General manager Jim Nill discussed Thursday the possibility of trading the Dallas Stars’ third overall draft pick. As the 2017 Draft approaches, the pick seems to be a gift that keeps on giving.
The third-round pick is the highest the Dallas Stars have received since moving to Texas in 1993. A gift of its caliber provides the team with plenty of leverage over the rest of the field. Nill has the opportunity to quench whatever he feels the Stars roster thirsts for.
A question arises though: What kind of player does he think Dallas could benefit from?
In an article released by the Dallas Stars, Nill states that he has many things to consider.
"“I’ve got a good idea where our list is going to go,” Nill said. “I’ve got some pretty good players that are going to be exposed. Do I talk to [Vegas GM] George [McPhee] and do something? Or do I say that he is going to pick one of these four or five guys and go from there? I’ve been talking to a lot of teams. We are all talking right now. There is some interest in the guys I do have to expose. We’ll see where it goes. I would say things are really going to heat up around the first of June.”"
The Stars will have a tough choice to make at the 2017 NHL Draft, but Nill is hinting a specific player may not be the focus at all. A trade may be in the works for Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars. There are many potential trade partners, some of which are still competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For example, the Anaheim Ducks have a stockpile of young NHL-ready defenseman.
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With the upcoming expansion draft, the Ducks will have a lot of decisions to make. From an outside perspective, Anaheim will probably lose a very talented defenseman. Players such as Cam Fowler or Sami Vatanen might be of interest to Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars.
Many Stars fans know of Cam Fowler, mostly because of the Jack Campbell draft bust. Fowler is a young puck-moving defenseman who could provide an instant boost to Dallas’ young defense core.
Who Will Play With Klingberg?
One of the problems with the 2016-17 Stars was their inability to find a left-handed defenseman to play with Klingberg. Esa Lindell provided some stabilization to Klingberg’s game but something still lacked from their line. With Nill’s comments, he might be trying to trade the 3rd overall pick in order to find that one missing piece.
In the 2017 NHL Draft, there is an obvious choice in Miro Heiskanen, a young Finnish defenseman who has thrived in the Liiga. Heiskanen has rapidly improved his draft stock recently and is an extremely intriguing option in the NHL Draft.
Next: Dallas Stars Need To Fill Right Wing Void This Offseason
Jim Nill has a tough choice ahead of him but there is an array of options. June 24th will be an interesting day for the Dallas Stars, we will have to wait and see.