With the Olympic break approaching, the trade deadline is about a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We begin our look around the league with teams that have clear plans at the extremes of the standings, next up with the Stars.
This season has been what you would expect from a roster as talented as Dallas’. Despite their success, they sit third in the very gifted Central Division and would face the Minnesota Wild in the first round if the season started today. That kind of series could be a coin flip and might be the kind of matchup that forces Dallas to add to an already talented roster. The Stars have only a few more kicks at the proverbial can in this contention window, and with a significant extension for Jason Robertson looming, this could be the year they go all in.
Record
33-14-9, 3rd in the Central
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$3.267MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: DAL 2nd, SEA 3rd, DAL 5th, DAL 6th, DAL 7th, TOR 7th
2027: DAL 1st, DAL 2nd, DAL 4th, DAL 5th, DAL 6th, DAL 7th
Trade Chips
Dallas doesn’t have a lot to work with in terms of prospects and picks, which is the cost of being a consistent Stanley Cup contender over the past half-decade. The Stars do have some young pieces they could move, though, if they go big-game hunting on the trade market. Defenseman Lian Bichsel was a first-round pick in 2022, and at 6’7”, he is the kind of hulking presence on the blue line that teams line up for. His transition to the NHL hasn’t been smooth, as the 21-year-old has dealt with injuries and inconsistency this season. Bichsel appeared ready to break out last season, but he hasn’t delivered this year and has struggled through 26 games, failing both the eye test and the analytics test. Bichsel has a lot of upsides, though, and could be the centrepiece of a much bigger deal if Dallas goes all in.
Another prospect Dallas could look to move is right winger Emil Hemming. The 19-year-old was selected in the first round (29th overall) of the 2024 draft and is having a strong offensive season with the Barrie Colts of the OHL. Hemming is a potential NHL power forward with a good shot and isn’t afraid to get dirty at the net. He also plays a solid two-way game, which should endear him to teams seeking well-rounded wingers. The Stars could pair Hemming with a second- or third-round pick if they are on the hunt for trade deadline candidates that aren’t in the upper tier of trade targets but are solid NHLers.
Another potential trade piece for the Stars is young WHL forward Cameron Schmidt of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who was recently involved in a significant trade in that league. The Stars took Schmidt in the third round of last year’s draft (94th overall) and might have gotten a steal given his performance in the WHL thus far this season. Schmidt is currently third in league scoring and likely would’ve been a first- or second-round pick had it not been for his size (5’8” and 161 lbs). Dallas had no problem rolling the dice with Schmidt after succeeding with small centre Logan Stankoven, who is now in Carolina, and they could go that route with Schmidt as well.
Now, the Stars might have a pretty barren prospect cupboard, but they do have another promising young player on the NHL roster in Mavrik Bourque, who, at 24, is far from a finished product. Bourque was a late first-round pick in 2020 (30th overall) and has blossomed into a depth scorer, but there is still untapped potential in his game. Bourque tore up the AHL in 2023-24 with 77 points in 71 games, but struggled through his rookie campaign last year, finishing with just 11 goals and 14 assists in 73 games.
This year, Bourque’s offensive numbers have ticked up slightly, a good sign, especially given that many of his underlying numbers are also moving in the right direction. It’s hard to say whether Dallas is willing to part with Bourque, as they have been patient with his development, but if they have a chance to acquire a player who pushes them over the top, one would have to believe they would part with him.
Team Needs
Right-Shot Top Four Defenseman: The Dallas Stars will be joined by several teams seeking a right-shot top four defenseman. The Stars are solid on the top pair, but Thomas Harley has had a tough year on the second pairing, paired with depth options, and the results have been underwhelming to say the least. Harley’s offensive numbers are only slightly off his usual pace from the past two years. Still, his underlying numbers and on-ice results have taken a steep drop, likely due to instability on the right side and playing with depth options such as Ilya Lyubushkin and Nils Lundkvist. A stable right-side partner, such as Dougie Hamilton, would go a long way toward alleviating some of the pressure on Harley. However, the math doesn’t exactly work with Hamilton unless Stars general manager Jim Nill gets extremely creative with the accounting, or forward Tyler Seguin is, in fact, done for the season and the playoffs.
A Top Nine Forward: The Stars would likely look to add a top-nine forward to improve depth up front, ideally on the left wing. Currently, the Stars are deploying Justin Hryckowian on the top line alongside centre Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen. Hryckowian is solid defensively and has some playmaking ability, but he is unlikely to be a top-six player for a team that fancies itself a Stanley Cup contender. There is some versatility with Hryckowian, as he can play centre, so the Stars have options to add a winger and shift the 24-year-old down the lineup and over to centre, depending on their configurations.
Dallas could also opt for a right winger on the trade market and bump Bourque down the lineup, if they want, or perhaps Sam Steel. Given the players currently in the lineup, there is significant shuffling that could occur, but Dallas likely wants to add one more piece to that group so it can place all of their remaining depth into roles that better suit their skill sets.
Photo by Jerome Miron-Imagn Images