Pen to Paper: A Look at Texas Stars' Pending Free Agents

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

Free agency has already begun with players on expiring contracts starting to re-sign over the past week for Texas via Dallas. The restricted free agent pool this season is very slim for Dallas with only one player currently unsigned as of this moment: Antonio Stranges. The others have already been locked up on new deals. Honestly, both unrestricted and restricted lists are limited this summer because of how many rookies joined the team last year. Many players will enter the last year of their ELC this coming season and have big RFA decisions in 2026. Until then, here's the list.

Teams must submit qualifying offers for RFAs by 5 PM ET on June 30. Free agency begins on July 1 for both the NHL and the AHL.

NHL UFAs

F Matěj Blümel

The first one on the list is a big one. Blümel had a career year, scored the most goals in the entire AHL, roared throughout the playoffs, refined his defensive game, perfected his one-timer and now... he gets to pick his new home. Will the Czech forward stay in Dallas taking a chance on joining the NHL ranks with only pro team he's known or will he go elsewhere to get a more guaranteed spot in the big leagues? Either way, Blümel seems like he should be in the NHL next year. The question is Dallas or somewhere else.

F Emilio Pettersen

Coming over in a one-for-one trade with Riley Damiani, Pettersen has been a completely confusing player to me. Sometimes he has an incredible offensive touch. He's a sparkplug everywhere and contributes massively. However, he will also go completely flat at times, be unable to make two plays in a row or commit turnovers while trying to do too much to recover. I'm not certain that he gets a new deal from Dallas.

F Cameron Hughes and F Kole Lind - Re-signed by Dallas

Hughes and Lind were both re-signed by Dallas over the last week.

G Magnus Hellberg - Signed overseas

Hellberg had an incredible season with Texas but had been signed to play third goalie for Dallas. With Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith maintaining perfect health through the season, he never even had the chance to sit the bench. As a result, he has signed a three-year deal to return to his native Sweden.

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

NHL RFAs

F Antonio Stranges

The only remaining restricted free agent in the entire organization after some contract work from Dallas last week, Stranges seems poised for a qualifying offer and another year with Texas. He started this season like he was shot out of a cannon after ending last season on a down note. His late season injury was the only rough spot in his year this go-round with career numbers (18-25=43) cut short only by the injury.

G Remi Poirier and G Ben Kraws - Re-signed by Dallas

Any questions about the future of the net for Texas were answered last week when Dallas signed Poirier and Kraws on back-to-back days. Poirier's playoffs were mostly solid, and Texas will look for him to take the next step next season. He'll have to take that step because, if no one else is signed, Poirier will be the third goalie for the Dallas Stars.

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

AHL UFAs

F Jack Becker

Becker's game fits well with the bottom six in the AHL, and I'd like to see him back. Up to the player as much as the team though in that regard.

F Curtis McKenzie

For anyone who has been around the Texas Stars for any amount of time, this one is special. The last time McKenzie was on an expiring contract was at the end of the 2022-23 season after the first gut-wrenching postseason loss to Milwaukee. McKenzie teared up as he considered a future that did not include him in Victory Green. A week later, he was back on a two-year pact with Texas. Now we're here again.

His impact in the regular season was limited in the points department, but he came alive in the playoffs with several crucial goals, including the winner in Game 5 of the Conference Finals to send it back to Abby. His veteran leadership and mentorship are as valuable as his points though.

McKenzie has a young family and has always loved Central Texas, writing poetically about his love for the team and town in the foreword to We Win Here. If there's an offer, it feels like McKenzie would accept. The siren song of Europe is always strong, but is it strong enough? Winning the Yanick Dupre Award and being named an honorary playing captain in the AHL All-Star game feel like swan song moments for the long-time AHLer, but surely every Texas Stars fan is screaming for that not to be the case.

F Anthony Romano

Romano's play this season felt replacement level. I can easily see one of the AHL ATOs who signed an NHL ELC with Dallas replacing his role on the 3rd and 4th line.

D Michael Karow

Karow is coming off a two-year AHL deal, a relative rarity in the league. He had an excellent year and an even better playoffs, notching five points as more of a defensive specialist. He even had one of the prettier goals of the playoffs. His steady veteran presence would always be appreciated in Cedar Park.

D Kyle Looft

A bit more of an offensive defenseman at his best, Looft had a solid rookie year with Texas. He was a steady lineup presence in the playoffs and was trusted in those difficult moments. Looft may get squeezed out by the number of defenseman at the AHL level for Texas in the coming year.

G Bryan Thomson - Heading to University

Thomson has already signed to play in college with the University of Saskatchewan.

(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars)

AHL ATOs

Players who sign late season ATOs generally fall in one of three buckets. They've eitehr (1) already signed with Dallas for next year, (2) signed with Texas for next year, or less likely (3) won't return. Generally, the Texas Stars sign a bunch of players to AHL contracts and bring them in on ATOs as the prior season ends. That being said, I would not be surprised to see a number of these players announced to AHL deals over the course of the summer.

F Sean Chisholm

Coming out of Dartmouth, Chisholm played seven games and scored his first pro goal and point. He did not appear in the postseason.

F Ayrton Martino - Signed to Dallas ELC

Martino has already signed a contract with Dallas and will play in Texas next season.

F Harrison Scott - Signed to Dallas ELC

Scott has already signed a contract with Dallas and will play in Texas next season.

F Artem Shlaine

After compiling over a point per game pace with Arizona State, Shlaine played six games with Texas in the regular season and picked up a point. He did not appear in the playoffs.

D Tommy Bergsland

After finishing four years at Colgate, Bergsland got the call in the postseason, unlike many of his compatriots in the ATO space. He had six regular season games and five playoffs games with a single point in the postseason run.

D Trey Taylor - Signed to Dallas ELC

Taylor has already signed a contract with Dallas and will play in Texas next season. His play was commented on positively by nearly everyone who watched him in the late season and postseason. He will form a strong basis of the defensive core with time on the power play a near certainty.

G Logan Terness

Terness was an add during the playoffs out of Ohio State. He did not get any game time or even an announcement from the team of his signing. Why would you add the player so late in the season if he's not already signed to an AHL deal? That would be my guess.