American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Puck drop: 6:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. CT)
TV/Streaming: Prime Video, MSGSN (also listed on ESPN+ in some markets)
This is the first meeting of the 2026-27 season between the teams. Peter DeBoer returns to Dallas as Islanders head coach after leading the Stars to three consecutive Western Conference Finals (2022-25).
Projected Lineups (from NHL.com and recent practice reports)
Islanders
Forwards:
Simon Holmstrom – Bo Horvat – Kyle Palmieri
Emil Heineman – Brayden Schenn – Victor Eklund
Ondrej Palat – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Anthony Duclair
Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Mitchell Chaffee Defense:
Logan Stanley – Matthew Schaefer
Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock
Matthew Kessel – Tony DeAngelo Goalies: Ilya Sorokin (expected starter) / Semyon Varlamov
Scratched: Scott Mayfield
Stars (lines can shift slightly with availability)
Forwards (common projections):
Jason Robertson – Roope Hintz – Tyler Seguin
Joel Kiviranta (or Colin Blackwell) – Wyatt Johnston – Mikko Rantanen
Justin Hryckowian – Arttu Hyry – Jamie Benn
David Perron – Radek Faksa – Colin Blackwell Defense:
Thomas Harley – Miro Heiskanen
Lian Bichsel – Nils Lundkvist
Kyle Capobianco – Tyler Myers Goalies: Jake Oettinger (expected starter) / Casey DeSmith
Scratched: None listed.
Injury Reports
Islanders (key absences):
Mathew Barzal (knee) – IR, not traveling; expected return around early November.
Alexander Romanov (torn right ACL) – IR, long-term (targeted return spring 2027).
Matias Maccelli (lower body) – Out (2-4 weeks range).
Calum Ritchie (lower body) – Out (4-6 weeks range).
Stars:
Sam Steel (undisclosed) – Will not play (received injection).
Oskar Bäck (finger) – IR/LTIR.
Matt Duchene (abdomen/lower body) – IR (longer-term).
Esa Lindell (lower body) – IR (possible return soon, around Oct. 27).
Radek Faksa – Possible/day-to-day (lower-body/undisclosed).
David Perron could make his Stars debut.
Both teams are missing important pieces, but Dallas’s top-end talent (Robertson, Hintz, Johnston, Rantanen, Heiskanen) remains largely intact, while the Islanders are without their top playmaker (Barzal) and a key defenseman.
Recent Form
Islanders: Riding a five-game point streak (3-0-2). They earned a point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday (Victor Eklund and Matthew Schaefer scored; Schaefer notched his first goal of the season). Strong defensive metrics overall (2.20 GA/GP, ranking near the top of the league) and solid goaltending from Sorokin (.934 SV%, 1.72 GAA in seven starts). Offense is more modest (~2.9 GF/GP) and relies heavily on Horvat (5G-5A-10P) and contributions from Schaefer (high points totals as a young defenseman).
Stars: Four-game winning streak, including consecutive 3-2 overtime home wins (over Boston and Winnipeg). They own the NHL’s best goals-against average (~1.60 GA/GP) and elite goaltending from Oettinger (strong SV% and multiple shutouts). Offense is lower-volume (~2.5 GF/GP) but opportunistic, with Hintz, Robertson, and Johnston contributing. They are in the middle of a six-game homestand.
Special teams edge leans toward Dallas on the PK (elite ranking) while both power plays sit in the mid-to-lower tier.
Key Player Matchups
Bo Horvat vs. Dallas top centers/defense (Hintz/Johnston/Heiskanen-Harley): Horvat leads the Islanders in scoring and drives the top line with Palmieri and Holmstrom. Expect heavy minutes against Dallas’s shutdown elements.
Matthew Schaefer vs. Stars top forwards (Robertson/Hintz/Rantanen): The young Islanders defenseman has been highly productive and logs heavy ice time; containing Dallas’s skill forwards will be critical.
Mikko Rantanen / Wyatt Johnston / Jason Robertson vs. Islanders defense (Pelech-Pulock, Stanley-Schaefer): Dallas’s skill and size up front against a depleted but structured Islanders blue line.
Goaltending duel: Ilya Sorokin vs. Jake Oettinger — Both are among the league’s strongest early-season performers. Oettinger has the home edge and elite team defense in front of him; Sorokin has been excellent when the Islanders need him.
Physical/secondary: Casey Cizikas and the Islanders’ bottom-six energy vs. Jamie Benn and Dallas’s depth; potential history notes around past physical play involving Rantanen.
Series History
First meeting of 2026-27. Recent history favors the Islanders in the last two encounters (they swept the 2025-26 season series 2-0: 3-2 win in Dallas on Nov. 18, 2025, and 2-1 home win on March 26, 2026). Broader recent H2H is competitive and often low-scoring/close (many one-goal games). All-time and longer samples lean slightly toward Dallas in some counts, but recent results have been tight.
Betting Trends
Stars allow the fewest goals in the league and have held most recent opponents to two goals or fewer; strong under trend early (many unders in their games).
Islanders point streak and defensive reliability make them competitive, but injuries and road matchup against elite team defense are significant hurdles.
Models generally give Dallas a 60-73% win probability (home + form + defense advantage).
Game Odds
New York Islanders 5.5
Dallas Stars – 190
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, October 24, 2026
