Dallas Stars Face Kraken at American Airlines Center on February 25

The Dallas Stars meet the Seattle Kraken on February 25 at the American Airlines Center, a game that arrives with both clubs emerging from the Olympic break and carrying distinct momentum and availability issues. The matchup matters because it pairs a Stars club that rode a six-game winning streak into the pause against a Kraken team that returned winners of five of six, with both rosters showing changes that could affect playoff positioning.

Dallas Stars lineup and injury picture

Dallas will be without its leading scorer, Mikko Rantanen, who remains sidelined by a lower-body injury suffered during Olympic play, a development that has shifted offensive responsibilities. Roope Hintz is listed as a game-time decision because of an illness, leaving additional uncertainty around top-six deployment.

Jason Robertson has been central to the Stars’ attack. Entering the matchup he has totaled 66 points in 57 games (32 goals, 34 assists), a figure that places him second on the team and among the NHL’s scoring leaders. Robertson has been particularly productive in recent weeks: eight points (three goals, five assists) in his last six appearances dating back to January 23, and he reached the 200-goal milestone for his career in Dallas on February 4. Robertson’s career numbers against Seattle include 13 points in 14 games and a +8 rating, offering continuity at a time when other pieces are in flux.

Glen Gulutzan’s coaching staff has pointed to small, measurable shifts that accompanied the Stars’ run before the break. During the six-game streak the team reversed its season-long deficit in shot share—outshooting opponents roughly 27. 9 to 21. 0 per game—and posted modest but meaningful shifts in scoring and defense, increasing goals-for from 3. 27 to 3. 63 while lowering goals-against from 2. 78 to 2. 63. What makes this notable is how those marginal changes translated directly into results, reinforcing the coach’s emphasis on incremental gains.

Individual depth players have supplied timely scoring. Matt Duchene registered six goals and three assists across his last six games, and Jamie Benn added two goals and six assists in the same span, a pairing that may shoulder more load with Rantanen out.

Seattle Kraken roster notes and playoff implications

The Kraken arrive tied for third in the Pacific Division and in a tight battle for position—trailing the second-place team by a slim margin and carrying 26 remaining games to influence their postseason prospects. Seattle had won five of six entering the Olympic break and expects improved availability: only three players participated in Olympic competition, and Kaapo Kakko along with Eeli Tolvanen returned to practice and are projected to be in the lineup.

Chandler Stephenson has been active for Seattle’s offense, collecting seven points (all assists) in his last six games and totaling 36 points in 54 games this season (13 goals, 23 assists). He leads the Kraken in takeaways with 22, figures into power-play scoring (6–8—14 on the year) and tops the club in road scoring with 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) away from home.

Seattle’s tactical groupings for the matchup include forward combinations such as McCann–Beniers–Eberle, Tolvanen–Stephenson–Catton and Schwartz–Wright–Kakko, and defensive pairs including Dunn–Larsson and Oleksiak–Montour, arrangements that reflect the roster’s intent to balance experience and speed in pursuit of a playoff berth.

Broadcast, standings and stakes

The game will be broadcast on + from the American Airlines Center. Entering the contest the Stars sit with a 34–14–9 record and 77 points, ranking third in the Western Conference, while the Kraken are 27–20–9 with 63 points and positioned seventh in the conference—standings that make each game between the clubs meaningful for seeding and momentum.

For Dallas, sustaining the improved shot share and possession metrics that coincided with the pre-break winning streak will be key to offsetting absences up front. For Seattle, reintegrating players who did not take part in the Olympics and leveraging depth scoring could be decisive during a stretch in which every result will influence the tight divisional picture.

Coaches and lineups have framed the game as a continuation of post-Olympic adjustments: one team aiming to preserve a surge, the other seeking to rebuild sustained form. With roster clarity shifting on both sides, the contest on February 25 offers an early measure of which club better converts break-time resets into consistent results.