The Dallas Stars have wrapped up various roster moves in the final days before the 2025 NHL regular season, signaling their readiness to chase a championship after falling short in recent playoff runs.
Over the past week, the Stars have shuffled players between the main roster and the minors while finalizing long-term injury placements, a necessary step toward setting their 23-man group for opening night.
These moves culminated in the team announcing its official opening night roster, which remains subject to change in the coming days.
The Dallas Stars have just announced their Opening Night Roster*.
*This is not to be confused with their season-opening lineup on Thursday at Winnipeg. Should be some more roster transactions tomorrow.#TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/b4fcvpHH9r
— Owen Newkirk (@OwenNewkirk) October 6, 2025
Meanwhile, the team made multiple moves to help set this lineup in place.
Among the final adjustments, captain Jamie Benn was placed on injured reserve due to a collapsed lung, clearing space for younger players expected to take on expanded roles during his extended absence.
Benn was not the only Stars player placed on the injured reserve list, as forward Oskar Bäck will open the season on the list due to an undisclosed injury.
Finally, the team added defenseman Luke Krys, right wing Kyle McDonald, and center Chase Wheatcroft to the injured reserve non-rostered list.
Several minor-league assignments were also confirmed by the team, trimming the roster and allowing the Stars to move closer to their season-opening configuration.
Dallas announced that defenseman Lian Bichsel has been loaned to the Texas Stars, while center Harrison Scott and defenseman Trey Taylor were both recalled from the franchise’s minor-league team.
These moves come as the Stars look to make another deep run in the NHL postseason during the upcoming year, with the team falling short of the ultimate goal over the last two seasons.
Throughout the past year, the team has made various changes to improve both player personnel and coaching staff, making multiple bold moves in an attempt to push this team over the edge for the Stanley Cup.
These moves have included the blockbuster trade for forward Miko Rantanen, who was recently ranked as the 13th-best player in the NHL, and the decision to move on from head coach Pete DeBoer in favor of Glen Gulutzan, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
While these moves will not guarantee the team more success than in previous seasons, the bold steps could help propel this team further than ever before.