Hockey fans across the world will be happy to know NHL games return starting Saturday, Sept. 20, with the first preseason game. The St. Louis Blues take on the Dallas Stars in Texas at 7 p.m.
We last saw an NHL game on June 17 when the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 to win the Stanley Cup. This was the Panthers’ second consecutive Stanley Cup win as they defeated the Oilers once before for the cup back in the 2023-2024 season.
The preseason game between the Blues and Stars will be a must watch as the Central Division rivals will both look to start the season off with a win.
St. Louis ended in fifth place (44-30-8) and were eliminated by the Winnipeg Jets during the first round of the playoffs. The Dallas Stars landed in second place (50-26-6) and made it to the Western Conference Final where they came just short of a Stanley Cup Final (SCF) appearance as they were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers.
During the offseason, the Blues added serious depth to their team with the signing of forwards Pius Suter from the Vancouver Canucks and Nick Bjugstad from the Utah Hockey Club. Suter netted 25 goals during the 2024-2025 season with the Canucks and recorded 21 assists. He will no doubt get a lot of ice time with the Blues as they need an experienced center to get their goal scoring started. Bjugstad, 6-foot-6, is a big body on the ice and like Suter, is an experienced player who has potential to help the Blues with goal scoring on the ice.
“You’re never a playoff team until you are again next year, and that’s kind of the mentality that you have to have. It’s a tough league. Do we feel like we’re in a better spot now than we were (last season)? Absolutely. But at the same time, we have to learn from this (past) year just kind of how hard it is to make the playoffs, and we feel like we will get better,” said captain Brayden Schenn of the Blues in an interview with NHL.com
St. Louis also acquired defenseman Logan Mailloux from the Montreal Canadiens. The 22-year-old was named to the American Hockey League’s All-Rookie Team in 2024. Mailloux will be a great addition to the veterans on the Blues including defensemen Colton Parayko, Cam Fowler and Justin Faulk.
The Dallas Stars are under new leadership this season with Head Coach Glen Gulutzan who was hired on July 1. Gulutzan most recently was an assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers, the same team that beat Dallas last season for a SCF appearance.
“What I’d like to do here is we have to up our physicality a little bit, one degree through 82 games, because you can’t turn that switch on in Game 83. You have to build it in. We’ve got too good of players, but there has to be an element of physicality. The way we forecheck is going to change just a little bit so that we’re better prepared in the playoffs for Game 83 and on,” said Gulutzan.
The Stars have no problem making the playoffs each year, but making it to the final round is where their issue lies. The team rekindled with Radek Faksa, signing him to a three-year deal during the offseason. Faksa played for the Stars for nearly 10 years before getting traded to the Blues in 2024. Faksa is a beloved player in Dallas and will be someone to keep an eye on during the upcoming season.
Dallas also added right-winger Mikko Rantanen back in March from a trade deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. Rantanen will be a core member of the team alongside captain Jamie Benn and forward Matt Duchene. Wyatt Johnson, a 22-year-old center, made his impact last season on the team recording a career high 33 goals and 38 assists.
Both the Blues and the Stars have a good mixture of young players and veterans on their roster and have a promising season ahead. The NHL preseason begins this Saturday in Dallas as the Blues take on the Stars at 7 p.m.