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Stargazing, A Dallas Stars Puckcast – Episode 323: First-Round Preview, Stars vs. Wild

We’re home. Wes and Mark preview the Round 1 action. Listen in.

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

And here we are again. The Dallas Stars will face the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs — which probably says more about the NHL’s desperate need to revise their postseason format than anything, but that’s a question for another time, and at any rate it’s beyond the scope of this recording.

Rather, Wes and Mark would like to talk about how the Stars will approach the challenge at hand. In this episode of Stargazing, they discuss which players have the most to prove, how matchups will shape up given the crucial home-ice advantage, who stands to make the most of the playoffs, and so much more.

The two best players entering this series…? Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson have entered the chat. We’re Stargazing, and the stats will back us up on this. (We’ve got more, if you want it.)

Which Stars will shine in Round 1? Let’s talk about it in the comments. And please give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. It’s really all we think about these days.

Welcome to Stargazing. We love you.

The Dallas Stars always knew they had a lot of work to get done in the 2026 NHL offseason. We fans always knew GM Jim Nill had a plan, and it surely involved re-signing both Jason Robertson and Mavrik Bourque. So do we panic now that Plan A is dusted? Or is a Jim Nill Plan B good enough to keep the Stars rolling? In this episode of Stargazing, Wes and Mark discuss the battle to keep Robo (and who has a legitimate chance of taking him away), Jamie Benn's new deal, a show-me season for Thomas Harley, what the team needs from Mikko Rantanen, separating fact from fiction in the Stars' salary cap situation…and ever so much more. So is Joel Kiviranta the good-luck charm we all need to ensure everything will be OK? We're Stargazing, and we're not dismissing the prospect out of hand. Bonus question: Who are you watching among the Stars' new NHL Draft picks? Let's talk about it at Defending Big D. 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. Plan A and Plan B
  2. Golfing Season
  3. Round 1, Game 4 Reactions
  4. Round 1, Game 3 Reactions
  5. Round 1, Game 2 Reactions

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