DLLS Dallas Stars Podcast

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It FINALLY happened! Longtime Tampa Bay Lightning beat writer and LightningInsider.com writer/editor Erik Erlendsson joins the DLLS Stars crew to talk about Jon Cooper finally capturing the Jack Adams Award. Erik breaks down why the honor was long overdue, what has made Cooper one of the NHL’s premier coaches, and how remarkable it is that it took this long for him to win the league’s top coaching award.

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We are taking a break today from our summer series “The Other 31” to talk about the team we cover, the Dallas Stars. After reaching the Western Conference Final in three consecutive seasons (2023-2025), the Stars crashed out of the 2026 Playoffs in the first round against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild have really taken strides under GM Bill Guerin, but Dallas also had some significant player injuries, including Roope Hintz and Tyler Seguin, who did not play, as well as Miro Heiskanen and Mikko Rantanen not being at 100%. On today’s show...

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The Other 31: Seattle Kraken

Our guest today is Everett Fitzhugh, radio play-by-play announcer for the Seattle Kraken. In one of the biggest stories of the offseason, the Kraken and Dallas Stars reached an agreement on a trade for then restricted free agent Jason Roberston, reported including a sign-and-trade on an eight-year contract with an AAV of $15 million. Robertson turned down that offer, showing that he wanted to stay in Dallas more than he wanted to chase the money. Seattle is desperate to make a big splash. They w...

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The Other 31: Tampa Bay Lightning

Our guest today is Erik Erlendsson, longtime Lightning beat writer and writer/editor of LightningInsider.com. The Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the most successful franchises in the National Hockey League over the past decade. The Lightning have qualified for the playoffs in 13 of the last 14 years, including the last nine consecutive seasons. They won back-to-back Stanley Cups (2020, 2021), also reached the Cup Final two other occasions (2015 vs. Chicago, 2022 vs. Colorado) and bowed out in the Eastern Conference Final in...

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New York Post Rangers beat writer Mollie Walker joins the DLLS Stars crew to break down one of the NHL's most fascinating franchises. Mollie discusses the state of the New York Rangers, Chris Drury's vision for the team, Adam Fox's place among the NHL's elite defensemen, and whether New York's current core is still capable of competing for the Stanley Cup

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Fresh off winning the Stanley Cup, Logan Stankoven joins the DLLS Stars crew to relive the unforgettable ride to hockey's biggest prize. Stankoven shares stories from the championship celebration, the Stanley Cup parade, and what it was like lifting the Cup for the first time.

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The Other 31: Detroit Red Wings

Our guest today is Ryan Hana, host of the Winged Wheel Podcast. The Detroit Red Wings have missed the playoffs for 10-straight seasons and subsequently fired general manager, and club legend, Steve Yzerman. Plus, captain Dylan Larkin, who won a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics with Team USA, has requested a trade away from the only team he’s ever played for. Needless to say, there is a lot of turmoil right now in the Motor City.

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Stanley Cup champion Logan Stankoven joins the DLLS Stars crew to relive the Carolina Hurricanes’ championship celebration! Stankoven takes us inside the emotions of winning it all, the unforgettable Stanley Cup parade, celebrating with his teammates—and, of course, breaking out the Stanky Leg for the crowd.

From lifting the Cup to letting loose after a championship season, Stankoven shares what it’s really like to reach hockey’s mountaintop.

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Mollie Walker of the New York Post joins the DLLS Stars crew to discuss one of the most memorable runs in recent New York sports history. From the Knicks' emotional playoff journey and the energy it brought to the city, to the passion of New York's sports fans, Mollie shares what made the moment so special.

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We have an extra special guest on the show today, newly crowned Stanley Cup champion with the Carolina Hurricanes, Logan Stankoven returns for his second appearance on the DLLS Stars Podcast. We have hosted Stanley Cup winners on the show before, including our very own Craig Ludwig, who is a two-time Cup winner with Montreal (1986) and Dallas (1999). But this is the first time we have had a CURRENT Stanley Cup champ on as a guest. Stankoven and the Carolina Hurricanes steamrolled through the first two rounds without losing a g...

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The Other 31: New York Rangers

Our guest today is Mollie Walker, New York Rangers beat writer for the New York Post. The Rangers are floundering at the moment, having missed the playoffs for two straight seasons after reaching the 2024 Eastern Conference Final, before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. GM Chris Drury insists the team is undergoing a “retool” not a rebuild, but he has been overhauling the roster the last two seasons. Drury brought in veteran NHL head coach Mike Sullivan for the 2025-26 s...

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The Other 31: Washington Capitals

Our guest today is John Walton, radio play-by-play announcer for the Washington Capitals. Alex Ovechkin made his NHL debut a year later than expected. Drafted first overall by the Capitals in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Ovechkin had to wait because the 2004-05 season was cancelled due to a lockout. The Capitals did not qualify for the playoffs during The Great 8’s first two years in the league, but he has experienced playoff hockey in 16 of his last 19 NHL campaigns, including winning the...

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The Other 31: Boston Bruins

Our guest today is Conor Ryan, Boston Bruins beat writer for the Boston Globe. Back in the 2024-25 season, the Bruins traded away captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers (who went on to help the Cats win their second Stanley Cup) and Boston missed out on the 2025 playoffs.  Entering the 2025-26 regular season, with Marco Sturm taking over as head coach, not many people felt the Bruins were going to be a playoff team. They surprised many by putting up a 100-point se...

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Fresh off a Stanley Cup championship, Carolina Hurricanes play-by-play announcer Mike Maniscalco joins the DLLS Stars crew for a fun conversation about hockey, winning it all, and everything that comes with lifting the Cup.

Mike shares behind-the-scenes stories from Carolina's championship run, the unforgettable Stanley Cup celebration, the controversy about the engravings, and the challenges that come with defending a title. Plus, plenty of laughs, great stories, and hockey talk with Luds and Owen.

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Could the Dallas Stars have landed Zach Werenski? And why did a blockbuster deal centered around Thomas Harley never come together?

The Athletic's Columbus Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline joins the DLLS Stars crew to reveal what really happened behind the scenes. Portzline breaks down why the trade discussions fell apart, what Columbus was looking for, and why Werenski ultimately remained with the Blue Jackets. Plus, the crew discusses what the failed deal says about the Stars' offseason strategy moving forward.

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The Other 31: Ottawa Senators

Our guest today is Julian McKenzie, Ottawa Senators beat writer for The Athletic. The bombshell of the NHL offseason went off when the Senators traded their captain, Brady Tkachuk, to the Florida Panthers on June 21, 2026, after Tkachuk had indicated he was not likely to sign a contract extension when eligible. This is a team that was in last place in the Atlantic Division on January 24th, only to rip off a record of 21-6-4 (46 pts., 0.742) in their last 31 games, which wa...

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Carolina Hurricanes play-by-play announcer Mike Maniscalco joins the DLLS Stars crew to share firsthand stories from the Hurricanes' championship celebration. From the final buzzer to the unforgettable moments behind the scenes, Mike takes fans inside everything that happened during Carolina's Stanley Cup victory and explains what it took to reach hockey's ultimate goal.

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The Other 31: Buffalo Sabres

Our guest today is Joe Yerdon, Buffalo Sabres beat writer for Noted Hockey and Bleacher Report. The Sabres ended a 14-year playoff drought in 2025-26, but they did so in the most dramatic way possible. On December 8, 2025, Buffalo was in last place in the Eastern Conference and ranked 30th overall in NHL, with a record of 11-14-4 (26 pts., 0.448) in 29 games. In short, they looked destined to miss the post season for a 15th consecutive campaign. Suddenly, they flipped a switch. The Sabres r...

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Winning the Stanley Cup is one thing, defending it is an entirely different challenge.

Carolina Hurricanes play-by-play announcer Mike Maniscalco joins the DLLS Stars crew to discuss what's next for the reigning Stanley Cup champions. From offseason changes and roster expectations to the pressure of repeating, Mike breaks down what Carolina must do to stay on top and why defending hockey's ultimate prize may be even tougher than winning it.

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The Other 31: Carolina Hurricanes

Our guest today is Carolina Hurricanes play-by-play broadcaster Mike Maniscalco, who had the privilege of calling the Hurricanes 2026 Stanley Cup championship run, the second in franchise history. We will ask Mike about the ‘Canes historic run, from sweeping Ottawa and Philadelphia in the first two rounds, to the gentleman’s sweep of Montreal in the Eastern Conference Final to the roller coaster six-game series in the Final against Vegas. What were the Stanley Cup celebrations like in Vegas? Did everyone get on the chart...

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The Other 31: New York Islanders

Former Stars head coach Pete DeBoer joined the New York Islanders in early April with four games left in the 2025-26 regular season, replacing Patrick Roy, who had been behind the bench on Long Island for two and a half seasons. While DeBoer could not rally the Islanders into a 2026 playoff spot, the real work begins this season as he looks to guide the organization back to the playoffs after missing out the last two seasons. Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer has b...

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The Other 31: Columbus Blue Jackets

There are a lot of intertwining storylines between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Dallas Stars recently. Last season the Jackets traded for former Stars forward Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken midseason, then fired head coach Dean Evason and brought in former Stars head coach Rick Bowness, who took the team on a magical run before ultimately falling just short of the playoffs. Then in one of the biggest stories of the current offseason, it was reported that the Stars and B...

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As the DLLS crew continues its journey around the NHL, NHL.com staff writer Mike G. Morreale joins the show to break down the New Jersey Devils.

Mike discusses Jack Hughes' rise into one of hockey's biggest stars following his Olympic success, the Devils' evolving roster, and the changing landscape in New Jersey as the team looks to take the next step in the Eastern Conference

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Sam returned to the show from his wedding yesterday, so it’s only proper for us to give him a chance to opine about the Jason Robertson one-year $12 million contract he and the Stars signed on Tuesday. We will also go through some video clips from both Jim Nill’s and Jason Robertson’s media availabilities on Wednesday, breaking down the reaction and response to that new contract agreement. Plus, Patrick Kane returns to Chicago, Jet Greaves & Columbus Blue Jackets narrowly avoid arbitration and Mitch Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, i...

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With Jason Robertson officially under contract, the Dallas Stars have very little salary cap space left to make another splash this offseason. So what will the lineup look like when the puck drops?

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The Other 31: New Jersey Devils

Mike Morreale, NHL.com staff writer, joins today to talk about the New Jersey Devils, who regressed last season, finishing seventh in the Metropolitan Division and failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. That prompted Devils ownership to fire general manager Tom Fitzgerald after seven seasons, replacing him with New Jersey native Sunny Mehta. The new boss has moved quickly, trading away starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom, along with young defenseman Simon Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov. We will get all of M...

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Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars reached a one-year, $12 million agreement just before arbitration, avoiding what could have been a lengthy and contentious process.

The DLLS Stars crew explains why getting a deal done before the hearing was so important, what both sides gained by avoiding arbitration, and what Robertson's new contract means for the Stars' salary cap, roster flexibility, and long-term future.

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The Dallas Stars and restricted free agent forward Jason Robertson agreed to a one-year, $12 million contract on Tuesday evening, avoiding their arbitration hearing that was scheduled for Saturday, July 25th in Toronto. This is a short-term bridge contract that locks up Robertson for the 2026-27 season, but he can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2027. On today’s show, we will talk about this deal and what it means not only for this season, but also for Robertson’s future with the Stars.

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The wait is over. After weeks of negotiations and arbitration drama, the Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson have agreed to a one-year, $12 million contract.

The DLLS Stars crew breaks down the details of the deal, what it means for Robertson's future in Dallas, how it impacts the Stars' salary cap and roster moving forward, and whether this contract sets the stage for an even bigger decision next offseason.

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The Other 31: Pittsburgh Penguins

We started our summer series with the Philadelphia Flyers and PHLY’s Charlie O’Connor last week (July 13th). So, we are going to stick with the Metropolitan Division and talk about the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last summer we thought the Penguins were going to be bad - a non-playoff team, but not bad enough to tank for the Gavin McKenna top draft pick. The Pens surprised a lot of people by being pretty decent all year and making the playoffs, before losing to the P...

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Happy Monday! Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars have an arbitration hearing scheduled for Saturday, July 25th. While the two parties could reach an agreement at any time this week, if they actually go through the hearing on Saturday, then the arbitrator will hand down the final decision within 48 hours after that hearing. So, we should have an answer on the Robertson-Stars contract no later than next Monday, July 27th. Also on today’s show, Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract with an AAV...

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It’s Day 5 of ALLCITY Spirit Week 2026. Today’s theme: Quiz Show Day

15 restricted free agents elected to go to salary arbitration this summer, but, as of the start of today’s show, that number has already been cut in half before the first hearing has even taken place. Seven still remain, with Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale scheduled for Monday, July 20th, while Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson is slated for Saturday, July 25th. Today, we look at the arbitration-avoiding contracts that have already been signed. Then, i...

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Victory+ is suddenly making headlines after the Texas Rangers announced they're leaving the streaming platform midseason and the Anaheim Ducks quickly followed. So what exactly is happening, and should Dallas Stars fans be concerned?

DLLS Rangers host Jeff Wilson joins Craig Ludwig and Owen Newkirk to break down the latest developments surrounding Victory+, what they could mean for the future of the platform, and whether the Stars could be impacted by the growing uncertainty.

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Craig Ludwig isn't holding back.

Luds shares his unfiltered thoughts on the Anaheim Ducks' offseason, questioning the direction GM Pat Verbeek is taking after the team finally returned to the playoffs. From bold roster moves to questionable decisions, the DLLS Stars crew breaks down whether Anaheim is building a true contender or taking a major step backward.

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It’s Day 4 of ALLCITY Spirit Week 2026. Today’s theme: Big Brothers Big Sisters Day of Giving

The NHL released the full 2026-27 regular season schedule at 12:00 p.m. CT today - so we’re going to take a deep dive on all the notable parts of the Dallas Stars 84-game schedule (that might take some getting used to). Throughout the show we will be accepting donations for our charitable partners at Big Brothers Big Sisters. We have five cumulative donation levels that will unlock special bonus actions...

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PHLY Flyers' Charlie O'Connor joins the DLLS Stars crew to break down one of the busiest offseasons in the NHL. The crew dives into the Philadelphia Flyers' offseason moves, the massive offer sheet to Leo Carlsson and what it means for the rest of the league, plus the latest on Jason Robertson's contract negotiations with the Dallas Stars. Charlie shares his insight on how teams are navigating the salary cap, the growing trend of aggressive offer sheets, and whether the Stars and Robertson can find common ground before the s...

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It’s Day 3 of ALLCITY Spirit Week 2026. Today’s theme: Diehard Day

Today, we celebrate our incredible DLLS Diehards! They are the backbone of our show, offering incredible support and enthusiasm for both our broadcasts AND the Dallas Stars. We will start off the show with some Diehard Damn Discord Q&A to highlight the community that we have built here at DLLS and revel in how it continues to grow. Then some big news of the day - the NHL has released the 2026-27 home openers for a...

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Jason Robertson's decision to file for arbitration may sound like bad news, but it could actually be the best outcome for both him and the Dallas Stars.

The DLLS Stars crew breaks down why arbitration isn't necessarily a sign that negotiations have fallen apart, how the process could help both sides reach common ground, and why fans shouldn't panic just yet. The crew also explains what arbitration means for the Stars' salary cap, roster construction, and the timeline for getting Robertson back under contract.

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It’s Day 2 of ALLCITY Spirit Week 2026. Today’s theme: Hot Take Tuesday.

We have spent the last two months discussing Jason Robertson. We have gone over things with a fine-toothed comb, talking through the contract negotiations, the surprise trade attempts (and rejections) and now the potential for an arbitration hearing on July 25th. Generally, teams and players try to avoid going to an arbitration hearing, as it can leave lingering bad blood and/or hurt feelings. But could this actually be the best solution to the...

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It’s ALLCITY Spirit Week 2026 and here at the DLLS Stars Podcast, we have plenty of spirit. Today’s theme: Inter-Market Guest - where each show will have a guest on from the same beat in a different city. That means we will have a hockey guest who works for either CHGO, DNVR, PHNX or PHLY. We are taking advantage of this to officially start our summer series The Other 31, where we fill the dog days of the NHL offseason to bring on guests who cover every other team, learn...