The Dallas Stars have reunited with centre Radek Faksa on a three-year deal with an average annual value (AAV) of $2 million.
The 13th overall pick by Dallas in 2012, Faksa previously played for the Stars from 2015 to 2024, appearing in over 600 games and posting exactly 200 points. He spent this past season with the St. Louis Blues, registering five goals and 15 points in 70 games along with five points in seven playoff games.
Faksa Offers Power Forward Style
Faksa’s size and stats suggest exactly what teams expect and want from a bottom-six centre. At 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, he uses his size effectively. His career highs of 17 goals and 21 assists in a season are modest, but he is strong on the puck and serves as a presence at the front of the net. Defensively, he is physical without committing excessive penalties and capable of playing on the penalty kill, helping him to earn Selke Trophy votes in four different seasons.
Despite Faksa’s style of play, he is tough and dependable in the lineup. The 12 games he missed last season are the most he’s missed in a single season for his career. His team can generally count on him to bring his physicality, grinding style and commitment to hockey on a nightly basis, something Dallas was already familiar with and now gets to experience once again.
Stars Bring Back a Familiar Face
In rejoining the Stars, Faksa becomes the rare player to depart his long-term organization for a single season and then immediately return. He is a homegrown player for Dallas, spending three years working through their minor league system before debuting with them in 2015. He remained a staple of their lineup for the next nine seasons, becoming one of 13 players to play at least 600 games for them since they moved to Texas. Entering the final year of his contract, the Stars sent him to St. Louis in a cap-dump trade.
Related: 2025 NHL Free Agency Tracker
Since it’s only been one year since Faksa left Dallas, not a whole lot has changed. The Stars remain one of the Western Conference’s best teams and still expect to contend, especially following the acquisition of Mikko Rantanen. Faksa was a consistent part of several of Dallas’ past playoff appearances, and he should be able to slide right back in on the third or fourth line and help the Stars push for the Stanley Cup championship they’ve come so close to reaching multiple times in the last decade.
