Stars Weekly: Steel Signs Extension, Hyry Eyes NHL Roster, & Preseason Update

The Dallas Stars are finally back in action and won their opener on the road against the St. Louis Blues 2-1 on Saturday night as a handful of players fight for a spot in the lineup. The next game is on Monday night against the Blues at American Airlines Center.

Stars Sign Sam Steel to 4-Year Extension

General manager Jim Nill announced today that the Stars have signed forward Sam Steel to a four-year, $14.8 million extension, which carries an average annual value (AAV) of $3.7 million per season.

“We couldn’t be happier to extend Sam,” Nill said on Monday. “His consistency during his time with our team, especially on the penalty kill, plus his versatility has made him a valuable asset to our organization, and we’re happy to be locking him up for the next four seasons.

Steel has been a Swiss Army knife in his three seasons in Victory Green. He is a center by nature, but with the Stars’ constant depth at the position, he has slotted on the wing up and down the lineup, which makes him extremely valuable despite his pedestrian point totals. He also has 450 minutes on the penalty kill, the most of any Dallas forward since he joined the team in 2023-24.

The 28-year-old has 27 goals and 82 points in 229 games with the Stars, including 12 goals and 33 points last season; both career highs.

Arttu Hyry Continues to Make Case for NHL Roster

After 20 games last season, plus four in the playoffs, Arttu Hyry started the preseason with a bang. The 25-year-old undrafted forward scored just 16 seconds into the contest with a slick one-timer from the top of the crease off Cameron Hughes backhand pass off a rebound. Hyry played 18:51 and went 11-for-17 in the faceoff circle.

The bad news for Hyry is that there isn’t much room on the roster, especially at center. The good news is that the Stars’ depth isn’t that great, so he will certainly be one of the first call-ups if he does start the season with the Texas Stars in the American Hockey League (AHL).

“I really like him,” Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan said on Saturday. “He’s such a solid two-way player. He’s got an NHL body, he’s a big guy, and he’s got a hockey IQ, which you like. He does so many things well.”

Hyry averaged 11:47 in ice time with the Stars last season. His 2:04 average ice time on the penalty kill was second on the team. With Wyatt Johnston, Roope Hintz, and Matt Duchene filling the top three spots at center, Hyry will be a fourth-line center when his opportunity comes, not the top-six role he was in on Saturday, and that is a spot he is more accustomed to in Dallas.

“I play my own game,” Hyry said after the game. “I just focus on draws and keep my feet moving and skate hard and work. That’s my game no matter if I play 11 or 17 minutes.”

The Finnish centerman had 24 goals and 49 points in 67 games with the Texas Stars in 2024. Last season, he split his time between the AHL and NHL, scoring nine goals and 19 points in 27 games with Texas, and three goals and five points in 20 games in Dallas.

Stars Continue Preseason Monday After Winning Opener

The Stars beat the Blues 2-1 to start their preseason. Hyry and Jack Becker scored for the Stars, while Remi Poirier stopped 11 of 12 shots. Brandon Halverson relieved Poirier in the third period and stopped all 12 shots.

The Stars host the Blues tonight when Jason Robertson, Hintz, Johnston, Mikko Rantanen, Nils Lundkvist, and Thomas Harley make their preseason debut. They will wrap up the preseason with two games against the Minnesota Wild at home on Wednesday and in Minnesota on Friday.

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