The 2026 NHL Draft came and went in Buffalo this weekend without Landon Amrhein hearing his name called. For the Celina, Texas native, it was a disappointing end to draft weekend, but it may have opened a door that benefits both him and the Dallas Stars in a significant way.

Amrhein was viewed as high as 54th overall by EliteProspects.com heading into the draft, making his slide out of the seventh round one of the more surprising outcomes of the weekend. The 18-year-old center had done everything right in the lead-up, impressing at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo where he sat down with many NHL teams, including his home state Dallas Stars.

When speaking with The Hockey News at the combine, Amrhein described his game as a two-way center who leans on his size, his playmaking ability and his hockey IQ to create for others and impact the game in multiple ways. 

He was straightforward about where he hoped to land, saying he was not focused on any specific destination and simply wanted to find a team that believed in him enough to give him a chance.

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The fit makes considerable sense on multiple levels with Amrhein and Dallas as he grew up in Celina, Texas and developed in the Dallas Stars Elite AAA Program from age 13 to 16 before earning his way into the U.S. National Team Development Program. The organization was a foundational part of his hockey upbringing, and bringing him back to where his journey began would carry genuine meaning for both sides.

At six-foot-five and 192 pounds, Amrhein brings a frame that is rare at this level. He will need to add weight as he continues to develop, but the raw ingredients of an NHL-caliber two-way center are there. This past season with the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL, he posted ten goals and 21 assists for 31 points in 64 games while showing he can contribute on both ends of the ice.

Now that Amrhein has gone undrafted, the Stars have the opportunity to sign him as an undrafted free agent, and the timing could not be better. Dallas came out of this draft weekend openly focused on rebuilding one of the weakest prospect pipelines in the league and took meaningful steps toward doing so through the draft itself. 

Adding Amrhein on top of that would be another smart move, bringing in a homegrown Texas talent with size, two-way instincts and a personal connection to the franchise that tends to translate into extra motivation when given a real opportunity.

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