Our St. Louis Blues vs Dallas Stars preview covers the odds, puck line, total, start time, TV channel and where to watch on Friday, October 2, 2026. The St. Louis Blues (37-33-12 in 2025-26) visit the Dallas Stars (50-20-12) at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Puck drop is 9:00 PM ET (8:00 PM CT). TV: TNT / truTV / HBO Max (U.S.) / Sportsnet One (Canada).
Season-opener storyline: This Central Division matchup is the first game of the 2026-27 season for both teams. Dallas won 50 games last season but lost to Minnesota in six games in the first round, and it opens without forward Matt Duchene, who was placed on long-term injured reserve Thursday and will miss at least the first 10 games (NHL.com). St. Louis starts Alexander Steen’s first season as general manager with Robert Thomas as its new captain and new forwards Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael (StLouisBlues.com). DraftKings lists Dallas at -192 and St. Louis at +160 on the moneyline, with the total at 5.5.
St. Louis Blues vs Dallas Stars Odds, Puck Line & Game Info
| Matchup | St. Louis Blues @ Dallas Stars |
|---|---|
| 2025-26 Records | St. Louis Blues 37-33-12 | Dallas Stars 50-20-12 |
| Head Coaches | STL: Jim Montgomery (3rd season) | DAL: Glen Gulutzan (2nd season) |
| Puck Line | STL +1.5 (-148) | DAL -1.5 (+124) |
| Moneyline | St. Louis Blues: +160 | Dallas Stars: -192 |
| Total | O/U 5.5 (o-135 / u+114) |
| Venue | American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas) |
| Date / Time | Friday, October 2, 2026 — 9:00 PM ET |
| TV / How to Watch | TNT / truTV / HBO Max (U.S.) / Sportsnet One (Canada) |
| Probable Starting Goalies | STL: TBD (Joel Hofer / Jordan Binnington) | DAL: TBD (Jake Oettinger / Casey DeSmith) |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN), cross-checked on Action Network, as of Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, ~6:18 PM ET. Totals ranged from 5.5 to 6 across books at research time. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before puck drop. Starting goalies had not been confirmed at research time.
St. Louis Blues Preview: Last Season, Offseason & Goalies
2025-26 recap: St. Louis went 37-33-12 (86 points), finished fifth in the Central Division and missed the playoffs. The Blues ranked 24th in scoring (2.80 goals per game), 26th on the power play (17.6 percent) and 25th on the penalty kill (76.7 percent) (NHL.com). Robert Thomas led the team with 64 points in 64 games, and Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud had 51 points each. Snuggerud ranked fifth among NHL rookies in scoring.
Offseason moves: The Blues acquired center Mason McTavish (41 points) from Anaheim for two first-round selections, and forward Connor McMichael (46 points) from Washington in the Jordan Kyrou trade. McMichael then signed a six-year contract. They also acquired defenseman Brandon Carlo from Toronto and signed forward Ross Johnston, and Dillon Dube is on the opening roster. Steen took over as GM, with Doug Armstrong moving to president of hockey operations (StLouisBlues.com, NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Thomas, the 25th captain in franchise history, centers the top line with Holloway and Snuggerud, and McTavish is projected as the second-line center. Pavel Buchnevich, Jake Neighbours, Dalibor Dvorsky and Pius Suter add depth. Colton Parayko, Philip Broberg, Cam Fowler, Carlo and Theo Lindstein lead the defense, and 2024 first-round selection Adam Jiricek could make his NHL debut (StLouisBlues.com). Jim Montgomery is in his third season as coach.
Goalies: Joel Hofer went 24-13-5 with a 2.61 GAA, .910 save percentage and six shutouts, second in the NHL. Jordan Binnington went 13-20-7 with a 3.33 GAA and .873 save percentage, and he is 14 wins from becoming the first goalie in franchise history to reach 200 wins with the Blues (NHL.com, StLouisBlues.com). St. Louis had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Injuries: Defenseman Logan Mailloux will miss at least eight weeks after right hand surgery, and defenseman Tyler Tucker is out indefinitely after arthroscopic knee surgery and will be re-evaluated in six weeks. Forward Felix Trudeau (undisclosed) is also on injured reserve (NHL.com, ESPN).
Dallas Stars Preview: Robertson Back, Duchene Out
2025-26 recap: Dallas went 50-20-12 (112 points), finished second in the Central Division and lost to Minnesota in six games in the first round after reaching the Western Conference Final in each of the previous three seasons. The Stars ranked second in goals against per game (2.71), ninth in scoring (3.33) and second on the power play (28.6 percent) (NHL.com). Jason Robertson led the team with 96 points (45 goals, 51 assists), and Wyatt Johnston had 45 goals and 86 points and led the NHL with 27 power-play goals.
Offseason moves: Robertson signed a one-year, $12 million contract on July 21. Forward Joel Kiviranta returned to Dallas on a one-year deal. Forward Mavrik Bourque (20 goals) and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin were traded to Nashville, and defenseman Alexander Petrovic signed with Florida. Dallas recalled forwards Colin Blackwell and Arttu Hyry from Texas of the AHL ahead of the opener (NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Robertson, Johnston, Mikko Rantanen (77 points in 64 games), Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn lead the forwards. Tyler Seguin returned in the preseason on Sept. 25 after tearing the ACL in his right knee on Dec. 2 (NHL.com). Miro Heiskanen (63 points), Thomas Harley and Esa Lindell lead the defense. Glen Gulutzan is in his second season as coach.
Goalies: Jake Oettinger went 35-12-6 with a 2.59 GAA, .899 save percentage and four shutouts in 54 games, and he has started at least 53 games in each of the past four seasons (NHL.com). Casey DeSmith went 15-8-6 with a 2.43 GAA and .907 save percentage. Dallas had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Injuries: Duchene (lower body), who had 45 points in 57 games last season, is on long-term injured reserve. Forward Cameron Hughes (upper body) and Harrison Scott, Luke Krys and Tristan Bertucci (undisclosed) are on injured reserve (NHL.com, ESPN).
Key Matchup Notes: Blues vs Stars
- Season opener for both: Friday is the first game of 2026-27 for St. Louis and Dallas.
- Recent meetings: St. Louis went 1-3-0 against Dallas last season and is 3-5-3 in the past 11 meetings. Johnston has 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 14 career games against the Blues (StLouisBlues.com).
- Special teams: Dallas ranked second on the power play last season (28.6 percent). St. Louis ranked 25th on the penalty kill (76.7 percent).
- In goal: Hofer had six shutouts last season, and Oettinger won 35 games.
- Injuries: Dallas is without Duchene. St. Louis is without defensemen Mailloux and Tucker.
- Odds snapshot: Dallas -192 / St. Louis +160 on the moneyline, Stars -1.5 (+124) on the puck line, total 5.5 (DraftKings).
How to Watch St. Louis Blues vs Dallas Stars
Date: Friday, October 2, 2026
Puck drop: 9:00 PM ET (8:00 PM CT)
Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
TV: Nationally televised in the U.S. on TNT and truTV, with streaming on HBO Max (NHL.com, ESPN). Sportsnet One has the game in Canada.
Check the puck line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 2, 2026 puck drop, and look for confirmed starting goalies closer to game time.