Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT)
Venue: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
This is a Central Division matchup and the first meeting of the 2026-27 season between the two clubs (four total meetings scheduled).
Broadcast options include Prime Video/SCRIPPS (local), ESPN+ (out-of-market), and team apps/radio networks.
Current Rosters
Dallas Stars (coach Glen Gulutzan):
Forwards: Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn (C), Sam Steel, Justin Hryckowian, Radek Faksa, Oskar Bäck, Joel Kiviranta, others.
Defensemen: Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, Esa Lindell, Lian Bichsel, Nils Lundkvist, Tyler Myers, others.
Goaltenders: Jake Oettinger, Casey DeSmith.
Nashville Predators (coach Andrew Brunette):
Forwards: Filip Forsberg, Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, Jonathan Marchessault, Matthew Wood, Nils Höglander, Mavrik Bourque (acquired from Dallas), Ross Colton, Alexander Kerfoot, others.
Defensemen: Roman Josi (C), Brady Skjei, Nicolas Hague, Nick Perbix, Ilya Lyubushkin, others.
Goaltenders: Juuse Saros, Justus Annunen.
Projected lines
DAL: Hryckowian – Johnston – Rantanen; Robertson – Hintz – Seguin; Steel – Hyry – Benn; Bäck – Faksa – Kiviranta.
NSH: Stamkos – O’Reilly – Kerfoot; Forsberg – Wood – Höglander; Colton – Bourque – Marchessault; Schaefer – Drury – Edström.
Injury Reports
Stars: Matt Duchene (lower body, out until at least late October). Additional players on injured non-roster (e.g., Harrison Scott, Luke Krys, Cameron Hughes, Tristan Bertucci). Jake Oettinger started the opener; Casey DeSmith is the likely option on the second night of the back-to-back.
Predators: No major new absences reported after the opener (Roman Josi played and scored). Depth moves (e.g., Ryan Ufko assigned post-opener) but core intact.
Recent Team Forms
Dallas Stars: Opened 0-1-0 with a 4-0 home shutout loss to St. Louis on Friday (Jake Oettinger made 20 saves; empty-net goals inflated the score late). Snapped a streak of six consecutive season-opening wins. Tyler Seguin returned from a long absence. Looking to find “sea legs” on the road.
Nashville Predators: Opened 0-1-0 with a 3-1 home loss to Minnesota on Thursday (Roman Josi scored the lone goal; Juuse Saros made 27 saves). Fell behind early and could not recover. Seeking a bounce-back in front of the home crowd.
Series History
The Predators hold a slight all-time home edge (approximately 32-24-3 at Bridgestone) but trail overall (roughly 52-56-7). Nashville is 4-5-1 in the last 10 meetings and 1-4-0 in the last five at home versus Dallas. Competitive Central Division rivalry with four games this season. Mavrik Bourque (traded from Dallas) faces his former organization.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Jason Robertson / Wyatt Johnston / Mikko Rantanen / Roope Hintz (DAL attack) vs. NSH defense (Josi, Skjei, Hague) and Juuse Saros: Dallas’s high-end scoring depth against Nashville’s veteran blue line and elite goaltender.
Filip Forsberg / Steven Stamkos / Ryan O’Reilly / Jonathan Marchessault (NSH attack) vs. DAL defense (Heiskanen, Harley, Lindell) and Casey DeSmith/Jake Oettinger: Nashville’s skilled veterans testing Dallas’s structured defense, especially with the Stars potentially on the backup goalie.
Special teams and middle six: Dallas’s strong historical power play vs. Nashville’s early struggles; physical and faceoff battles involving Benn/Staal-type roles and Bourque vs. former teammates.
Narrative: Seguin’s return and Bourque’s first game against Dallas add intrigue.
Dallas enters as the more talented, Cup-contending side despite the opener letdown and back-to-back. Nashville has home ice and a motivated response opportunity.
Betting Trends
Road favorite with superior roster construction; both teams score-starved in openers; Dallas on a back-to-back.
Game Odds
Dallas Stars – 130
Nashville Predators 6
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, October 2, 2026
