Blackwell's Lower-Body Injury Opens Dallas Depth Slot Before Season Opener

Colin Blackwell will miss Dallas' next few preseason games due to a lower-body injury, Stars coach Glen Gulutzan announced Monday. The 33-year-old forward is day-to-day and should be available when the regular season begins, but the injury timeline creates a short-term window of roster flux heading into exhibition play.

Blackwell contributed 15 points (4 goals, 11 assists) in 70 games for Dallas last season—a secondary depth role that he filled consistently. His per-game production (0.21 PPG) ranks him squarely as a third or fourth-line contributor, a category Dallas relies on for depth scoring and penalty-kill stability. The injury removes a known quantity from the lineup during a period when coaches are evaluating roster construction and depth-chart positioning.

The preseason absence is material in one specific way: it forces Dallas to accelerate evaluations of backup forwards competing for similar ice time. With Blackwell unavailable, the Stars get extended looks at alternatives who might otherwise split reps with him. If Blackwell clears before the regular season (as Gulutzan indicated), this is a non-event for the season itself. But if the injury lingers into October, the team will have built organizational muscle memory around his replacement, potentially reshuffling fourth-line assignments even after his return.

From a betting perspective, Blackwell's absence over the next 7-10 days has minimal direct impact on season-long props, given his limited offensive ceiling and the likelihood of his regular-season availability. However, his late-preseason return creates a small variance window: if he plays his first game in the opener with limited practice reps, his per-game usage and shot volume may dip slightly in his first contest before normalizing. For bettors stacking Dallas totals or Blackwell anytime-goal props in game one, the injury creates a minor liability—he may log fewer minutes or reduced power-play exposure than his season-long average. Conversely, if you're fading his early-season anytime props, the rust factor offers an edge.