffs right now!"?

Fortunately, there's very little like a Winter Olympics break to facilitate some midseason gab – and here at Stargazing, "gab" is our middle name. (It's in there. The B is silent.) In this episode, Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman discuss the factors contributing to the St...

A fair number of Dallas Stars enjoyers have perceived that fan fave Thomas Harley has been doing more, but with less to show for it, since the 2025-26 NHL season began. Is this a problem with his defensive partners? The lingering effects of his injury in November, and the missed games that resulted? The predictable struggles of a still very young blueliner? Something more concerning? Or less? ...If only there were some way of measuring it all. You know, with math and stuff.

In this episode of Stargazing, Mark sat down for an incredibly specific Stars conversation...

A blowout, followed by a shutout...the Dallas Stars are still all over the map. Did the momentary absence of Mikko Rantanen really doom the Victory Green Gang against the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference?

Wes and Mark think it's not that simple...or is it? In this episode of Stargazing, they talk about the impact of beast mode, the cold comfort of outplaying an opponent and missing by that much, the value of swagger, the upcoming schedule and what they want to see from it, and ever so much more.

You're in the...

Do you remember what a power play goal looks like? The Dallas Stars have had a hard time getting out of their own way for the past...little while, and it seems as if their opponents have figured them out. Or is it the typical winter doldrums conjoined with an Olympics-compressed schedule?

Wes and Mark understand complexity, especially when it comes to the Victory Green Gang's problems. In this episode, they talk about why the Stars can't score anymore, the surprisingly affordable tweak that could help them at the NHL trade deadline, whether or not this is...

The Dallas Stars vs. the Minnesota Wild is a practically guaranteed first-round matchup at this point. So why play all this hockey in the meantime...?

No, Wes and Mark aren't serious about that. But they do have quite a few ideas about how the Stars can become the best version of themselves before April.

In this edition of Stargazing, they discuss the tradeoffs the Stars make for an elite power play, the ways this team can still improve before the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the elephants in the room that are the Stars' future NHL Draft...

The Dallas Stars are winning again, more or less, which means it's time for more unbridled optimism about the stretch run to come. Right? ...Right?

Regression got the Victory Green Gang, at least for the period of their regularly scheduled post-holiday swoon, and Our Gang probably told you so. Wes and Mark may even now be chatting with David Castillo – owner and operator of Stars Stack and its audio companion, the Stars Stackcast – because they do run long when its comes to these deep dives.

In this edition, the stats exam goes into team momentum, the...

It's a new year bringing the same old worries for Dallas Stars fans. Every mistake is a harbinger, every loss is a world-ender. Have we gotten too used to the good times?

In this episode, Wes and Mark invited David Castillo to talk about the Victory Green Gang's underlying stats – and, candidly, to talk them down from the rickety ledge of Stars positivity. And they had so much to talk about that we're splitting this cast into two parts, so you can slam it down fast.

In this edition, the crew ponders what Mikko Rantanen do...

The rise of advanced stats in hockey has taught us that much of what we know about the Dallas Stars is bad. Just look at them: 31st in the NHL in shot share, 24th in expected goals...so how in the world do they just - keep - winning?

Wes and Mark have decided that this year's Stars were built this way on purpose. And in this edition of Stargazing, they make the case. They discuss the type of shots the team makes, the type they give up, and how the type of game they play means...

The Dallas Stars are having themselves a season, injuries and roster holes and recent losses notwithstanding. But this year, that success has come at an organizational cost — and their brethren in Cedar Park have often been the ones paying it.

Mark Zimmerman loves discussing the Texas Stars, and even more so when he can enlist Stephen Meserve to talk with. Late last week, the founder of the go-to T-Stars news site 100 Degree Hockey and co-author of We Win Here: The Definitive Essays You Need About The Texas Stars joined him for a fireside chat.

In th...

With Tyler Seguin's season-ending injury, the Dallas Stars face a challenge above and beyond even their other well-documented woes in the man-games-lost department in 2026-27. The question now is how they will try to fill his roster spot...unless, perhaps, the real question is whether they need to at all.

Any time there's this much money involved, Wes and Mark know what to do — and that's to call on Juraj Kralik. In this edition, they all discuss the finer points of long-term injured reserve, how the newly christened Mark Stone Rule will complicate the playoffs picture, why th...

The Dallas Stars are a better team now than they were a month ago...and they're still not as good as they project to be with a healthy lineup. In the spirit of the season, it's time for some thanksgiving.

As it turns out, Wes and Mark know all about being grateful for the bounty in Big D. In this edition, they discuss Jason Robertson's record-setting heater, Tyler Seguin's creativity, Mikko Rantanen's magic, Miro Heiskanen's renaissance, Wyatt Johnston's yet-untapped potential, the power play's deadly efficiency, and so much more.

This is one of the top...

Somehow, the Dallas Stars have become one of the NHL's most dangerous power-play teams with only one power-play unit. And that's not the weird part. Wes and Mark are always looking for the worst explanations for the Stars' best performances — and even they're going to the "special teams mean nothing during the playoffs after the refs swallow their whistles" take at this point.

That said, they do have questions. In this episode of Stargazing, they want to know what's up with Thomas Harley, how Mikko Rantanen has changed the team's structure, whether the new system is contributing to...

Good news! The Dallas Stars' power play is every bit as dangerous as it looks. Now if only they could score at even strength....

There's so little flexibility in the Victory Green lineup right now that it's easy to hang all one's hopes on the regular roster players who are surely coming back any day now. And however much false hope may trouble Wes and Mark, their take on the Stars' status is...pretty optimistic, all things considered. In the latest edition of Stargazing, they discuss who will be the best partner for Lian Bichsel, whether Mavrik...

The Dallas Stars have had a slower start than many fans wanted this season. Yet the team is still one point out of the Central Division's top three, which also means they're four points from the top of the league in general. Is the roster working as designed, despite new systems and old injuries? And is their progress sustainable through a playoffs run, or next year...or five years from now?

For the latest edition of Stargazing, we followed the money. Friend of DBD Juraj Kralik joins Wes and Mark, and he needs you to stop thinking...

Four Dallas Stars scored last night! Unfortunately, two of them were playing for the Los Angeles Kings. That left Our Team with one point, another loss, and a lot to contemplate.

We here at Stargazing acknowledge our fault in this, mainly by making this season's Doom Cast so much longer than...well, every other cast we've done so far. In this episode, Wes and Mark pull back a little. There's plenty to like in the Stars' latest run of play (breakouts, neutral zone coverage, the power play), as well as plenty that still needs work (two words...

Welcome to Stargazing's annual celebration of the signal pastime of true Dallas Stars fans: obsessing over every bad turn the season takes. And even we have to admit, the Victory Green Gang's scheduled loss to Thatcher Demko sure did set this one up.

For the 2025 Doom Cast, Wes and Mark pull out all the stops. From the gaps at left wing, to the lack of depth at goalkeeping, to why the best path to getting a better penalty kill is not to get on the penalty kill...nothing is safe from the worst possible interpretation. It's cathartic...

It's autumn, everyone. Can you feel it in the air? ...that utter conviction that This Is The Dallas Stars' Year, This Time For Real?

Wes and Mark are here to stoke that fire. The 300th episode of Stargazing — and our umpty-umpth Brightside Cast — is dedicated to that unquenchable spirit of optimism. And here's the thing: There's evidence to back it up. Join us for a discussion of the new roster and how it works, fluke occurrences vs. systemic events, why (sometimes) simpler is better, and so much more.

You already expected the world from Mikko Rant...

We have one last chance to make predictions about the Dallas Stars before our musings start getting overtaken by events. Stargazing is ready. Again. As usual.

Wes and Mark wanted a deep dive into the 2025-26 season, so they invited D Magazine contributor David Castillo — who's also the founder of Stars Stack (for Stars news and views) and Sticks and Salvos (for the NHL in general). In this edition, they discuss how Glen Gulutzun's system changes could benefit Roope Hintz, Esa Lindell as an oddly specific elite defender, why the Stars can't try to outscore their problems th...

Our brothers and sisters in ice, we are eating good. The Dallas Stars have started the 2025-26 NHL preseason not just with three consecutive wins, but with fancy stats suggesting that their good form is sustainable. Shot totals doubling up the competition, possession numbers off the charts, pucks actually going into the net – what could possibly go wrong? Right?...

For once, that's a conversation for another day (read: don't worry, folks, the annual Doomcast will arrive in due time). For now, Wes and Mark want to talk about how new old bench boss Glen Gulutzun is tweaking th...

It's late July, and the Dallas Stars are in submarine mode: making moves in the deep that we can't see or fully explain yet. And yet they're still giving us plenty to talk about, so it seems like the perfect time to call for backup.

Friend of DBD and recurring Celebrity Guest Juraj Kralik is here again, and this time he joins both Wes and Mark to think about the future. In this edition, they talk about why the blueline might be in better shape than we think, how two stacked forward lines could carry the offense...

The Dallas Stars are probably going to have a pretty boring draft this year. It's the rest of the offseason that is shaping up to be a ride, and many fans are afraid it will be a dark one. But how much do we really have to fear, with the NHL salary cap rising and Jim Nill at the helm?

Mark knew who he wanted to talk to about it, so he contacted self-described stats nerd and friend of DBD Juraj Kralik – who's also a big maven concerning the business of hockey and is generally in his gl...

The Dallas Stars are this close to the mountaintop. It's not close enough. What will they do to get their next Stanley Cup, and will they have to change their entire team identity to cover that last mile?

Wes and Mark want to know, too. Their latest talk covers everything from Jason Robertson trade rumors to the new two-way contract for Rémi Poirier, with a few stops at the salary cap situation just to keep everything in perspective. (And keep in mind that this conversation took place before everyone's season ended earlier this week, so please g...

The Dallas Stars' season is over, and we're all left to contemplate what happened to their Stanley Cup hopes. Was this an Edmonton Oilers problem, or a symptom of something bigger that an occasional explosion of elite talent could only hide for so long?

Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman sat down after the end (and before the news of Pete DeBoer's departure) to examine the strategy...and why we might have seen this coming. In this edition, they discuss how slow starts seem to doom the Stars' chances, the eerie silence of their vaunted scoring depth, and...

The Dallas Stars are back in town, and they're really really going to need help from the home crowd in Game 5 against the Edmonton Oilers. The Oil are a tough team – but that doesn't absolve the Stars of their deficits on offense, nor of their dumb-penalty problem. So the question is, who will step up to ensure they get a Game 6?

Wes and Mark discuss the dangers of over-passing, the importance of scoring first, and the importance of turning expected goals into, well, goals.

Wyatt Johnston, you're probably going to be the key to whatever ha...

The Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers have won their way to the Western Conference Final by working each other's side of the street. The Stars have gotten all-time performances from their superstars, while the Oil's goaltending and depth scoring have come through for them in a big way.

So what does this tell us about the rematch we've all been waiting for? Wes and Mark worked After Dark to fashion a narrative for the Stars based on everything they had to do to beat the Colorado Avalanche and the Winnipeg Jets. And in this edition, they...

It sometimes seems as if the Dallas Stars are only permitted to have one player get hot at a time. But do you need Mikko Rantanen to score a hat trick every game when Mikael Granlund can go off in his stead?

A lot has happened in the past five days, and Wes and Mark want to talk about all of it. In this edition of Stargazing, they examine the advantages of having two No. 1 defensemen, compare and contrast the return trajectories of Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen, and discuss the importance of playing within your structure – an...

The Dallas Stars won a Game 1! This is the best thing to happen since 2020, when they won Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning...hey, wait a minute.

We know everyone loves a doomcast, but at this point we're constantly on the lookout for reasons to believe. So Wes and Mark worked through the night to find sustainability in the Stars' current good fortune (you know, the kind that doesn't involve counting on Mikko Rantanen to tally a hat trick in every remaining game).

In this edition, they discuss double-shifting Moose, dealing with the Jets' dominant...

The Dallas Stars are about to begin the fight for another Central Division championship – and to get there, they only have to knock off the team that earned the 2025 President's Trophy. (Oh, is that all?)

Brad McDonnell joined Wes and Mark to examine how the Stars match up with their Dirty Central cellmates, the Winnipeg Jets. In this edition, they discuss how Mason Marchment can help (and hurt) by creating chaos, where Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson will slot back into the lineup, and whether Connor Hellebuyck is human after all.

It's just like the re...