👋 Good morning everyone!

Bobby Karalla here, filling in for the vacationing Joseph Hoyt, who’s out camping somewhere deep in the wilderness, as far away as possible from head coaching drama, front office deliberations, trade rumors, contract disputes, luxury tax concerns, and all the other things that make sports so great and sometimes confusing.

That’s right: Now that three seasons are over and the MLB campaign is nearing closer to the trade deadline, it’s officially TRANSACTION SZN!™️ Over the next two months, you’re guaranteed to hear the wildest tales, see the most outlandish tweets, and read salacious stories about everything your favorite team might or might not do between now and the start of the school year.

But have no fear! This might be our first summer covering the annual whirlwind of news, fake news, and everything in between here at DLLS (as we launched in late August 2024), but we’ll follow every story and check every report to ensure we bring you the best, most accurate, and most entertaining coverage you’ll find on the internet. Clear your calendar through July, and we’ll see ya there. — Bobby Karalla

Could Changes Be Coming For The Stars?

For probably every other team in Dallas (and maybe in all of North American sports), three straight trips to the Western Conference Final and an undefeated record in Game 7s along the way would be enough not only to secure a coach’s job, but to convince ownership that this group just needs a little more help to finally get over the top.

But this isn’t any other team in Dallas. Or North America. Or Finland, even.

The Dallas Stars have come up short three straight years in the semis, losing to Vegas once and Edmonton in consecutive seasons. Some players’ patience is reportedly running thin. The fans are holding out hope that this isn’t the end by any means, but they’re looking for real answers — and maybe real change as well.

Our Sam Nestler did a great job laying out the two options the Stars have this summer, and unfortunately due to pretty tight cap constraints in the wake of the excellent Mikko Rantanen trade, they really do only have two choices.

The first: Re-sign captain Jamie Benn and play him on the fourth line. Re-sign Matt Duchene, who led the team in points last season before having a pretty quiet playoff run. Try your best to re-sign Mikael Granlund and Nils Lundkvist, and see what you’ve got.

• The ‘wait-and-see’ aspect would be allowing the team to get some regular-season games under them to see where they really are. Does someone like Matt Dumba take a huge step forward? Are a few shifts in structure enough to bring them closer to the hybrid style they need and want to adapt? Are some of their struggling scorers from the playoffs lighting the lamp again? Is Jason Robertson back near the NHL scoring lead?

  This could give Nill and his staff a better look at what they are dealing with. Then, if they still think bigger changes are needed, they can address them in trades between the new year and deadline day. Plus, it gives them a little wiggle room around making an emotional decision that could backfire.

Or… you make some big changes involving more names than just the ones above.

• First, (Jim Nill) would have to try to buy out or trade Dumba. He would maybe look to trade a player like Marchment or Robertson (I don’t really see the Robertson one happening, but had to mention it because of the noise around him right now). And I would guess he wants to bring in some grit, bite, and size that this team has been missing. Players like Brady Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, etc.. who play with a blend of skill and annoyance that helps your team win.

  The final piece… which would probably be the first move, would be firing DeBoer and finding a new coach.

This is a huge, possibly turning-point moment for the Stars organization. GM Jim Nill has a series of massive decisions to make in the coming weeks and months. Our DLLS Stars crew will be there with you every step of the way.

Watch: Would Stars REALLY Consider Trading Jason Robertson?

Go deeper: Two paths the Dallas Stars could take this offseason

The Indiana Pacers are in the NBA Finals. Former Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle has them playing some incredibly fun, chaotic basketball. They’ll be up against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the only team who played at a faster pace than the Pacers in 2024-25. Tim Cato explores whether Jason Kidd the Mavs can emulate either team’s style if they’re really committed to playing Anthony Davis at power forward.

BONUS QUICK HIT: Will Jason Kidd even BE the coach next season?

The Texas Rangers lost 5-4 on Wednesday night. Nothing noteworthy about that one, right? WRONG. It was only the Rangers’ fourth loss all year when they score at least four runs. That stat is especially unbelievable once you see in the standings that Texas is 29-33 this season. Our guys are still trying to make sense of the madness.

Join us on Friday at 3 p.m. Central for our third episode of the DLLS Wings Podcast! Wings insider Dorothy J. Gentry will be joining us live in-studio to discuss, well, what changes need to be made to help this team get back in the win column. (I’m beginning to notice a theme here.) The first two episodes have been full of good vibes and fun hoops talk. It’ll be a great way to finish your week. See you there!

COME ON, DAD!

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Bobby Karalla
DLLS Head of Content and Resident Mavs Enthusiast
[email protected]​