The last three NHL seasons, the Dallas Stars have been one of the most dominant teams in the NHL. Each year, they finished above the 100-point threshold, managed to make the western conference finals, and subsequently losing in them. The Dallas Stars skate off the ice after losing to the Edmonton Oilers in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/35b9d17f-413d-495a-87cc-4d80e4290975.jpeg] The Dallas Stars skate off the ice after losing to the Edmonton Oilers in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images With Glen Gulutzan [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/gulutzan-seeking-different-outcome-during-second-stint-in-dallas] taking over the throne behind the bench from Pete DeBoer [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/former-stars-coach-joins-canadian-olympic-staff] and the uncertainty around the team's cap situation and the upcoming season fast appraoching, a question remains: where will the Dallas Stars find themselves in the 2025-26 season? The Hockey News' 2025 Yearbook issue [https://archive.thehockeynews.com/issue/683999] seeked to answer this question, projecting the team to finish first in the central—a feat the team has achieved already in the past three seasons. I tend to agree with this prediction as the Stars look poised to repeat their successes in the regular season. However, it is the playoffs where things matter most and also where predictions begin to get murky. The Stars organization, through the departure of DeBoer, were making a statement this off-season that losing in the conference finals was no longer acceptable. That said, the addition of an otherwise unproven coach like Gulutzan as DeBoer's replacement should be enough to feel the need to temper expectations for 2025-26. Gulutzan was the assistant coach for the OIlers, who lost in the finals the last two seasons, however as the head coach, he only made the playoffs once across four seasons. It's not unreasonable to expect the Stars to go on a run with the cup, yet if the Stars miss the mark in Gulutzan's first year, it wouldn't be reasonable to call the attempt a wasted season. One can only hope that Gulutzan has learned lessons in Edmonton and provide the Stars with a bench boss who can lead the team to the glory they've been chasing the last four years—Lord Stanley. 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. Should The Dallas Stars Look To Add Another Goalie? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/players/should-the-dallas-stars-look-to-add-another-goalie] Division Rival Signs Former Stars Forward [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/players/division-rival-signs-former-stars-forward] Former Stars Forward Heads Overseas [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/players/former-stars-forward-heads-overseas] Stars Former Goalie Appears to Leave Role With Team [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/stars-former-goalie-appears-to-leave-role-with-team] Two Potential Stars to Possibly Represent Team Canada [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/two-potential-stars-to-possibly-represent-team-canada/comment/ft6cOOpcunREm8Cjv8Np]
