The Dallas Stars are officially in the thick of the NHL playoffs.
Through the first round, things won’t get any easier along the path to the Stanley Cup, as the Stars try to bring it home to Dallas for the first time since the summer of ’99.
Clueless about the Stars? Don’t know any of the players? Not sure if victory green is your color?
Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of room to hop on the Stars’ bandwagon for their 2025 playoff run.
Here are five reasons to hitch a ride as the Stars continue their push to the Cup:
And boy, has it paid off already.
In March, the Stars traded Logan Stankoven — a beloved but still mostly unproven 22-year-old — two first-round draft picks and two third-round draft picks for Mikko Rantanen, a top-10 scorer in the NHL.
How good is Rantanen? Imagine if the Mavericks traded for Anthony Davis without giving up Luka Doncic. That’s the best way to describe what Stars GM Jim Nill and his staff did ahead of the NHL trade deadline.
Upon trading for Rantanen, the Stars also signed the superstar to an eight-year, $96 million contract, guaranteeing he’ll be in Dallas for nearly a decade.
And in the first postseason opportunity he got, Rantanen saved Dallas’ bacon against one of his former teams.
He scored three goals in the third period of Game 7 against the Avalanche to save the Stars’ season and help them advance to Round 2 of the playoffs.
Dallas made it through the always-challenging Colorado Avalanche even without two key players battling injuries.
Forward Jason Robertson, perhaps the Stars’ best goal-scorer on the roster, sustained a leg injury in the team’s regular-season finale and missed all of the first round. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen, a former No. 3 overall pick in the NHL draft and arguably Dallas’ best player, suffered a knee injury on Jan. 28 and had surgery.
Both players are expected to return at some point in Round 2, according to head coach Pete DeBoer, meaning this skilled Stars team could reach another level with them back in the lineup.
The Stars have gone to back-to-back Western Conference finals, and are favored to make another return.
Dallas is -165 to win its second-round series against the Jets, per FanDuel Sportsbook, even after Winnipeg finished first in the Western Conference and ended the regular season 10 points ahead of the Stars in the Central Division standings.
Of course, the conference finals aren’t the goal. The Stars are looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2020.
Jake Oettinger is only 26, but he’s already built a reputation for being at his best when the lights get bright.
Through an up-and-down first-round series, Oettinger was the one constant for Dallas, posting a .911 save percentage, the best among goalies who have started every playoff game for their team.
Maybe it’s the seemingly carefree “Otter” attitude that keeps him so loose in the playoffs.
“What more could you want as a player?” he said ahead of Game 7 against the Avs. “Ten years from now when I’m sitting on my couch watching these Game 7s, I’m going to be thinking about this moment. Just trying to enjoy every single second and have fun. I can’t control every little thing. When the buzzer sounds, I just want to be proud of my effort.”
The NHL’s playoff format may be somewhat unfair to certain teams from more competitive divisions, but it leaves plenty of excitement both early in the playoffs and leading up to them.
Year after year, the Central Division is one of the most competitive, and this season was no different. It featured two of the top three teams in the league, including the Stars and the league-leading Jets.
The Stars have already knocked out one Central Division rival in Colorado. Now they face an even bigger test against Winnipeg — but they’ve got the battle scars that show they’re ready for a fight.
Twitter: @dmn_stars
Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
2026 has already been a year of fresh horrors for beleaguered Downtown Dallas, and this past week dumped salt in the wound.
In the span of about 24 hours, the urban core was hit with the news that it would be losing three more iconic anchors: the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Stars and the Neiman Marcus flagship store.
After nearly convincing the city of Dallas to agree to knock down its architecturally significant City Hall to keep the team downtown, the Mavericks announced plans to decamp to Valley View — the development site at the doorstep of Preston Hollow that’s mostly been laid to waste after Beck Ventures bought it in 2012.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, whose signature political move is finger-pointing, did what he does best: issued a statement after the fact and he blamed someone else.
“We must fight for the city of tomorrow rather than worship decaying, outdated government buildings from bygone eras,” he wrote, referencing the groundswell of opposition to the City Hall demo plan from Dallasites, whom, it bears reminding, elected him to represent them.
The week got worse when the Stars confirmed they’re leaving American Airlines Center, which, like a Leonardo DiCaprio girlfriend, was deemed outdated at 25 years old. Then, bankrupt Saks Global made a final decision to shutter the Neiman Marcus flagship store at 1618 Main Street in September.
The one-two-three punch exacerbated an already dismal year for downtown, which kicked off with the news that its primary office anchor AT&T is ditching its 2 million-square-foot office footprint downtown and setting up shop in Plano.
Meanwhile, Plano’s star — and a replica of Dallas’ iconic Reunion Tower — continues to rise, buoyed by the news that Samsung is shifting its stateside business operations from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, to the north Dallas suburb.
Guinness World recordholder tops DFW broker charts
Home construction may have fallen off its post-pandemic peak in Texas, but the broker who made a name for himself selling Lone Star State new builds is still on top. Ben Caballero of HomesUSA.com once again towered over his peers in The Real Deal’s latest ranking of the region’s top broker teams and brokerages by total dollar volume. The Guinness World recordholder for most annual homes sold through the MLS closed $2.43 billion across 4,923 transactions between April 1, 2025, and April 1, 2026, with his average sale coming in at $493,724.
Long-stalled Four Seasons condos secure massive loan
The Four Seasons Private Residences Lake Austin, which was announced in 2021, is finally getting off the ground. Austin Capital Partners and its third development partner on the project, Lincoln Property Company, secured an $870 million construction loan to build the condo project. New York-based TYKO Capital provided the loan. Adelaide Real Estate, Cobalt Equities and JLL arranged the financing. The project will feature an unspecified number of private residences, 28 villa lots, a private marina with 50 boat slips and amenities operated by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts at 6507 Bridge Point Parkway, about 10 miles west of Downtown Austin.
Nitya Capital hits distress patch
About a year after Swapnil Agarwal’s Houston syndication firm seemed saved by a $700 million refi deal, Nitya Capital is back to fending off distress. The firm got foreclosure notices for three North Texas apartment complexes, totaling 847 units, indicating Nitya defaulted on more than $70 million in loans from New York-based One William Street Capital Management. The foreclosures aren’t the first rumblings of distress for Nitya since the refi deal. A $66 million commercial mortgage-backed securities loan tied to two apartment complexes owned by Nitya was flagged for special servicing in October.
Meet the Becks, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks arena site at Valley View
Long-awaited Four Seasons Lake Austin condo project lands $870M construction loan
Dallas Stars freeze out Downtown Dallas, American Airlines Center
Downtown Dallas flagship Neiman Marcus to shutter
NBA Draft analyst James Barlowe joined the Dallas Hoops Journal podcast to assess how the Dallas Mavericks should use the No. 9, No. 30, and No. 48 picks to build around Cooper Flagg.
DALLAS — As the 2026 NBA Draft continues to approach, the Dallas Mavericks face some important decisions to continue to build around franchise cornerstone Cooper Flagg.
NBA Draft expert James Barlowe made an appearance on the Dallas Hoops Journal podcast to break down the Mavericks’ options with their picks. He covers the draft for NBA Big Board on Substack and the NBA Draft Junkies YouTube channel.
The Mavericks control the No. 9, No. 30, and No. 48 overall selections, with a front office led by Masai Ujiri, who oversees basketball operations as president and alternate governor, and Mike Schmitz, the general manager. Additionally, the team has not yet hired a head coach.
“You have your box office, your franchise player,” Barlowe said, comparing Dallas to teams such as the Brooklyn Nets and Utah Jazz that have searched for a centerpiece for years.
Barlowe said the 19-year-old produced against the league’s top wings and improved as the season progressed, and he projected Flagg to be an All-Star soon, potentially even next season. Barlowe identified a more consistent catch-and-shoot jumper as the primary area for improvement after winning the NBA’s Rookie of the Year honor.
Barlowe also addressed Kyrie Irving, who is returning from a torn ACL. He said a smart front office would consider trade offers from teams on different timelines. If the Mavericks keep Irving, Barlowe said, the ideal selection at No. 9 would be a guard who can play alongside him and eventually take over the position.
Barlowe identified Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr., Houston’s Kingston Flemings, Arizona’s Brayden Burries, and Tennessee forward Nate Ament as top prospects likely to be available at No. 9.
He called Brown the best long-term point guard in the class and said Dallas should not hesitate to select him if he is available. Barlowe said the Mavericks should prioritize guards who can shoot, pass, and defend, citing the rosters built by the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks.
Barlowe disputed the notion that Ujiri values size above all else. “He’s a rule changer instead of a rule follower,” Barlowe said, describing Ujiri as an executive who drafts the best player available.
Barlowe detailed how the Mavericks should consider trading down to acquire assets, noting their limited control of future first-round picks. Additionally, he stated that value remains at No. 30 despite a wave of players returning to college under name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, while sharing some prospects to monitor in the late first and second rounds.
The 2026 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 23 and June 24.
DALLAS – A multi-vehicle crash early Saturday morning left one person dead and another critically injured in West Dallas, authorities said.
What we know:
Dallas Police officers responded to a call for service at 2:10 a.m. near the intersection of North Walton Walker Boulevard and Singleton Boulevard.
A preliminary investigation by traffic detectives determined that multiple vehicles were involved in the crash. One individual died at the scene. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased pending notification of next of kin.
Another person sustained substantial injuries and was rushed by first responders to a local hospital, where they remain in critical condition, according to police.
Officers arrested one individual at the scene of the crash. Police did not immediately disclose the identity of the person taken into custody or the specific charges they might face in connection with the fatal incident.
The circumstances surrounding what caused the multi-vehicle wreck remain unclear as the investigation continues.
Dallas Police stated that the investigation is ongoing.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Dallas Police Department.
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