Ranking the Dallas Stars trade assets, and who or what could be in play ahead of the trade deadline

Depends on what exactly happens.

According to Elliotte Friedman in last week’s 32 Thoughts, the Dallas Stars are not done. He expects them to utilize their remaining $5.5 million in cap space. He specifically mentions “remodeling the right side of their defence.”

I don’t know what this means or what it could look like. Dallas will have Miro Heiskanen, Cody Ceci, and Ilya Lyubushkin on the right side when the playoffs start. Unless they want to replace Lyubushkin, and move Ceci down, then that leaves room for another…Brendan Smith? If this is sounding complicated, it’s because it is. Smith will be a healthy scratch, as will Matt Dumba. The only way this makes sense is if Heiskanen is expected to miss playoff time. The other way this makes sense is if they’re not comfortable with a rookie in the playoffs (Lian Bichsel). Yet another way this makes sense is if Nill is afraid of another injury.

Does any of this make sense so far? Exactly. Adding kindling to the fire was Nick Kypreos’ trade board piece on Friday at Sportsnet, in which he “gathered” that Chicago has had real talks with Dallas about Seth Jones. Nobody in the Stars mediaspace has talked about Jones. There’s a reason why I’m willing to talk about Jones, and it’s because I’m not a professional. This place is Magical Christmas Land. I’m not an insider. I prefer my adverbs and adjectives to access and prudence.

The long-winded point here is that I have no idea what’s going on, and none of it makes sense. Whatever my misgivings, Nill’s trade with San Jose seemed like Nill’s Plan A. He doesn’t like moving first round picks, but he did anyway. “Remodeling the right side of the defence” sounds like Plan A, except he has no more first rounders. What gives?

Or maybe that’s not the long-winded point. Perhaps the real point is that I don’t want to get bogged down in peanut gallery gymnastics. I’m not working with perfect information, and just because I don’t see a specific vision, doesn’t mean the guy making the real money and running the big show does not. I know I sound frustrated, but really I’m fascinated. Instead of playing the fool and feeding the baseless speculation, I’m gonna steal from Murat Ates (Winnipeg beat writer, and really just an excellent writer in general) and focus on potentially tradeable assets. Five million is a lot in unused cap. The deadline still has different ways it can break, with Brad Marchand potentially available now that Boston continues dropping in the standings.

Maybe it’s not a defender at all. Maybe it’s a forward. Whatever the case, as strange as any deadline deals seem to me on the surface, it’s equally hard to imagine Nill letting five million go unused.

The Untouchables

Logan Stankoven, Mavrik Bourque, and Lian Bichsel.

This goes without saying because Nill has already said it. For years, this has been the formula for Dallas’ success: hitting big at the draft, regenerating over rebuilding. These are cost-controlled assets only scratching the surface of their respective talents.

I personally don’t agree with this logic. It just seems needlessly limiting. However, Nill’s vision is as much about the team as it is about culture. It’s easy to see how he’s able to get the big fish when he’s so loyal to his players. However, I understand the context in which the phrase is used. Players are untouchable in a utilitarian sense rather than a strictly epistemological one. I have my own list. Oddly enough, only one of the above players makes the cut.

The Untouchables: Ranking each Dallas player's tradeability

Nonetheless, it’s easy to see why Dallas has zero interest in moving them. Even with the cap going up, the Stars will need cost-controlled assets, and every one of these players has top six potential among the forwards, or top four functionality on defense. That’s a lot of bang for very little buck.

Also Untouchable

2026 1st Round Pick

I can’t imagine Nill giving up next year’s first rounder after giving up this year’s. I do think a 2026 2nd rounder could be in play, but Nill is not gonna deny the right to let his amateur scouts cook for two years in a row. Especially given how the team’s been built over the years.

Functionally untouchable

Emil Hemming

Dallas only has one player with potential on par with Bourque and Stankoven¹, and that’s their 2024 first rounder. The Finnish right winger is an interesting player. While his production is worrying, what’s not worrying is where it’s headed. Currently on a seven-game point streak with the Barrie Colts in the OHL and following a World Juniors performance that started cold and then ran (so) hot, it’s hard to imagine Nill getting rid of the only blue chip prospect Dallas has outside of the NHL. I’ve been tracking his year with the Colts, so be sure to check that out if you want to know more.

The Other Stars: Hemming extends point streak to seven, Stranges entertains, and a word on Dallas' depth situation

If the Stars could bring back a cost-controlled asset that can contribute now, would he be up for grabs? I don’t see why not. Hemming is trending toward a good year, though, and that deserves emphasis. Seven-game point streak or not, we are not talking about a true top pick. For reference, Wyatt Johnston scored 124 points in his OHL post-draft year. Hemming is on pace for 51. It’s an unfair comparison, but it’s only to illustrate that I wouldn’t be surprised if he were in play.

Although as I asked on Twitter: when has Nill ever traded a top prospect who had yet to play in the NHL?

Requires a good deal

Tristan Bertucci. Aram Minnetian. Arno Tiefensee.

All three players are having really good years while doing so at key positions. While none of them would break the top five in a good prospect pool, they’re all Dallas has defensively, and in Tiefensee’s case, in net (no disrespect to Maxim Mayorov). Still, these are not the kind of prospects thrown in flippantly. Dallas’ blueline is set, and quite young as well, so while I have hard time seeing Bertucci or Minnetian ever playing significant roles at the NHL level, they’re what I’d call good assets.

In Play

Antonio Stranges. Angus MacDonnell. Christian Kyrou.

Having already given up a first round pick, Nill has cornered himself into dealing one of these players if somebody asks.

The reason I point out these players in particular is that I could see a team being interested. Stranges and MacDonnell are having excellent years. In addition, they have unique profiles: one as a stylistic weirdo in the best and worst sense of the phrase, and one as a hardboiled center with some skill. It probably helps that a lot of teams are getting to see MacDonnell more up close given his centering of top prospect in this year’s draft, Porter Martone.

Kyrou, while not having much of a year at all, still has potential for anyone looking to gamble on a puck-moving defender. Kyrou has certainly had a disappointing year, but he’s still young, and his production has been extremely consistent when he does play.

Roster players teams might want

Sam Steel. Oskar Bäck. Colin Blackwell. Ilya Lyubushkin.

I know Pete DeBoer loves his fourth line, but two of these players have been healthy scratched, and another could be added to the rotation at some point. If you’re all-in on a Cup run, why wouldn’t you take the opportunity to upgrade with a Brandon Tanev, or a Yanni Gourde (expected to be back in March)?

Could you convince Kyle Dubas to retain on Rickard Rakell’s salary that way you don’t have to worry about his contract running until 2028? He’s having a heck of a year on a middle team in Pittsburgh. And not just in terms of points.

Click here to learn more about Goals Above Replacement (GAR).

If so, you end pushing players like Evgenii Dadonov down the lineup, which makes a team with depth that much stronger at what they already excel at. Just saying.

Lyubushkin I only mention because despite playing well, and being quite the overachiever, if we assume the rumors are true-ish, and Dallas wants to remodel the right side, then Lyubushkin would presumably be up for debate. It would be unlike Nill given Lyubushkin’s term, but unlike Matt Dumba, Lyubushkin might have positive value to someone, and it’s not like Nill has never done such a thing. See Miller, Colin.

Whatever it takes

Matt Dumba

Dumba is obviously not an asset, but he’s $3.75 million against the cap until next year and he’s a healthy scratch on his best day. I don’t want to trample over a man’s jersey here. I’ve historically liked Dumba’s game, and figured he might work on the bottom pairing, like a right-handed Ryan Suter — just more interesting and with a better smile². Instead he’s been a disaster, literally grading out as (way) below replacement level.

Click here for a casual fan’s guide to synthetic goals (sG).

It would be a massive rabbit for Nill to pull out of his hat if he could. Not to mention, he’d have more money to work with.

But it’s possible if attached with an asset. The cap is going up by $4 million, which makes Dumba’s contract more palatable for a basement team. In addition, Minnesota has provided proof of concept. Whether four or eight, or fourteen (!) million, you can be cash-strapped to all hell, and still lace a competitive team.

In summation, Dallas doesn’t have a lot of assets at this point. They have a few roster players that would add value, but are otherwise role players and nothing more. They have picks in next year’s draft (seven in total), and they don’t need to ask teams to retain salary for a deal. This makes the Stars a decent, but not great trade partner.

1. Not really, but still: as good as Dallas has given what they have left.

2. We’ll agree to disagree, I’m sure, but at least Dumba never lost a playoff game for Dallas. Dumba > Suter. Now and forever.