Dallas Stars sign backup goalie Casey DeSmith to two-year, $5M extension

The Dallas Stars signed backup goaltender Casey DeSmith to a two-year contract extension worth $5 million, the team announced September 30, 2026 in a post on X.

The deal carries a $2.5M AAV and begins with the 2027-28 season, running through 2028-29. It takes effect as DeSmith, 35, enters the final year of the three-year, $3.05 million contract he signed with Dallas as a free agent on July 1, 2024. The new deal keeps him under contract until he is 38 and locks in the tandem of DeSmith and starter Jake Oettinger through 2028-29.

Stars general manager Jim Nill said in the club’s release that extending DeSmith had been a priority and cited his reliability.

DeSmith has largely backed up Oettinger since joining the Stars in the summer of 2024. Daily Faceoff reported a .911 save percentage and three shutouts across more than 50 games with Dallas. Last season he won 15 games, his seventh NHL season with at least 10 wins. The $2.5M AAV is a raise from his current $1,016,667 AAV.

The extension does not crowd the Stars’ cap picture. The club is projected to have nearly $27 million in cap space for next summer even after the deal, though that figure will move with any roster changes, and talks on a Jason Robertson extension and a new contract for defenseman Lian Bichsel remain open.

Dallas opens its season at home against the St. Louis Blues on Friday.