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Stargazing, A Dallas Stars Puckcast – Episode 312: Know Your Limits

Why create a different Dallas when you can be the most Dallas? Wes and Mark talk it over.

Defending Big D's Stargazing podcast logo, featuring a Dallas Stars Victory Green cassette tape with tearaway jersey texture and nets over the sprocket holes, designed by Jason Lara
Logo design: Jason Lara | @NHLMaps

The Dallas Stars vs. the Minnesota Wild is a practically guaranteed first-round matchup at this point. So why play all this hockey in the meantime…?

No, Wes and Mark aren’t serious about that. But they do have quite a few ideas about how the Stars can become the best version of themselves before April.

In this edition of Stargazing, they discuss the tradeoffs the Stars make for an elite power play, the ways this team can still improve before the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the elephants in the room that are the Stars’ future NHL Draft options, the Winter Olympics snub you’re not talking about (yet),and ever so much more.

Never make a deal from a point of weakness. We’re Stargazing, and we make all our deals over coffee.

What sort of short-term rental could make the Stars unstopabble? Let’s talk about it in the comments. And if you will, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback is practically all we think about.

Thanks for everything. We love you.

A fair number of Dallas Stars enjoyers have perceived that fan fave Thomas Harley has been doing more, but with less to show for it, since the 2025-26 NHL season began. Is this a problem with his defensive partners? The lingering effects of his injury in November, and the missed games that resulted? The predictable struggles of a still very young blueliner? Something more concerning? Or less? …If only there were some way of measuring it all. You know, with math and stuff. In this episode of Stargazing, Mark sat down for an incredibly specific Stars conversation with Puck Over The Glass founder (and friend of DBD) Aaron Knodell. With Aaron's recent article on Harley's output as a jumping-off point, they take a deep dive into the Stars' defense — the pairings, the performances, the effects of Glen Gulutzan's new system, and so much more. You don't play like an elite NHL defender for two years and just forget how, do you? We’re Stargazing, and we're beginning to think not. Are you looking for Team Canada Thomas Harley in Milano-Cortina? And while we're talking about it, who you got for the men's and women's Olympic hockey hardware? Let’s talk about it at Defending Big D. (And put your picks up now. You don't get to come in on February 23 and say you went 14-0 in the medal rounds.) And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Stargazing. We love you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
  1. Harley Kick
  2. Everything/Nothing
  3. Incremental
  4. Know Your Limits
  5. Built This Way, Part 2

Talking Points