Our Dallas Stars vs Chicago Blackhawks preview covers the odds, puck line, total, start time, TV channel and where to watch on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The Dallas Stars (3-3-1 this season; 50-20-12 in 2025-26) visit the Chicago Blackhawks (3-5-0 this season; 29-39-14 in 2025-26) at United Center in Chicago, Ill. Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET (6:00 PM local). TV: Prime Video / CHSN.
Storyline: Dallas enters Saturday at 3-3-1 after a 3-2 shootout win at Colorado (Oct. 14). Chicago enters Saturday at 3-5-0 after a 4-3 overtime win over Winnipeg (Oct. 15). Chicago won two of three meetings last season (NHL.com). DraftKings lists Dallas at -198 and Chicago at +164 on the moneyline, with the total at 6.5.
Dallas Stars vs Chicago Blackhawks Odds, Puck Line & Game Info
| Matchup | Dallas Stars @ Chicago Blackhawks |
|---|---|
| 2026-27 Records | Dallas Stars 3-3-1 | Chicago Blackhawks 3-5-0 |
| 2025-26 Records | Dallas Stars 50-20-12 | Chicago Blackhawks 29-39-14 |
| Head Coaches | DAL: Glen Gulutzan (2nd season) | CHI: Jeff Blashill (2nd season) |
| Puck Line | DAL -1.5 (+136) | CHI +1.5 (-162) |
| Moneyline | Dallas Stars: -198 | Chicago Blackhawks: +164 |
| Total | O/U 6.5 (o+114 / u-135) |
| Venue | United Center (Chicago, Ill.) |
| Date / Time | Saturday, October 17, 2026 — 7:00 PM ET |
| TV / How to Watch | Prime Video / CHSN |
| Probable Starting Goalies | DAL: Jake Oettinger (probable, per ESPN; not confirmed) | CHI: Spencer Knight (probable, per ESPN; not confirmed) |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN) as of Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, ~6:24 PM ET. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before puck drop. ESPN lists Jake Oettinger (Dallas) and Spencer Knight (Chicago) as probable starters, not yet confirmed at research time.
Dallas Stars Preview: Rantanen Leads a 3-3-1 Start
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) 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 scored 45 goals, including an NHL-high 27 on the power play.
Offseason moves: Robertson signed a one-year, $12 million contract on July 21. Dallas brought back forward Joel Kiviranta on a one-year contract, traded forward Mavrik Bourque (20 goals) and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to Nashville, and lost defenseman Alexander Petrovic to Florida (NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Robertson, Johnston, Mikko Rantanen (77 points last season), Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Sam Steel and Radek Faksa lead the forwards. Miro Heiskanen (63 points), Thomas Harley, Esa Lindell, Lian Bichsel, Tyler Myers and Nils Lundkvist are on defense. Glen Gulutzan is in his second season as coach.
Goalies: Jake Oettinger has started five games and is 2-2-1 with a .944 save percentage (101 saves on 107 shots). Most recently, he made 22 saves on 25 shots in a 3-2 loss to Colorado (Oct. 13). Casey DeSmith has started two games and is 1-1-0 with a .925 save percentage (49 saves on 53 shots). Most recently, he made 25 saves on 27 shots in a 3-2 shootout win at Colorado (Oct. 14). ESPN lists Jake Oettinger as the probable starter for Saturday (not confirmed at research time).
Season so far: Dallas is 3-3-1 through seven games, with 16 goals scored and 13 allowed. Results: a 4-0 loss to St. Louis (Oct. 2), a 2-1 loss at Nashville (Oct. 3), a 5-0 win over San Jose (Oct. 5), a 4-0 win at Buffalo (Oct. 8), a 2-1 shootout loss at Pittsburgh (Oct. 10), a 3-2 loss to Colorado (Oct. 13) and a 3-2 shootout win at Colorado (Oct. 14). Mikko Rantanen has seven points (two goals, five assists), and Miro Heiskanen has six points (three goals, three assists) (NHL.com).
Injuries: David Perron (not injury related) is listed as out; Wyatt Johnston (illness) is day to day; Oskar Back (finger) and Matt Duchene (abdomen) are on injured reserve; Luke Krys (undisclosed) and Cameron Hughes (upper body) are on the injured non-roster list (ESPN).
Chicago Blackhawks Preview: Frondell Leads a 3-5-0 Start
2025-26 recap: Chicago went 29-39-14 (72 points) and finished last in the Central Division. Connor Bedard led the team with 75 points (30 goals, 45 assists) in 69 games, Tyler Bertuzzi scored a team-high 32 goals and had 58 points, and Frank Nazar had 41 points (NHL.com).
Offseason moves: Patrick Kane, the No. 1 selection by Chicago in the 2007 draft, is back with the Blackhawks after 57 points for Detroit last season. Chicago also added defenseman Bowen Byram (42 points for Buffalo), defenseman Ian Cole from Utah, forwards Jordan Greenway and Cole Smith, and forward Roman Kantserov, who scored 36 goals in the KHL. Ilya Mikheyev now plays for Tampa Bay, Andre Burakovsky for Ottawa and Louis Crevier for Buffalo (NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Bedard (back in the lineup since Oct. 13), Bertuzzi, Kane, Nazar, Anton Frondell (the No. 3 selection in 2025), Ryan Donato, Oliver Moore, Greenway and Kantserov lead the forwards. Alex Vlasic, Byram, Cole, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel and Wyatt Kaiser are on defense. Jeff Blashill is in his second season as coach.
Goalies: Spencer Knight has started six games and is 3-3-0 with an .890 save percentage (170 saves on 191 shots). Most recently, he made 31 saves on 34 shots in a 4-3 overtime win over Winnipeg (Oct. 15). Arvid Soderblom has started two games and is 0-2-0 with an .820 save percentage (41 saves on 50 shots). Most recently, he made 15 saves on 18 shots in a 4-1 loss at the Islanders (Oct. 8). ESPN lists Spencer Knight as the probable starter for Saturday (not confirmed at research time).
Season so far: Chicago is 3-5-0 through eight games, with 21 goals scored and 32 allowed. Results: a 5-2 loss at Vegas (Sept. 29), a 6-0 loss at Utah (Oct. 1), a 4-3 loss at Buffalo (Oct. 3), a 4-2 win over St. Louis (Oct. 6), a 4-1 loss at the Islanders (Oct. 8), a 5-2 loss to Carolina (Oct. 10), a 5-3 win over Pittsburgh (Oct. 13) and a 4-3 overtime win over Winnipeg (Oct. 15). Anton Frondell has six points (one goal, five assists), and Teuvo Teravainen has five points (two goals, three assists) (NHL.com).
Injuries: Bowen Byram (upper body) is day to day; Andrew Mangiapane (lower body) is on injured reserve (ESPN).
Key Matchup Notes: Stars vs Blackhawks
- Schedule spot: Dallas last played on Oct. 14 and hosts Boston on Oct. 20. Chicago last played on Oct. 15 and hosts Montreal on Oct. 23. Neither team played on Friday, Oct. 16, so neither is on the second night of a back-to-back (NHL.com).
- Last season: Chicago won two of three meetings last season. Dallas won 4-3 in overtime at home on March 8, 2026. Chicago won 4-3 in a shootout in Dallas on Dec. 27, 2025 and 4-3 at home on Jan. 1 (NHL.com).
- Special teams: Dallas is converting 12.5 percent of its power plays and has killed 87.5 percent of penalties. Chicago is converting 15 percent of its power plays and has killed 73.9 percent of penalties (NHL.com).
- Scoring: Dallas has scored 16 goals and allowed 13 in 7 games. Chicago has scored 21 goals and allowed 32 in 8 games.
- Odds snapshot: Dallas -198 / Chicago +164 on the moneyline, Stars -1.5 (+136) on the puck line, total 6.5 (DraftKings).
How to Watch Dallas Stars vs Chicago Blackhawks
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Puck drop: 7:00 PM ET (6:00 PM local)
Venue: United Center, Chicago, Ill.
TV: In the U.S., Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) carries it in the Blackhawks’ market and Prime Video carries it in the Stars’ market (NHL.com). ESPN also lists ESPN+ streaming. No U.S. national TV broadcast is listed at research time.
Check the puck line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 17, 2026 puck drop, and look for confirmed starting goalies closer to game time.