Dallas Stars 2025-2026 Line Previews

The Stars’ first line features the two Finns who lit up the postseason in Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen. It appears that Gulutzan is relying on this pair’s chemistry to continue into the season and has tentatively placed Sam Steel as their left wing. Steel will likely play a similar role as Mikael Granlund did last postseason when playing with Hintz and Rantanen.

Steel plays with a playmaker-first style with lots of hustle and grit. Hintz and Rantanen’s abilities speak for themselves, as they are both already proven high-tier first liners, but Steel will have to earn his stripes on the top line. He had a solid showing in an elevated role during last year’s playoffs, but he still never played in the top six. Expect a bit of an adjustment period for the 27-year-old winger.

2nd Line: Robertson-Johnston-Borque

This line features a lot of firepower and a bit of a question mark on the right side. Jason Robertson is in a contract year and is looking to prove that he deserves a big pay bump. He had a slow start last season but exploded after the 4 Nations tournament which he was snubbed.

Wyatt Johnston, Robertson’s center, is looking to capitalize on finally having an elite linemate. He’s been anchored down the past two seasons with lower-level wingers, but now with Robertson on his left, the potential is limitless for Johnston. Last but not least, Mavrik Borque is coming into his second season as a full-time NHLer. He had a bit of a rocky rookie season, but with a new coaching staff, he is looking to leave his mark at the NHL level.

3rd Line: Blackwell-Duchene-Seguin

Last year’s second line runs it back with a slight change at left wing. With Marchment being shipped out to clear cap, in his place will be Colin Blackwell. He will bring that much-needed hustle and forecheck energy to a skill line. Duchene, in his first year of his new deal, will be looking to prove that he was worth his amount. He might not be able to replicate his 82-point campaign from last year, but if he can even provide 60+ points from a third-line role, that’d be a win.

Tyler Seguin is looking to bounce back after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury. He was on a near point per game pace to start last season, so he’s likely hoping to reach a similar pace this season. Altogether, this is one of the better 3rd lines in the league, and if Benn can come back into his left wing spot on this line, it’ll only be even better.

4th Line: Erne-Faksa-Bastian

Coach Gulutzan is prioritizing size on his fourth line, opting for a bigger guy in Adam Erne over a youngster like Hryckowian, although he may also draw into the fourth line winger spot at some point early in the season. Radek Faksa, one of the Stars’ few free agent signings this summer, is hoping to return to his former team to provide much-needed grit and size on the bottom line. He is the exact blueprint of what the Stars were lacking at times during last year’s playoff run, so he will be expected to bring the energy.

Nathan Bastian is a career fourth liner, but he brings the size and physicality that make him a perfect fit to complete the Stars’ heavy-hitting fourth line.

1st Defensive Pairing: Lindell-Heiskanen

This will be one of the league’s best pairings. Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen are some of the smartest defenders in the league, and opposing teams will have a nightmare trying to get past these two. Lindell, who is primarily a defensive defenceman, will be able to provide Hesiaken with enough security so that he is comfortable enough to jump into the play offensively. If everything goes according to plan, this pairing will complement each other perfectly.

2nd Defensive Pairing: Harley-Lundkvist

This is the pairing that has the highest risk-to-reward ratio. If both Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist can play well together, then the Stars have an elite puck-moving pairing on their hands. However, if two young offensive first-mind defensemen aren’t able to play sound enough defense, then the Stars have a defensive blackhole on their blue line. It is definitely a risk playing both these guys together, but Gulutzan seems to have confidence in both players.

Harley, who is on a contract year, will look to expand upon his breakout 2nd half of last year, where he was the de facto number one in Heiskanen’s absence. Lundkvist needs to prove that he belongs in the NHL after having a rocky start to his career. He’s shown flashes of promise but needs to be able to consistently display it.

3rd Defensive Pairing: Bichsel-Lyubushkin

Similar to the Stars’ fourth offensive line, their last defensive pairing also has tremendous size and physicality. Bichsel, who will have his first chance to play a full NHL season, is actively blossoming into an intimidating defender who has sneaky good puck-moving abilities. Lyubushkin is a solid enough defender, but lacks the offensive output to be an effective top-four defenseman. He may have one of the worst contracts on the Stars, but the team is hoping that he can make up for that with effective play.

End Of My Dallas Stars Line Review Rant

While lines definitely will change throughout the year, this is what head coach Gulutzan has cooked up on opening night. The biggest weakness on this roster is by far the left winger position. With guys like Steel and Blackwell playing higher up in the lineup than they usually do, it could make for some disappointing play. Outside of that, the Stars are running back a lineup that is very similar in philosophy and structure to last year.

It is clear that they want to spread the wealth offensively and defensively, by splitting up Robertson from the first line and having Harley and Heiskanen play on different pairings. Gulutzan also seems to have the idea to pair up forwards with each other and plug in a third guy that can be a compliment to the pairing. These pairings would be: Hintz-Rantanen, Robertson-Johnston, and Duchene-Seguin. If this works, the Stars could once again be one of the deepest teams in the league.