Even though NHL teams are quiet for the Olympic break, that doesn’t mean general managers around the league aren’t still shooting off emails and text messages and making calls. With only 12 days between the Olympic trade freeze lifting and the NHL Trade Deadline, it’s going to be a potentially chaotic two weeks. The Chicago Blackhawks could find themselves among the busier teams.
And one of their rivals in the Central Division might be the perfect trade partner.
Over the weekend, Harman Dayal at The Athletic wrote about seven teams that need to make a trade before the deadline. One team stood out from the seven to me for obvious reasons. In his write-up, Dayal says the Dallas Stars need “a middle-six forward” and a right-handed defenseman for one of their two top pairs. He adds:
Dallas’ asset pool is limited — GM Jim Nill is without his 2026 and 2028 first-round picks — so I’d expect the team to aim for a couple of savvy depth additions to solve these needs rather than an expensive home-run swing.
Adding to this, here’s a quick note on the Stars from Elliotte Friedman’s “32 Thoughts” column on Friday after the Artemi Panarin trade:
Between the end of the Olympics and the trade deadline, Dallas will get clarity on Tyler Seguin. Is it possible he can return this season? No doubt he wants to. It affects how much space they’ve got to play with.
Not having first-round picks to make a big swing, and the perception that Dallas is likely considering rentals with Jason Robertson’s next contract being their priority this summer, there’s potential for the Blackhawks to help them with both of the needs highlighted by Dayal.
Connor Murphy is well known by the Dallas brass after spending the past nine years in Chicago. He’s the longest-tenured member of the Blackhawks. Ilya Mikheyev plays the game aggressively, kills penalties better than any winger in the league, and can add some offense. And, remember: the Stars drafted Jason Dickinson.
Dallas’ Trade Assets
Here’s what the Stars own in the next four NHL drafts (from Puckpedia):
That’s not an ideal collection of draft capital based on what the Blackhawks have targeted since Kyle Davidson took over as the permanent general manager in Chicago. But remember the Blackhawks have two weapons at their disposal that could potentially influence the return on trades with any of their pending UFAs: the ability to retain salary on two more players, and a lot of their own draft capital.
If we want to talk about Dallas’ prospect pipeline — which, again, has not been a frequent target under GMKD — there might be a couple younger players of interest.
Mavrik Bourque turned 24 in early January is will be a restricted free agent this coming summer. He’s been a middle-six center/wing for Dallas over the past two years and posted 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 73 NHL games last year. He’s already matched that goal total in 57 appearances this summer.
Emil Hemming was the 29th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He’s got some size (6-1, 204) and is having a fairly productive season with Barrie in the OHL. He’s already signed his entry-level contract, which will begin next season. He doesn’t turn 20 until June.
Keep an eye on Dallas…
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