David Castillo

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Articles

There is No Easy Answer to the Stars' Jason Robertson Conundum

1 week ago | dmagazine.com | David Castillo |Mike Piellucci

Jason Robertson is everything the Stars didn’t ask for but wished he could be when he was taken in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft. A big, strong winger with all the offensive chops you would want in a top-six forward. But he’s more than that. He has become a franchise-changer. He was leading the Stars in scoring before the arrival of Mikko Rantanen, and no player his age has scored more than his 394 points since he came into the league.
The Stars Should Stay the Course

3 weeks ago | dmagazine.com | David Castillo |Mike Piellucci

It’s hard to talk about the Stars. It feels like it was just the other week that we were writing about what a beacon of hope professional hockey was in North Texas. Probably because it was just the other week. Then, in the blink of an eye, the victory green heroes were dragged into the same twilight mire of bickering and false narratives that all the other Dallas teams are suffering from.
Casey DeSmith Is More Than Jake Oettinger's Backup

2 months ago | dmagazine.com | David Castillo |Mike Piellucci

Out of all their moves, and without the benefit of hindsight, the Stars’ signing of Casey DeSmith probably attracted the least amount of fanfare. Unlike the glut of replacement-level defenders, it had nothing to do with DeSmith being of questionable value. I think people just wondered what was wrong with Scott Wedgewood, who was of a similar caliber. Wedgewood did have a slightly higher save percentage last season, after all.
Can the Stars Win a Playoff Series Without Miro Heiskanen?

Mar 19, 2025 | dmagazine.com | David Castillo |Mike Piellucci

The timetable on Miro Heiskanen’s return following his late January knee injury has been unknown for a while. In many ways, it still is. But coach Pete DeBoer left Stars fans a clue they didn’t want to hear during a media scrum the other day when he said Dallas might have to win a playoff series without its top defender. If you’re a fan who read that tweet by Brien Rea and immediately felt a punch to the gut, you’re not alone.
At Long Last, Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill Is All In

Mar 11, 2025 | dmagazine.com | David Castillo |Mike Piellucci

If you were to ask a Stars fan whether Jim Nill had it in him to trade for Mikko Rantanen, the response would have elicited laughter. Some may have said, “Perhaps in the offseason.” But the rest of us would have all been in agreement: it ain’t happening. There are a lot of reasons, which Robert covered in his assessment, but it’s worth emphasizing once more. For one, Nill was explicit in his desire to keep young players like Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque off the table.
Jake Oettinger Holds All the Cards

Feb 26, 2025 | dmagazine.com | David Castillo |Mike Piellucci

There are more X factors than usual baked into Dallas’ latest push toward the Stanley Cup. First and foremost, there is health, from Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin’s longer-term injuries to shorter-term, more recent knocks picked up by Lian Bichsel and Ilya Lyubushkin. There’s also the trade deadline, as Jim Nill still has over $5 million in cap room to work with after acquiring Mikael Granlund and Cody Cerci from San Jose earlier this month.
The Stars Are the Hockey's Most Mysterious Contender

Feb 19, 2025 | dmagazine.com | David Castillo |Mike Piellucci

It’s fitting that we’re getting the best hockey of the year in February instead of having to wait until the summer. Perhaps Mavericks fans migrating to Texas hockey can see more clearly what all the hoopla is all about when the Stanley Cup playoffs begin. The 4 Nations Face-Off has been a smashing success. Three fights in the first nine seconds after the puck was dropped. Huge hits. Dramatic goals. When April rolls around, this is exactly the kind of hockey the Stars will need to be prepared for.
The Youth Won't Save the Stars-At Least Not Yet

Jan 15, 2025 | dmagazine.com | David Castillo |Mike Piellucci

When we were last here, the hype was real: the Stars’ young core would be essential to the team’s success, and we could count on progressive steps forward. Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven, Thomas Harley, Mavrik Bourque, Lian Bichsel. That’s 8 percent of the cap tied to five players in key positions all expected to produce and perform well above their pay grade.
Rebuilding After Wildfires: Supporting Displaced Students

Jan 15, 2025 | medium.com | David Castillo

David Castillo·Follow3 min read·--The recent Los Angeles wildfires have devastated communities, displacing thousands of families and destroying homes, schools, and vital infrastructure. Among the hardest hit were schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD).
Fear and Loathing in Palm Springs: A Weekend With Ralph Strangis

Jan 7, 2025 | dmagazine.com | David Castillo |Mike Piellucci

For 25 years, Ralph Strangis was a fixture in the Dallas Stars’ announce booth. He was also its ballast, an institution dating to 1990, when the Minnesota North Stars played at the Met Center in Bloomington, an arena so quiet that Strangis recalls hearing the banter between players on the ice from the press box. He became the voice of hockey in Texas, a sport that wasn’t supposed to work in the South. Then it did, and the Stars brought home a Stanley Cup in 1999.