Stars’ Casey DeSmith granted personal leave of absence
Some adjustments between the pipes for one of the best teams in the league.
On Saturday, the Dallas Stars announced that goaltender Casey DeSmith has been granted a leave of absence to tend to a personal family matter. In response, the team has called up fellow netminder Remi Poirier from its American Hockey League affiliate, the Texas Stars.
We have made the following roster moves:
▪️ Granted goaltender Casey DeSmith non-roster status
▪️ Recalled Remi Poirier from the @TexasStars pic.twitter.com/kTEBq36jKM
DeSmith has been a solid backup in Dallas behind Jake Oettinger, as the two have further established the Stars as one of the NHL’s toughest teams. In 15 games this season, DeSmith has a record of 9-2-4, with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. He also notched a 24-save shutout against the Montreal Canadiens back on Nov. 13.
DeSmith had been playing well over the past couple of weeks, picking up points in 13 consecutive starts prior to giving up four goals in a loss to the Buffalo Sabres on New Year’s Eve.
The 34-year-old is in the second season of his three-year contract that he signed with Dallas in July 2024. The deal has a cap hit of $1 million through the 2026-27 campaign.
While Poirier has been a member of the Stars organization since the team took him in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, he has yet to appear in an NHL game. He has spent the entirety of the past two years with Texas, helping the team reach the Calder Cup Playoffs in each of the last three seasons. After a career year in 2024-25, the 24-year-old has a record of 8-10-5 so far this season, with a 2.77 GAA, a .903 SV%, and one shutout.
The Stars (25-9-7) are tied for second in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild, both teams 10 points back of the Colorado Avalanche for first place in the Central Division.