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Stargazing, A Dallas Stars Puckcast – Episode 303: Money Talks

What will the Dallas Stars look like during a playoffs run…or for the next five years? Wes and Mark welcome Juraj Kralik to talk about it.

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 have had a slower start than many fans wanted this season. Yet the team is still one point out of the Central Division’s top three, which also means they’re four points from the top of the league in general. Is the roster working as designed, despite new systems and old injuries? And is their progress sustainable through a playoffs run, or next year…or five years from now?

For this special edition of Stargazing, we followed the money. Friend of DBD Juraj Kralik joins Wes and Mark, and he needs you to stop thinking as if the NHL is still in a flat-cap era. They discuss how the salary cap is poised to take off, why NHL needle-movers aren’t making it to free agency, new possibilities for the Jason Robertson re-signing, and the ways in which Thomas Harley’s blockbuster extension will benefit the Stars in general and Miro Heiskanen in particular.

Do you really think we’d do an entire episode about the Dallas Stars and their financial flexes without figuring in Jamie Benn’s potential bonuses? Get in, losers, we’re going Stargazing.

What’s your take on what the Stars should do next? Let’s talk about it in the comments. And please, throw us a rate, review or share wherever you listen. Enjoy.

If there's one thing the Dallas Stars don't have to worry about, it's their tandem in net. But what do fans expect to see from Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith in 2026-27? In this episode of Stargazing, Wes and Mark talk about the synergy between the net and the blueline, the importance of staying healthy (and how much that's worth paying for), the factors that stats can't seem to capture, the Him vs. Dog of it all, and ever so much more. Really, who cares about save percentage? We're Stargazing, and we'd rather get credit for the wins. 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.
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  2. Catching Up
  3. Plan A and Plan B
  4. Golfing Season
  5. Round 1, Game 4 Reactions

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