Dallas Stars Have Provided NHL’s Best Trade Deadline Acquisitions
By Tom Dorsa
Ahead of the March 1st trade deadline, the Dallas Stars traded Johnny Oduya, Lauri Korpikoski, Jordie Benn, and Patrick Eaves to established Stanley Cup contenders. The respective organizations should be thanking us.
In the midst of a lost season, perhaps the most disappointing in franchise history, the Dallas Stars became sellers at the NHL’s annual trade deadline on March 1st.
The Stars sold rugged defenseman Jordie Benn to Montreal in exchange for misguided prospect Greg Pateryn; unloaded looming free agent rearguard Johnny Oduya to Chicago (where the former Olympic silver medalist is in his third stint with the Blackhawks) for former first-rounder Mark McNeill and a conditional Draft pick in 2018.
As far as forwards go, Patrick Eaves was sent off to Anaheim for a second-round Draft pick in 2017 (which will become a first-round pick if Anaheim qualifies for the Western Conference Final), and Lauri Korpikoski was dealt to the upstart Blue Jackets for future NHLer Dillon Heatherington.
All four of these respective teams can be considered Cup contenders, as all four rank inside of the top-three in their Division, with Columbus being the only team outside of the top spot in their respective district of play.
Dallas Stars
The Stars’ goal here was to regain hope and a decent core to begin the next season and perhaps further build around Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. However, they can be proud that there’s a large likelihood that one of their own will win the Stanley Cup this season.
Jordie Benn has been able to chip in two goals and only take two minor penalties in 13 games for the Atlantic Division leaders, the Montreal Canadiens.
His ability to stabilize an already fiery defensive core that features Shea Weber, Andrei Markov and more has been marvelous, and for the first time in his six-year NHL career, the undrafted B.C. native is above 52% in Corsi For Percentage.
Johnny Oduya helped the Blackhawks reunite the unstoppable defensive top four that was instrumental in their Stanley Cup run of 2015, with Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Oduya breaking the puck out to the forwards.
This is Oduya’s third separate stint with the Blackhawks, and in this particular run he has one goal and one assist, while helping make the Blackhawks the fifth-best penalty killing team since February 28th (85.4%).
The Anaheim Ducks have enjoyed a career year from Patrick Eaves, one that began with Dallas and carried onto the Pacific Division leaders as he’s bolstered an otherwise bland offense and power play unit with his 10 goals and two assists as a Duck.
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He instantly moved into the top six, playing often times alongside former Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry, and past Hart finalist Ryan Getzlaf. His 31 total goals this year is more than the last five years of the former first-round selection’s career, and by a wide margin a career-high. Expect Eaves, if he can’t return to Dallas, to sign a big contract in the off-season after a breakout year.
Lauri Korpikoski has been less impressive than the prior three men on the list, but the depth he’ll provide Columbus in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against powerhouses like Pittsburgh or Washington is crucial. He has zero points in eight games since March 1st, but his 19 career playoff points could play dividends for the Blue Jackets.
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The fate of these teams in unknown, but the odds of a 2016-17 Dallas Star having his name etched on Lord Stanley’s Cup is four in 16. We have something, at least, to root for come postseason time.