Tuesday Dallas Stars Roundup: Jim Nill Choosin' Texas Again, Cameron Hughes Returns to the NHL in Boston, and Basically Everyone Else Is Still Injured

A Very Lot is happening

Screencap from Texas Stars Hockey on YouTube

Let’s start today with the coolest story, by far: Cameron Hughes is back in the NHL for the first time since 2021. Stephen Meserve, of course, has much more at 100 Degree Hockey, including this tidbit:

Hughes has been the motor for the Texas Stars' recovery to playoff position since their horrendous start in October and November. Texas media man John Peterson loves to remind us all that Hughes is the leading scorer in the AHL since Thanksgiving. Even without that caveat, he is leading the AHL in assists (50) and currently sits tied for second for overall scoring (66).

-100 Degree Hockey, “Cameron Hughes Earns First Dallas Stars Recall, Will Play Against Boston”

3/31/2026

Hughes will play in what has often been Nathan Bastian’s spot, on the right side of a line with Bäck centered by Arttu Hyry. We’ll see if their AHL familiarity can create NHL chemistry tonight against the Bruins in the Stars’ final game of their road trip.

One memory that sticks out about Hughes, for me, was talking to him at 2024 Stars training camp. He made a point of saying how great of a captain Patrice Bergeron was during his years in Boston, even for players like Hughes, who didn’t profile as top NHL scorers.

To see Hughes returning to the NHL is an extremely cool story, and it deserves a moment to really appreciate. This is a player who has played over 300 AHL playoff games (regular season + playoffs) since he last saw NHL action, and that action was a mere two games across two pandemic-affected seasons.

Hughes has been, as Stephen says, a critical pillar for the Texas Stars this season, as he’s channeled skill he’s always had into being the top assist man in the entire league. And lest you doubt the skills of which I speak, let me take you back a few years:

Neil Graham obviously knows everything Hughes can do, and he’ll certainly be a key part of Hughes’s acclimation to NHL action today. Assistant GM Scott White is also on the road trip, according to Glen Gulutzan, so one has little doubt he can also sing the proper praises of Hughes’s game right now.

In all likelihood, Hughes will play fourth-line minutes in a road game matchup against a Boston team hanging onto the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. You aren’t likely to see shoot too many pucks from between his legs.

But then again, you never know. Because when you step back and think about what Hughes has done this season, you can’t help but feel like he’s got a few more tricks up his sleeve.

You Might Get Injured While Reading This

Word out of morning skate today is that Michael Bunting and Sam Steel will be out for at least another week with their respective lower body injuries. Tyler Myers likewise suffered some sort of injury last game that will keep him out of action tonight. Myers limped off the ice before returning to gut out the rest of the game against Philadelphia. And Nathan Bastian (hand) is still out of action after blocking a shot before that.

Along with Hughes, Ilya Lyubushkin will draw back into the lineup in lieu of the injured Myers. And given the injury updates we got today, Hughes might be sticking around for a little bit. Here’s what Gulutzan said when asked about the recent injuries to Steel, Bunting, and Bastian: