One area of focus for each returning Dallas Stars player this season
For Stars set to hit free agency next summer, the 2024-25 season comes with high stakes
Dallas, TX
NHL’s powerhouse Central Division has seven playoff contenders, from Dallas to Nashville
Nino Niederreiter has taken a bit of a tour around the NHL’s Central Division, from Minnesota to Nashville to Winnipeg, so few know better just how deep it is.
The Dallas Stars are coming off a trip to the Western Conference Final, Colorado could get captain Gabriel Landeskog back after a two-year absence, Nashville loaded up by signing Steven Stamkos and others, St. Louis is back in the mix and Utah should be much-improved after relocating from Arizona. Only a maximum of five can make the playoffs.
“I feel like it’s back to a powerhouse,” Niederreiter said of the Central. “You have four or five teams that are going to play for the playoff spots, and I think it’s going to be very difficult.”
The Stars go in as the slight favorite after reaching the third round and pushing eventual West champion Edmonton to six games. Outside of the Oilers in the Pacific, Dallas is among the likeliest teams to get out of the conference and reach the final next spring, especially after making a long run.
“We learned just how hard it is to win,” young forward Wyatt Johnston said. “You always hear and everyone always talks about it. But you really learn once you get there how hard it is to win. It’s not easy to win even one playoff game, and you’ve got to win 16 of them to win the Stanley Cup.”
The Avalanche won the Cup three years ago, and hoisting it was the last thing Landeskog did on the ice in the NHL. Add him back to a group led by reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon and elite defenseman Cale Makar, and Colorado looks poised to be among the league’s best once again.
Then there are the Predators, who added Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei in free agency and signed goaltender Juuse Saros to a long-term extension. Saros and his teammates know it is time to make it count.
“You’ve got to work and be humble to get all the pieces working together because it is a hard league to win,” Saros said. “But obviously the expectations are there, for sure.”
On the rise
The Blues pulled off the biggest surprise of the summer, signing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg of the Oilers to offer sheets that Edmonton opted not to match. Five years since winning the first title in franchise history and after going through a bit of a reset on the fly, St. Louis is back as a clear contender.
“(General manager Doug Armstrong has) been pretty open and honest with everyone about our team the last couple years and being in a retool,” forward Robert Thomas said. “We’re in a time to push right now. The retool’s over, we’re ready to go and I’m excited to kind of show everyone what we’ve built in St. Louis.”
The Utah Hockey Club also made some splashes, acquiring two-time Cup-winning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev from Tampa Bay at the draft among a series of moves by GM Bill Armstrong. There is also the excitement of the team formerly known as the Coyotes getting a fresh start in Salt Lake City, much like an expansion team but with tons of young talent already in place.
“It’s a great experience to be part of something brand new, a new team, because that doesn’t happen often,” goaltender Karel Vejmelka said. “It’s kind of unique, and I’m pretty excited about it.”
On the decline
Someone has to miss the playoffs other than Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks, who are likely at least a couple of years away from making that leap.
Minnesota might be on the wrong end of that in the final year of salary cap calamity. Buyouts of the albatross contracts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in 2021 will help the Wild immensely down the road, but they combine to count almost $15 million this season, which will hamstring GM Bill Guerin in what’s expected to be the final season for well-respected veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
On the hot seat
If Utah does not make a marked improvement, Andre Tourigny could be among the first coaches fired. Tourigny was brought in a few years ago to teach a young team good habits, and he has done that well, but an experienced hand at the wheel might be needed to take the next step for a franchise eager for a good start for their new fans.
Predicted order of finish
Dallas, Colorado, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg, Utah, Minnesota, Chicago.
Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Video: Here’s 5 bold predictions for the Patriots in the 2026 Season
The New England Patriots enter the 2026 NFL season with big expectations after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in last season’s Super Bowl.
George Pickens hasn’t been in the news for a week now, so something had to break and it came in the form of a Cowboy legend giving him advice on how to handle his contract situation.
There is also speculation that this year will be his last with the Dallas Cowboys and the last year in the silver and blue for a former Texas Longhorn linebacker. CeeDee Lamb and coach Brian Schottenheimer are also in the news, or what passes for it in late May in the NFL.
Here are some Cowboys headlines.
George Pickens, Emmitt Smith
The NFL’s all-time rushing leader and Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith went on to the NFL Network’s The Insiders show and shared his opinions about George Pickens’ situation. Pickens’ contract status has been a major storyline this offseason and he is now set to play on a one-year franchise tag.
Indications are he wasn’t a long-term contract (as anyone would), but Jerry Jones has not opened negotiations on this. Smith’s advice to Pickens is something Cowboy fans hope Pickens follows.
Smith said: “I would say to George Pickens right now, you just ran into the business side of sports, period. There’s nothing else but pure business. Try not to take it personally. I know you will, because I would take it personally too, but shuffle that energy to your performance because I think your performance itself is going to speak a lot louder than anything else.”
Meanwhile, the blog Inside the Star predicts Pickens, as well as linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, will not be with the team in 2027.
Of Pickens, Mark Heaney writes, “We’ve seen the front office be unwilling to even negotiate a long-term deal, likely due to the issue of paying two wide receivers at the top of the market. In theory, the Cowboys could franchise tag him again next offseason, but consecutive tags mean a 120% increase from the previous year’s salary; that’s unsustainable for the organization. Instead, I think we see him dealt for some compensation ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft.“
DeMarvion Overshown
Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, a Texas Longhorns product, has tantalized Cowboys fans when he’s been healthy, but that hasn’t been much. He missed all of his rookie year in 2023 with a blown-out knee, which came after several strong preseason games.
He blew out his knee again late in the 2024 season, which caused him to miss the first half of the 2025 season.
Mark Heaney of the blog Inside the Star predicts that this coming season, one way or another, will be Overshown’s last in Dallas.
He writes: “The other guy, DeMarvion Overshown, is a genuine fan favorite, and it is easy to understand why. Former Texas Longhorn, electric, high-energy player when healthy, true team leader. That all resonates with the Dallas faithful in a significant way, but it doesn’t change the facts around his situation, especially when it comes to health.
”Overshown has had major struggles with staying on the field, and if he comes asking for a big bag in 2027 after more issues this year, Dallas will say no.
”On the flip side, his elite potential could result in a huge year that, similarly to Pickens, prices Dallas out from extending him to a long-term deal. The addition of Jaishawn Barham in the draft adds another layer to it, as he should be able to replace Overshown next year.”
CeeDee Lamb
Last week new New York Giants coach John Harbaugh, took a shot at the Dallas Cowboys at New York’s town hall event, saying, “All I care about is tomorrow’s practice, because if tomorrow’s practice is the way it’s supposed to be, that will be one more step in the direction of being a good enough football team to kick the Cowboys’ ass.”
Evidently mocking Harbaugh fell to receiver CeeDee Lamb, who went on Instagram to post a rather understated, “lol that’s cute.”
This being May, that was enough to grab some headlines and get his name back in the news.
Dallas Cowboys coach
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer will enter his second year as head coach, marking his fifth year with the club. He is now looking to sell his McKinney home for $3.8 million in order to move closer to the Cowboys’ headquarters in Frisco (McKinney is about a half-hour drive from Frisco).
“It really is just time being closer to work, and every minute counts, when you’re at that level, for him,” listing agent Carrie Himel told Neil Franklin of the Dallas Morning News.
For those interested, the house is listed at 5,700 square feet.
Dallas Cowboys tickets 2026
Seat Geek is the official partner of the Dallas Cowboys, so this is where to get official tickets. The Cowboys are also offering packages for the Week 3 game in Rio de Janeiro against the Ravens, ranging from $1,200 to $5,750. That doesn’t include airfare, and the cheap rate doesn’t include a hotel.
Other places to buy tickets, which will be more expensive but with a much larger selection than the official tickets, include StubHub, Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats. Those sites also offer tickets for away games.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached, bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
The Dallas Police Department is investigating the shooting deaths of three people at a party being held at a short-term rental on Tuesday morning.
The department posted a video update to social media hours after the incident occurred.
According to DPD, police responded to a shooting call in the 3700 Vilbig St. at around 12:28 a.m. The preliminary investigation found that four people had been shot at a party being hosted at a short-term rental.
Two of the victims died at the scene and one died at the hospital. The fourth victim is in stable condition. All of the victims are adults.
At this time, police have not made an arrest and are still carrying out a preliminary investigation. Police said there was not a threat to the general public, but a suspect had fled the scene.
As of Monday, there had been a total of 74 homicide offenses recorded by Dallas police in 2026. That includes seven justifiable homicide offenses, 55 murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses, and another 12 negligent manslaughter offenses.
This time last year, the department had recorded 79 homicide offenses, including five justifiable homicides, 64 murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses, and another 10 negligent manslaughter offenses.
Kurt: Even though he is Dallas’ only 2026 draft pick to not sign yet, Lawrence’s current contract situation isn’t having any impact on the team’s culture and what Schottenheimer is trying to do.
There are specific restrictions set within the Collective Bargaining Agreement on how much each rookie can make, based on his draft position. The higher the draft slot, the higher the paycheck. Seems simple, right? However, there are a few items that can be negotiated, such as guaranteed money.
Which is where the Cowboys and Lawrence stand right now, although they’re not alone. Around the league, 15 of the top 21 overall picks have signed, but none of the rookies selected lower in the first round (Nos. 22-32) have inked a deal. Even though they basically have no leverage, they’re all waiting to see how things play out. Once one signs on the dotted line, the other dominoes should quickly fall.
In the meantime, it’s been business as usual for the coaching staff and players. Lawrence has been attending all the workouts and meetings, as well as generally being around to soak up Schottenheimer’s culture.
In other words, Cowboys fans can move right along; there is nothing to see here.Kurt:
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