The Dallas Stars won their position in the 2025 Stanley Cup race relatively early. Then they skidded into the end of the regular season on a seven-game losing streak unprecedented during head coach Pete DeBoer's tenure. So what happens now that this team is supposed to be all in?

To survey the first-round ice, Stargazing welcomed back longtime Colorado Avalanche writer Evan Liu, now of Hockey Mountain High. He sat down with Wes and Mark to talk about forward depth, netminder performance, the playoffs return of Tyler Seguin and Gabriel Landeskog, and why whatever happens...won't be a surprise.

So who you got? Let’s talk about it. It’s Stargazing time!

What’s on your mind? Share it at Defending Big D. (We’re there for you. Really!) And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. Thank you kindly.

The Dallas Stars are pretty good at winning. They've even gotten good at winning games in which they didn't play as well as their opponents. That's one reason why it's so frustrating to see the Stars' vices become their manners...especially when they drop games that were in their reach.

What does it mean for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs? Wes and Mark needed backup for this one, so they invited DBD alumnus Robert Tiffin – who's now kind of everywhere, thanks to D Magazine and his own Stars Thoughts Substack. And they talk about everything — from odd-yet-effective set plays to messy zone exits to how much it may (or may not) help when the Stars' injured stars are back from injuries.

Now that they're in the playoffs, maybe they just want to stay healthy and blow everything up in the first round. We're Stargazing, and we think about this stuff all. the. time. And we're only half-joking when we say that this episode is presented by StarsThoughts.com.

What's your biggest worry about the state of the Stars? Tell us about it at Defending Big D. We may bring up your points in the next podcast.

And please leave us a like, review or share wherever you listen, because we’re just about everywhere you are. Thanks!

The officially playoffs-bound Dallas Stars always seem to have one player or another going off these days. If it's not Wyatt Johnston racking up points like a veteran elite forward, or Jason Robertson regaining his scoring touch with a vengeance, then it might be Thomas Harley making a late run at the postseason awards with all the offensive-defenseman flair he can muster.

But we are Stars fans, which means we can't have nice things. So we're left to wonder if a Stanley Cup competitor's path through the Victory Green Gang will simply involve beating up on our favorite high-skill players until there aren't any left.

In this edition of Stargazing, Wes and Mark consider what the Stars' roster depth will mean for this year's postseason run. How important may it be that the front office hasn't overreacted to the team's perceived weaknesses? How long can their PDO bender last? And what will it mean for their chances if they can't slam the door more consistently on their opponents?

Think, for a moment, about the secret genius of pairing Lian Bichsel with Matt Dumba. We certainly have. This is Stargazing, brought to you by BetOnline.

What would this season have looked like without Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith? Tell us about it at Defending Big D. We may bring up your points in the next podcast.

And please leave us a like, review or share wherever you listen, because we're just about everywhere. Thanks!

By the time you listen to this, the Texas Stars will have already punched their ticket to the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Turns out Victory Green is a fun color in Austin Metro, too!

The Stars in Dallas benefit greatly when the Stars in Cedar Park succeed. So to take the measure of the T-Stars' prospects, Mark once again calls on the expertise of Stephen Meserve — creator of the must-read Texas Stars source 100 Degree Hockey and co-author of We Win Here: The Definitive Essays You Need About The Texas Stars.

In this episode, they address some hot topics:

• • how the Stars are working around their lack of draft capital,

• • why the organization remains a destination of choice for prospects and pros alike,

• • what needs to happen in the goalie pipeline,

• • what the future may hold for captain Curtis McKenzie,

• • the guys who might be playing on an NHL team next year, even if that team is not the Dallas Stars,

• • and so much more.

Does everything come down to left-handed D and right-handed D? Stargazing wonders, too. And it’s presented to you by BetOnline, because The Game Starts Here.

What happens if the T-Stars and the D-Stars are both deep in the playoffs at the same time? Let’s talk about it at Defending Big D. Your input always fuels our future casts. (And we'll mention you by name. Just saying.)

One more thing: Please don’t forget to give us a like, review, or share wherever you listen. Thanks!

The book has been written, and quite literally: The Dallas Stars are now co-favorites to win the 2025 Stanley Cup, and it's down to the deal that brought Mikko Rantanen into the fold.

How does this team look for a deep playoffs run, especially if Tyler Seguin returns in his early-season form? Is it ridiculous to put so much faith in this lineup so early? Can the defense measure up? And what does Rantanen's presence mean for the Stars going forward – their power play, their postseason resilience, their...whatever you've got?

History shows that we need all hands on deck for this kind of thing, so once again Wes and Mark have called in reinforcements. DBD's own Brad McDonnell – a former DFW-area sports reporter turned digital marketing expert – makes his Stargazing debut to talk about the Stars' latest rise. It's a fun ride, so listen someplace where you won't feel self-conscious about clapping along.

So...does the Victory Green Gang once again have a Top 3 top line in the NHL? Our listeners have questions. Stargazing has answers. And it's all brought to you by BetOnline, because The Game Starts Here for real.

Do you expect ’99 Stars-level offense from the roster of weapons Jim Nill has assembled? ...Are you willing to bet Jason Robertson's Brett Hull Invisibility Shield on it? Let's talk about it at Defending Big D. Your input always fuels our future casts. (And we have been known to mention players by name. Just saying.)

Hey, while you're there, don’t forget to give us a like, review, or share where you listen. Thanks for your support.

In case you haven't checked the NHL.com top page this afternoon, the Dallas Stars made a bit of news today. The deal to bring Mikko Rantanen to Big D, which seemed all but dead last night, came roaring back to life this morning. And less than three hours before the NHL trade deadline, we learned that the Carolina Hurricanes were getting top prospect Logan Stankoven and a trove of future considerations in exchange for one of the league's true superstars.

It's a lot to take in, so Wes and Mark called in backup. Our own Tyler Mair joined them to discuss what the deal means for the team, the salary cap, the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, and much, much more. (And they even worked in the Wyatt Johnston extension. Nice.)

Is this what "all in" looks like? We're thinking mmmmmmmaybe? This is Stargazing, and we're brought to you by BetOnline.

And don’t forget to give us a like, review, or share wherever you listen. Thanks for tuning in.

This season's Dallas Stars are...really, really Stars-ing. Right now, that's largely for the better. That doesn't keep any of us for looking for where they can be better still...but at what cost?

What impact can the right forward have? Can even the most dynamic forward compensate for not having another difference-making defender? At what point, if any, does a successful GM compromise his long-term vision for a player who can alter the course of a seven-game series?

You know Wes and Mark – they still haven't found a subject they can't hot-take on. They fire up the bakery early and often in this episode. And as we look down the ever-shorter road to the trade deadline, the questions on their minds are going to be on yours as well.

Does anyone really care who finishes first in the Central Division? Asking for a friend. At Stargazing. We're brought to you by BetOnline, so don't forget it.

What's on your mind? Tell us about it at Defending Big D. We’ll probably use that discussion in a future cast. (No, really!)

And don't forget to give us a like, review, or share wherever you listen. Thanks for your support.

The Dallas Stars picked the week before a big road trip to go on a bit of a tear, winning-wise. Four consecutive victories, three of them at home, felt like a great holiday gift that arrived just a couple of days late – at once a delight and a relief.

Which means it's a great time for Wes and Mark to start rolling sports takes. In this episode, they discuss the resurgence of Jason Robertson, the frustrations of Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque, and what it means to have Lian Bichsel carrying the entire defense for the Texas Stars rather than playing on the third pair in Dallas.

Heads up: Matt Dumba gets his flowers in this one. That should be all the reason you need to go Stargazing with us. The whole thing is brought to you by BetOnline.

Any predictions for the trip East? Tell us about it at Defending Big D. We’ll probably bring it up in a future cast. (No, really!)

And hey, let us know you’re listening in the form of a like, review or share. Thanks for listening!