Which Stars prospects could crack the opening night lineup, emerge from camp competition?

FRISCO — The Stars’ new locker room at Comerica Center had some writing on the walls Thursday.

When training camp opened and the 58 players on this year’s camp roster arrived in Frisco, a few got an early feather in their caps.

Alongside the 21 players essentially guaranteed to make the opening-night roster, four others — forwards Matej Blümel and Oskar Bäck and defensemen Alexander Petrovic and Kyle Capobianco — were awarded stalls in the main locker room.

The other 33 players were placed in an auxiliary room, many knowing they’re still years away from making Dallas’ roster.

The Stars don’t have much competition in camp this season for roster spots but did give themselves the flexibility to add a 13th forward if they choose to do so. With $2.2 million remaining on the cap, the Stars could add a player like Blümel or Bäck from last year’s AHL roster or Arttu Hyry for extra depth.

“I think our top three lines are pretty set,” Stars GM Jill Nill said. “These young kids are coming in finding their way now. Let’s see where they’re at. People keep asking me, ‘What about this guy? Where’s he going to play?’ I’m like everyone else. I’m going to sit and watch.”

After a first day at camp — and once Jason Robertson returns from injury — the Stars’ top three forward lines could look something like this:

Robertson-Hintz-Johnston

Marchment-Duchene-Seguin

Benn-Bourque-Stankoven

And while Dallas does have three more NHL forwards in Sam Steel, Evgenii Dadonov and Colin Blackwell, that fourth line could use a spark from Blümel, Bäck or Hyry.

Blümel led the Texas Stars in goals last season with 31, adding 31 assists for 62 points. He also appeared in six games for Dallas in the 2022-23 season and scored a goal.

Bäck has three years of AHL experience and recorded a career-high 36 points last year.

The Stars brought in Hyry as a free agent from Finland, and he was an early standout in the prospect tournament in Traverse City last week.

“In the end, the players will decide,” Nill said. “If they can help you win, and they’re playing every night, then they’ll be up here on the roster.”

With Robertson out for camp, all three forwards should get a chance to rotate in on the fourth line. During Thursday’s scrimmage, Bäck skated alongside Blackwell and Steel.

DeBoer said one of his top focuses in camp will be the cusp players, but that isn’t limited to forwards. Even though Dallas has seven NHL-caliber defensemen, players like Lian Bichsel, Petrovic and Capobianco are competing for time. Even if it doesn’t come on opening night, Petrovic showed by filling in in the postseason last year that they could still get an opportunity.

“Those guys are going to be pushing the people you have penciled in for jobs,” DeBoer said.

The Stars have some intriguing competition at some depth positions this camp that could add a third rookie to the roster alongside Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven. But the team’s philosophy has always been they’ll only do so if that player is guaranteed to be a mainstay in the lineup.

Otherwise, they’ll remain in Cedar Park until that time comes.

“They need to play games. They have to play games. They’re too young,” Nill said. “You’ve seen the development with the Logan Stankovens, Mavrik Bourques, go back to Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, all these players spent time in the minors. You need to play games.”

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