Dallas Stars: Five Best Trade Deadline Acquisitions in Stars History
By Tom Dorsa
There are occasionally trades made in the NHL during which you cannot judge the moves right as they happen. Some take a little while to cone to fruition, and with this trade, that last sentence held true.
On February 21, 2011, the Dallas Stars acquired defenseman Alex Goligoski from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward James Neal and blueliner Matt Niskanen. Instantly, it seemed Dallas would rue the deal. In hindsight, they would do it a hundred times over.
While Neal and Niskanen had solid stints in Pittsburgh, neither stayed for longer than Goose did in Dallas. And, arguably, neither were as valuable as the left-handed blueliner now with the Arizona Coyotes.
In the same 2014 offseason, Neal was dealt from Pittsburgh to the Nashville Predators and Niskanen walked, signing with the Washington Capitals in free agency. Alex Goligoski would total 32 goals and 155 assists in six seasons with the Stars, playing for two years here longer than his trade counterparts.