Stars reportedly eyed Blue Jackets' tough guy before re-signing

Earlier this week, insider Jeff Marek revealed that the Dallas Stars had serious interest in Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier if he had reached free agency.

It turns out the Stars weren't the only team that recognized the value of Olivier's unique skill set, but they never got the chance to make a pitch.

Olivier was among Columbus's top free agents this past summer, alongside Ivan Provorov. Because of his blend of toughness and scoring, new general manager Don Waddell made sure Olivier never hit the open market, signing him to a six-year extension before free agency even began.

Why the Stars wanted Mathieu Olivier and why players like him are so rare

Marek noted that Dallas is still looking for a player in Olivier's mold, and that search won't be easy. In today's NHL, very few forwards can combine heavyweight toughness with the ability to score 15 or more goals in a season.

Olivier is not a traditional power forward, but rather a throwback enforcer who can still chip in offensively, the kind of player who feels straight out of the 1980s or 90s.

Last season, Olivier had a career year with 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points, while racking up 139 penalty minutes and dropping the gloves 15 times in all 82 games. On top of that, he recorded 306 hits and played a reliable role on the penalty kill.

As The Hockey News pointed out, Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason trusts Olivier in multiple situations, making it likely that his numbers could improve even further in 2025-26.

That level of physicality paired with secondary scoring explains exactly why the Stars were interested, and why they may keep searching for their own version of him.

Personally, I think Dallas could still benefit from adding a player like Olivier. The Stars have the skill, but in the playoffs, that kind of grit often makes the difference in close series.