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Game Day Guide: Stars vs Rangers | Dallas Stars
First Shift π
As the Stars swerve down the road that is the 2024-25 season, they are learning to adjust.
Last season, the team rolled out three fantastic lines that stayed consistent for most of the year. Hintz played beside Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski, Duchene centered Seguin and Mason Marchment, and Wyatt Johnston found chemistry with Benn and either Dadonov or Logan Stankoven. It was a formula that drove opponents crazy and led to the best regular-season record in the Western Conference.
But Pavelski retired and Seguin is out 4-6 months following hip surgery, and that creates some challenges. Thatβs a big hit for a team that could really use some offense.
βWith Seguin out of the lineup here and Joe Pavelski retired, thatβs 60 goals from last year that are out, so we have to fill that void with other guys,β Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. βOther guys have to find a way to score goals. That includes guys that have scored before getting up to the pace that theyβve been on most of their careers and some other guys that weβre counting on to stick some pucks in the net have to do that.β
Robertson has seen his points per game pace go from 0.97 to 0.68. He has previously tallied back-to-back seasons of 40-plus goals but is on pace for 19 this season. Johnston had 32 goals last season and is on pace for 16 this year. Hintz is down from .81 points per game to .63. Benn is on pace for 16 goals in 82 games, that would be the lowest goals per game total of his 16-year career.
So how do the Stars snap out of it?
Well, getting the power play would be a good start.
And getting some line chemistry going would be another.
Bottom line, they have to fight through this.
βWeβve got to find a way, itβs as simple as that,β said Duchene, who is leading the team in scoring. βWhether itβs making adjustments tactically or just getting some swagger in our game. One of the toughest things to do in hockey is to have confidence or swagger when youβre not getting results, and weβve got to find a way to find that.β
Asked how the team could do that, Duchene said, βFor me, youβve got to enjoy playing the game. I think youβve got to stick with it and not get frustrated.β
The Stars on Wednesday got goals from Sam Steel, Dadonov and Colin Blackwell, and thatβs a great sign. If the depth scoring can chip in, it helps feed the top scorers.
βI think whenever you can put one in, you get a little more pep in your step,β said Steel. βWe know there are certain things we are doing when weβre scoring, so weβve got to try to get back to those habits.β
And that seems the way the team has to do it. Itβs how they did it last year, too.
βWe donβt have Connor McDavid, or that type of player,β DeBoer said earlier in the season. βOur strength is in our depth, and we have to use that.β
(Editor’s Note: As part of the preparation for training camp, this series will introduce 25 players who are new to the Cowboys’ roster, rookies and veterans alike. We’ll continue with outside linebacker Tyrus Wheat.)
The 2026 season will mark a homecoming for Wheat, who is now back in Dallas for his second stint with the Cowboys. As an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, Wheat signed with the Cowboys in 2023 on the practice squad before quickly being signed to the active roster a few months afterwards.
In his rookie season, Wheat saw a majority of his snaps come on special teams with 197, and only 31 snaps on defense. That would flip in his second season, with 165 snaps on defense and 46 on special teams. Through two years, Wheat played in 20 games and tallied 18 tackles and half a sack before spending a year with the Lions in 2025.
As is true across all levels of football, you can never have enough pass rushers. Wheat gives the Cowboys another pass rusher, who has the added ability to be able to help out on special teams as well as a blocker on kickoffs.
As for how much he’ll be in the defensive rotation, that’ll have to be something he earns in training camp. The Cowboys have some younger pass rushers ahead of him now like Donovan Ezeiruaku and first-round pick Malachi Lawrence, so there’ll need to be some proving done. That said, Wheat is also coming off his best year yet with the Lions. Will it be enough to find a role in the pass rush rotation? Oxnard will give us a good idea of that.
- Wheat played a vital special teams role for the Lions last season, tallying 11 special teams tackles which was the third-most for Detroit in 2025. He played a career-high 215 special teams snaps in order to get to that point.
- Wheat’s one and only season away from the Cowboys thus far in his career saw him play in 15 games for the Lions, where he also tallied a career-high 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks despite only playing 66 defensive snaps.
- After wearing 91 in his first stint with Dallas, Wheat returns to the Cowboys wearing 90 now, which was last worn by defensive tackle Solomon Thomas.
Detroit Pistons introduce second-round pick Ugonna Onyenso
Detroit Pistons rookie second-round pick Ugonna Onyenso is introduced to members of the media July 6, 2026.
The Detroit Pistons have traded a third player this summer.
The Pistons agreed to deal 25-year-old combo guard Marcus Sasser to the Dallas Mavericks, coached by ex-Michigan coach Dusty May, on Tuesday, July 7, according to ESPN. The Pistons are also sending a protected 2028 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers.
This comes as part of a complex six-team trade that includes the Pistons dealing Caris LeVert in a salary-saving move to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday evening. The six-team trade also involves the previously reported moves of the Pistons trading Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Pistons’ acquisition of John Collins from the Clippers.
The Pistons generate a trade exception worth $15 million in the trade-palooza, a person with first-hand knowledge told the Free Press, granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly. The trade exception is worth the same amount asΒ Stewart’s outgoing salaryΒ for 2026-27 and allows the Pistons to take in salary up to $15 million without having to send any back. It expires in exactly one year.
Sasser joins a Mavs backcourt where Kyrie Irving is the starting lead guard, and could compete with second-year undrafted guard Ryan Nembhard for the backup role.
Sasser, who the PistonsΒ traded up to draft 25th overallΒ out of Houston in 2023 under previous general manager Troy Weaver, averaged 5.2 points and shot 41.5% from 3. He is on an expiring contract worth $5.2 million from his four-year, $13.5 million rookie deal.
When called upon, SasserΒ proved he can play. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder was one of the team’s best shooters, but only appeared in 38 games last season due to injury and the Pistons’ depth at guard.
Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon indicated a desire to add more ball-handling and shooting this offseason, after a 60-22 season ended in Game 7 of the second round.
Sasserβs path to minutes wasn’t going to get easier following the addition of first-round pickΒ Ebuka Okorie, a 19-year-old from Stanford,Β whom the Pistons traded up four spots to draft No. 17 overall.
Then, Langdon traded for one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters in guardΒ Isaiah Joe in a dealΒ with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Sasser, who was out of the playoff rotation until Game 5 of the second round, sparked the Pistons in Game 6 at Cleveland, pouring in nine points on 4-for-5 shooting in 18 minutes in a win-or-go-home setting. He played 23 minutes in Game 7, scoring nine points on 3-for-12 shooting in aΒ 125-94 blowout loss to the Cavaliers at home.
Pistons roster moves this offseason
The Pistons have turned over much of the roster this summer through the draft and NBA free agency.
Here’s who they’ve added and who they’ve lost:
Lost
- Traded Marcus Sasser (Mavericks)
- Traded Caris LeVert (Bucks)
- Traded Isaiah Stewart (Grizzlies)
- Tobias Harris (Spurs)
Added
- Drafted Ebuka Okorie (No. 17)
- Drafted Ugonna Onyenso (No. 53, two-way contract)
- Acquired Isaiah Joe (Thunder)
- Acquired John Collins (Clippers)
- Acquired Taurean Prince (Bucks)
- Acquired Gary Harris (Bucks)
The Pistons also re-signed bench wings Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green.
Pistons depth chart
The Pistons have 16 players on their 15-man roster, plus two of three two-way slots filled. Here’s where their depth chart currently stands as of Wednesday morning:
*Jalen Duren remains unsigned as a restricted free agent.
- PG:Β Cade Cunningham, Daniss Jenkins, Ebuka Okorie.
- SG:Β Duncan Robinson, Isaiah Joe, Javonte Green, Chaz Lanier, Gary Harris.
- SF:Β Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, Kevin Huerter, Taurean Prince.
- PF:Β John Collins, Isaac Jones (two-way).Β
- C:Β *Jalen Duren, Paul Reed, Tolu Smith, Ugonna Onyenso (two-way).
[ MUST WATCH:Β MakeΒ “The Pistons Pulse”Β your go-toΒ PistonsΒ podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple,Β Spotify)Β or watchΒ live on YouTube. ]Β
Dusty May on leaving Michigan for the Dallas Mavericks
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May sat down with FOX 4’s Mike Doocy to discuss why he left the University of Michigan for an NBA job, how his wife and family have supported his journey, his expectations for transforming the Mavs into a championship contender, and more.
DALLAS – North Texans are eager to learn all about the Dallas Mavericks’ new head coach, Dusty May, and his plan for the team.
Dallas Mavs Coach Dusty May
What we know:
May is fresh off a national title win with the Michigan Wolverines.
In his two season in Ann Arbor, May guided the Wolverines to a 64-13 record.
In his prior stint as the head coach at Florida Atlantic University, May guided the Owls to a Final Four in 2023 and multiple NCAA tournament berths.
May comes in as the replacement for Jason Kidd, who the Mavericks parted ways with in late May.Β
He’s the first big hire under Masai Ujiri, who was hired as the team’s new President of Basketball Operations in early May.
This will be May’s first stint as an NBA head coach.
What they’re saying:
In an interview with Mike Doocy, the 49-year-old coach said he thinks the Mavericks could become real championship contenders sooner rather than later.
He highlighted Kyrie Irvingβs return, the potential of Max Christie, and, of course, the skills of star rookie Cooper Flag.
“I think it’s just his mindset, his tenacity, his ability to play every single position at a high level and play both sides of the ball. The fact that he’s always won. He hasn’t always been on the most talented teams, so he’s a competitor that’s up for the challenge. I could literally go on all day about the positive attributes that Cooper has,” he said.
In terms of adjusting from college basketball to the NBA, May said heβs excited about the coaching staff heβs putting together.
He plans to rely on the veterans on the team and in the office as he starts his professional basketball career.
The Source: Information in this article comes from an interview with Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May.
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