The Dallas Stars are getting closer to finalizing their opening-night roster but because of their tight cap situation, they’ve had to make some risky moves to get there.

The Stars placed two players on waivers this weekend — projected Texas Stars starting goalie Remi Poirier and forward Colin Blackwell, who has spent the entirety of the last two seasons on Dallas’ roster. 

Poirier was claimed off waivers by New Jersey on Sunday, the team announced, four days after he logged a preseason shutout against the Minnesota Wild. The team will learn Monday whether Blackwell is also claimed by another team or clears and begins the season with the Texas Stars.

The move to place Blackwell on waivers came as somewhat of a surprise but was likely what the Stars saw as their best chance to manipulate a tight cap situation. The Stars didn’t have enough cap room to begin the season with both 13 forwards and seven defensemen, so they’d have to either place defenseman Kyle Capobianco on waivers and hope he clears or a depth forward like Blackwell. 

The Stars may have felt they had a better chance of Blackwell clearing waivers than Capobianco or another forward.

The move indicates that Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene will likely both be available for the season opener against the St. Louis Blues on Friday, unless the Stars decided to start the season with an 11-7 lineup. 

Blackwell has spent the last two seasons with the Stars and totaled 15 points (four goals and 11 assists) in 70 games last season. The 33-year-old is on the second year of a two-year deal where he makes $850,000 per year.

The loss of Poirier hurts the Stars’ AHL team. He went 27-19-6 as Texas’ starter last season where he posted a .912 save percentage and 2.61 goals-against average. Texas will now turn to goaltenders Brandon Halverson and Arno Tiefensee, but the organization is lacking depth at the position. 

The Stars finished preseason undefeated, and the regular season begins Oct. 2 when the Stars host the Blues at American Airlines Center at 8 p.m.