It's no surprise the Stars have lacked physicality throughout their lineup during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. You could definitely tell they needed that against the Edmonton Oilers this past season. It's the reason the series only went five games. The Stars were outhit, outplayed, and outsmarted throughout the Western Conference Finals. It's something even Glen Gulutzan brought up during the press conference when he was introduced as the new head coach of the Dallas Stars this summer.
During this offseason, the Stars signed Nathan Bastian to a one-year deal to bring some grit to the lineup. While many Stars fans were scratching their heads about that signing, I was actually happy that the Stars went and got someone who's going to stick up for his teammates while also delivering big-body checks to other players on the ice. If you want to win the Stanley Cup, you have to have both a mixture of scoring and physicality. Just take a look at the Florida Panthers and what they have done the last two seasons.
That's where Dallas Stars prospect Niilopekka Muhonen comes into play. The 2024 Dallas Stars Draft pick just signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars this offseason. Think of him as a "Finnish version" of Lian Bichsel with a scoring touch. The Stars are looking at him to make an impact on the Stars' roster in a couple of seasons to be that enforcer defenseman that Bichsel has been. That's what the Stars are going to need if they want to compete for the Stanley Cup for multiple seasons down the road.
While it's still a while for Muhonen to make the roster, the Stars will be watching to see if he becomes the enforcer that he's shown during the course of last season for the Medicine Hat Tigers. I think Muhonen would be an excellent addition to the Stars' Finnish Mafia in a couple of seasons. He's got the bruising archetype the Stars need for the postseason. I don't know if he will be returning to the Tigers this season or move on down to Cedar Park; however, the Stars might have another "Bichsel" in the making.