The Dallas Stars brought quite a bit of hardware home from the 2026 Winter Olympics. They also brought a couple of concerning injuries and at least one troubling illness. And now that Tyler Seguin is officially out for the season, does the front office have to make a move before the March 6 NHL trade deadline?
Wes and Mark have been pondering this question for quite some time. In this edition of Stargazing, they talk about the Stars' identity, the roles Cedar Park can't fill, the possibility of the team flexing its physical side during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Jim Nill's prospective legacy, the pressure to win it all, and ever so much more.*
Question for the group: Would you rather we bring in a guest expert to talk about potential moves before the deadline, or to discuss the fallout after GMJN has done (or not done) what he will? <a href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Let us know</a> at Defending Big D. Your input matters!
And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Stargazing. We love you.
*NOTE: All 4 Nations-Winter Olympics conflations (and others) intentionally left intact. (What? Now I have to sit in front of you and fix someone else’s gaffes? It’s not my responsibility.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;The Dallas Stars brought quite a bit of hardware home from the 2026 Winter Olympics. They also brought a couple of concerning injuries and at least one troubling illness. And now that Tyler Seguin is officially out for the season, does the front office &lt;em&gt;have to&lt;/em&gt; make a move before the March 6 NHL trade deadline?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Wes and Mark have been pondering this question for quite some time. In this edition of Stargazing, they talk about the Stars' identity, the roles Cedar Park can't fill, the possibility of the team flexing its physical side during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Jim Nill's prospective legacy, the pressure to win it all, and ever so much more.*&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Question for the group: Would you rather we bring in a guest expert to talk about potential moves before the deadline, or to discuss the fallout after GMJN has done (or not done) what he will? &lt;a href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/"&gt;Let us know&lt;/a&gt; at Defending Big D. Your input matters!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Stargazing. We love you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;*NOTE: All 4 Nations-Winter Olympics conflations (and others) intentionally left intact. (What? Now I have to sit in front of you and fix someone else’s gaffes? It’s not my responsibility.)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

How much did the Winter Olympics change how the Stars will approach the NHL trade deadline? Wes and Mark talk it out.

Push Play

There's very little like three straight victories over the St. Louis Blues to get Dallas Stars fans buzzing. So how do we talk about this team now that the mood of the Victory Green faithful has swung back from &quot;Will they ever win again?&quot; to &quot;Let's start the Stanley Cup Playoffs right now!&quot;?
Fortunately, there's very little like a Winter Olympics break to facilitate some midseason gab – and here at Stargazing, &quot;gab&quot; is our middle name. (It's in there. The B is silent.) In this episode, Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman discuss the factors contributing to the Stars' blown leads, the turtling tendencies that change but never seem to go away, the worst thing about a great power play, the one player who might have been worth going for at the trade deadline, and so much more.
Are you task-oriented or think-oriented? We're Stargazing, and we need the answer right now. Or not. At any rate, <a href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">share your answer at Defending Big D</a>. Let's talk about it.
And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Stargazing. We love you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;There's very little like three straight victories over the St. Louis Blues to get Dallas Stars fans buzzing. So how do we talk about this team now that the mood of the Victory Green faithful has swung back from &amp;quot;Will they ever win again?&amp;quot; to &amp;quot;Let's start the Stanley Cup Playoffs &lt;em&gt;right now&lt;/em&gt;!&amp;quot;?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Fortunately, there's very little like a Winter Olympics break to facilitate some midseason gab – and here at Stargazing, &amp;quot;gab&amp;quot; is our middle name. (It's in there. The B is silent.) In this episode, Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman discuss the factors contributing to the Stars' blown leads, the turtling tendencies that change but never seem to go away, the worst thing about a great power play, the one player who might have been worth going for at the trade deadline, and so much more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Are you task-oriented or think-oriented? We're Stargazing, and we need the answer &lt;em&gt;right now&lt;/em&gt;. Or not. At any rate, &lt;a href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/"&gt;share your answer at Defending Big D&lt;/a&gt;. Let's talk about it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Stargazing. We love you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Jake Oettinger may not be perfect, but is he perfect for the Stars? It's just one question Wes and Mark suddenly have time to contemplate.

Olympic Break Score Sheet

A fair number of Dallas Stars enjoyers have perceived that fan fave Thomas Harley has been doing more, but with less to show for it, since the 2025-26 NHL season began. Is this a problem with his defensive partners? The lingering effects of his injury in November, and the missed games that resulted? The predictable struggles of a still very young blueliner? Something more concerning? Or less? ...If only there were some way of measuring it all. You know, with math and stuff.
In this episode of Stargazing, Mark sat down for an incredibly specific Stars conversation with <a href="https://puckovertheglass.substack.com/">Puck Over The Glass</a> founder (and friend of DBD) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ladyotreesyrup.bsky.social">Aaron Knodell</a>. With <a href="https://puckovertheglass.substack.com/p/what-happened-to-thomas-harley">Aaron's recent article on Harley's output</a> as a jumping-off point, they take a deep dive into the Stars' defense — the pairings, the performances, the effects of Glen Gulutzan's new system, and so much more.
You don't play like an elite NHL defender for two years and just forget how, do you? We’re Stargazing, and we're beginning to think not.
Are you looking for Team Canada Thomas Harley in Milano-Cortina? And while we're talking about it, who you got for the men's and women's Olympic hockey hardware? <a href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Let’s talk about it at Defending Big D</a>. (And put your picks up now. You don't get to come in on February 23 and say you went 14-0 in the medal rounds.)
And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Stargazing. We love you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;A fair number of Dallas Stars enjoyers have perceived that fan fave Thomas Harley has been doing more, but with less to show for it, since the 2025-26 NHL season began. Is this a problem with his defensive partners? The lingering effects of his injury in November, and the missed games that resulted? The predictable struggles of a still very young blueliner? Something more concerning? Or less? ...If only there were some way of measuring it all. You know, with math and stuff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In this episode of Stargazing, Mark sat down for an incredibly specific Stars conversation with &lt;a href="https://puckovertheglass.substack.com/"&gt;Puck Over The Glass&lt;/a&gt; founder (and friend of DBD) &lt;a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ladyotreesyrup.bsky.social"&gt;Aaron Knodell&lt;/a&gt;. With &lt;a href="https://puckovertheglass.substack.com/p/what-happened-to-thomas-harley"&gt;Aaron's recent article on Harley's output&lt;/a&gt; as a jumping-off point, they take a deep dive into the Stars' defense — the pairings, the performances, the effects of Glen Gulutzan's new system, and so much more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You don't play like an elite NHL defender for two years and just forget how, do you? We’re Stargazing, and we're beginning to think not.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Are you looking for Team Canada Thomas Harley in Milano-Cortina? And while we're talking about it, who you got for the men's and women's Olympic hockey hardware? &lt;a href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/"&gt;Let’s talk about it at Defending Big D&lt;/a&gt;. (And put your picks up now. You don't get to come in on February 23 and say you went 14-0 in the medal rounds.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Stargazing. We love you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Puck Over The Glass founder Aaron Knodell joins Mark Zimmerman for a deep dive into Thomas Harley's season so far, and the Dallas Stars' defense in general.

Harley Kick

A blowout, followed by a shutout...the Dallas Stars are still all over the map. Did the momentary absence of Mikko Rantanen really doom the Victory Green Gang against the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference?
Wes and Mark think it's not that simple...or is it? In this episode of Stargazing, they talk about the impact of beast mode, the cold comfort of outplaying an opponent and missing by that much, the value of swagger, the upcoming schedule and what they want to see from it, and ever so much more.
You're in the other team's head until you're not. We’re Stargazing, and we got that dog in us.
What do you want to see from the Stars during the Central-heavy stretch ahead? <a href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Let's talk about it at Defending Big D.</a> And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome to Stargazing. We love you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;A blowout, followed by a shutout...the Dallas Stars are still all over the map. Did the momentary absence of Mikko Rantanen really doom the Victory Green Gang against the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Wes and Mark think it's not that simple...or is it? In this episode of Stargazing, they talk about the impact of beast mode, the cold comfort of outplaying an opponent and missing by &lt;em&gt;that much&lt;/em&gt;, the value of swagger, the upcoming schedule and what they want to see from it, and ever so much more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You're in the other team's head until you're not. We’re Stargazing, and we got that dog in us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;What do you want to see from the Stars during the Central-heavy stretch ahead? &lt;a href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/"&gt;Let's talk about it at Defending Big D.&lt;/a&gt; And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Welcome to Stargazing. We love you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The Dallas Stars' past two games told you all you need to know about the team, unless they didn't. Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman talk about why/not.

Everything/Nothing

Do you remember what a power play goal looks like? The Dallas Stars have had a hard time getting out of their own way for the past...little while, and it seems as if their opponents have figured them out. Or is it the typical winter doldrums conjoined with an Olympics-compressed schedule?
Wes and Mark understand complexity, especially when it comes to the Victory Green Gang's problems. In this episode, they talk about why the Stars can't score anymore, the surprisingly affordable tweak that could help them at the NHL trade deadline, whether or not this is the year the team goes all in on a Stanley Cup run, Jim Nill's legacy, and ever so much more.
Sometimes you have to win two Western Conference Finals just to get to the Western Conference Final. We’re Stargazing, and we say, &quot;Welcome to the Central Division.&quot;
What are your thoughts as we approach the big February break? <a href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Share them with us at Defending Big D</a>. And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback is practically all we think about.
Thanks for everything. We love you. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Do you remember what a power play goal looks like? The Dallas Stars have had a hard time getting out of their own way for the past...little while, and it seems as if their opponents have figured them out. Or is it the typical winter doldrums conjoined with an Olympics-compressed schedule?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Wes and Mark understand complexity, especially when it comes to the Victory Green Gang's problems. In this episode, they talk about why the Stars can't score anymore, the surprisingly affordable tweak that could help them at the NHL trade deadline, whether or not this is the year the team goes all in on a Stanley Cup run, Jim Nill's legacy, and ever so much more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sometimes you have to win two Western Conference Finals just to get to the Western Conference Final. We’re Stargazing, and we say, &amp;quot;Welcome to the Central Division.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;What are your thoughts as we approach the big February break? &lt;a href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/"&gt;Share them with us at Defending Big D&lt;/a&gt;. And please, give us a rate, review, or share wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback is practically all we think about.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thanks for everything. We love you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Why can't Johnny score (on the power play)? Wes Lawrence and Mark Zimmerman talk about what's going on with the Dallas Stars, and the fixes available to them.

Incremental

From Defending Big D: Dallas Stars news, opinion, and everything you love about the South‘s most popular NHL franchise.

Stargazing: A Dallas Stars Puckcast | Defending Big D

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