It has been a tumultuous off-season already for the Dallas Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars], but a bit of steadiness could be on the horizon for the roster for next season. Hockey insider Jeff Marek reported Wednesday that it was likely that Matt Duchene could stay in Dallas next season. Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) and center Matt Duchene (95) and defenseman Lian Bichsel (6) celebrates a goal by left wing Jason Robertson (not pictured) against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period in game three of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/033700b1-b4cf-4cb0-b0bf-c871d07114f0.jpeg] Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) and center Matt Duchene (95) and defenseman Lian Bichsel (6) celebrates a goal by left wing Jason Robertson (not pictured) against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period in game three of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images For those who have been familiar with Duchene's situation in recent seasons, this move does not come as much of a surprise, despite the cap issues with trying to fit his contract in for next season. Duchene was extremely emotional when leaving Nashville, a place his family still partially calls home, and chose Dallas for the still-country, southern type fit that can't be found in most other NHL cities. In General Manager Jim Nill's press conference regarding the firing of Pete DeBoer, he touched on Duchene returning to Dallas, saying that it would be extremely nice to see him back. Nill referenced his leadership in the locker room and the fact that he led the team in points in the regular season. While he had a disappointing playoff run, scoring only one goal that came in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, Duchene was an instrumental part in keeping the patchwork lineup healthy through a rough regular season injury-wise. The cap hit for both Duchene and Jamie Benn will have to be extremely undervalued compared to what each would get on the open market to leave room for all of the other big contracts either kicking in or already in place for the rest of the young and talented core of the Stars. It helps the Stars immensely that Duchene will be the highest paid buyout contract in the NHL in the upcoming season, with the Predators set to pay him $6.5 million. If the news is true and Duchene will stay in Dallas, it will help calm down the chaos of an interesting off-season so far for the Stars. Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. The Case For Neil Graham as Next Stars Coach [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/the-case-for-neil-graham-as-next-stars-coach] Stars May Have Waited Too Long to Sack DeBoer [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/stars-may-have-waited-too-long-to-sack-deboer] DeBoer Out as Stars Coach After Western Conference Final Debacle [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/stars-may-have-waited-too-long-to-sack-deboer] Do Stars Have a Puck Moving Problem? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/do-stars-have-a-puck-moving-problem] * Follow Taylor on Twitter: @THN_taylor
