Comments / New

Stargazing, A Dallas Stars Puckcast – Episode 313: Incremental

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

Do you remember what a power play goal looks like? The Dallas Stars have had a hard time getting out of their own way for the past…little while, and it seems as if their opponents have figured them out. Or is it the typical winter doldrums conjoined with an Olympics-compressed schedule?

Wes and Mark understand complexity, especially when it comes to the Victory Green Gang’s problems. In this episode, they talk about why the Stars can’t score anymore, the surprisingly affordable tweak that could help them at the NHL trade deadline, whether or not this is the year the team goes all in on a Stanley Cup run, Jim Nill’s legacy, and ever so much more.

Sometimes you have to win two Western Conference Finals just to get to the Western Conference Final. We’re Stargazing, and we say, “Welcome to the Central Division.”

What are your thoughts as we approach the big February break? Share them with us in the comments. And please, 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.

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

Talking Points