The Dallas Stars will begin the season with 21 players on their roster, 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies. That is the smallest roster the NHL allows, and it is not a coincidence.
Dallas entered the summer tight against the salary cap and finished it tighter. Pro Hockey Rumors put the team's cap charge about $1.36 million over the $104 million ceiling in August, and carrying the minimum roster is how teams in that position get compliant. The team's own site has put the number slightly differently, but the conclusion is the same: there is no room.
Where the money is
Eight players carry cap hits above $8 million:
- Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen, $12 million each
- Thomas Harley, $10.587 million
- Tyler Seguin, $9.85 million
- Miro Heiskanen and Roope Hintz, $8.45 million each
- Wyatt Johnston, $8.4 million
- Jake Oettinger, $8.25 million
That is a core most teams would envy. It also means the rest of the lineup is built on bargain contracts, and bargains are the first thing that goes when a team gets hurt.
What it cost
The clearest price was Mavrik Bourque. The 24-year-old forward had 20 goals and 41 points in 82 games last season, depth production of exactly the kind a capped-out team needs. On July 1, Dallas traded him and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to Nashville for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third.
Defenseman Alexander Petrovic and forward Nathan Bastian left for Florida. The replacements were low-cost: forward Joel Kiviranta returned on a one-year, $1 million deal. Captain Jamie Benn came back for an $850,000 base salary.
Why depth matters for this team
Last spring's first-round loss to Minnesota turned largely on secondary scoring. Beyond Robertson and Johnston, the Stars found little five-on-five offense, and their even-strength scoring drought stretched past 209 minutes. Losing a 20-goal depth forward does not help that problem.
