Dallas Stars: Breaking Down The Devin Shore/Andrew Cogliano Trade

The Dallas Stars opened up their 2019 trading season on Monday morning by sending Devin Shore to Anaheim in exchange for Andrew Cogliano. What exactly are the Stars losing and what are they getting in return? Let’s break it down.

Unexpected trades have become a bit of a natural occurrence for the Dallas Stars.

In the 2015 offseason, they crafted a blockbuster deal for Patrick Sharp even after claiming that they weren’t looking to trade for him. In 2017, they sent Jordie Benn to the Montreal Canadiens just 58 games after signing him to an extension. Even though the Stars turned into sellers at the deadline, trading Benn was not necessarily on the agenda.

On Monday morning, GM Jim Nill added another unexpected chapter to his trade history when he sent forward Devin Shore to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Andrew Cogliano.

It’s an unexpected move for a few different reasons. On the one hand, Shore signed a two-year deal with the team in the 2018 offseason. As a 2012 second-round pick by the Stars, he had established himself as a durable and energetic winger that Dallas used throughout their bottom nine. Shore worked his way up through the system, was a homegrown piece of the organization, and served the Stars in a variety of ways both at even strength and on special teams.

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On top of that, the NHL Trade Deadline is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2019. With over one month to go before the trade market heats up, it’s a bit strange to see the Stars make an early player-for-player move simply for depth purposes.

Now, the trade came together relatively quickly for the two sides on Sunday night and was finalized on Monday morning. It’s a move between two teams in the Western Conference playoff race, with Dallas sitting third in the Central division and Anaheim tied for the final wild card spot. Both teams are currently looking for a spark on offense and saw an opportunity to make a deal. But still, the move kind of came out of nowhere.

And yet, this is a move that could change the Dallas Stars landscape. Emotions aside due to Shore’s status as a fan favorite, this was a move that the Stars might have needed.

Losing Shore hurts the Stars in a handful of different ways and gaining Cogliano should improve various areas of their strategy and execution. But, is this a move that will ultimately help Dallas in the long run? Is this a trade that will spark further moves? Are the Dallas Stars a better or worse team because of it?

Let’s break down the trade from each side and take it in from different stances.

What The Dallas Stars Are Losing With Shore’s Departure

Let’s cover the departing party first.

Devin Shore is no longer a Dallas Star for the first time in his career. After being drafted 61st overall by the Stars in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Shore made his NHL debut on Nov. 3, 2015. He only played in three games during the 2015-16 season before becoming a full-time NHL player in in the 2016-17 season.

Shore, 24, played in 182 consecutive games for the Stars, spanning from the first game of the 2016-17 season to Nov. 2018 before missing four games with a lower-body injury. He’s been the second-most durable forward for Dallas during that span, with only Tyler Seguin having a higher percentage of games.

Oil On Whyte

After posting 11 goals and 32 points along with a franchise-worst -30 rating during the 2017-18 season, Shore has five goals and 17 points along with a rating of zero through 42 starts this year. He was a top penalty killer for the Stars and also provided power play depth.

With his departure, the Dallas Stars are losing a two-way depth forward brimming with competitiveness and dedication. It’s fair to say that Shore was one of the Stars’ hardest workers, always striving to be better with each shift and giving his all on the ice. Energy and effort were never lacking in his play or style. He was the ultimate durable competitor.

Shore started the season on a hot note, scoring five goals and tallying 11 points in the first 16 games. He quickly became one of the Stars’ most effective depth forwards and looked poised for a big third year.

But in his past 26 starts, no. 17 failed to find the back of the net and only boasted six assists and a -3 rating. He saw his ice time diminish to 12:41 through the span and has since bottomed out at 13:18 on the year, his lowest ATOI since 2015-16.

When the scoring drought began to affect Shore (which was shortly after healing from his injury), Montgomery began shifting him around the lineup. He eventually ended up playing on the fourth line, skating alongside forwards like Roope Hintz, Valeri Nichushkin, and Brett Ritchie.

Shore eventually became part of the discussion about the team’s lack of depth scoring. And while he began generating consecutive chances in the past few games, it wasn’t enough to get him back on the scoresheet.

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Shore signed a two-year deal that carries an AAV of $2.3 million with the Dallas Stars this past summer. The deal helped the two sides avoid an arbitration hearing and secured another young depth forward for the Stars lineup.

At 24 years old, Shore still arguably has a long future in the NHL. But, with a down year during the 2017-18 season and his recent scoring drought this year, the questions about his long-term status with the organization began looming.

Shore was a fan favorite within the franchise, as most homegrown players are. He was one of the more vocal members of the team and never shied away from a friendly or serious chat in the locker room. He told it like it was and never fell into a trap of cliches. His presence on the ice always provided energy and motivation, and he is one of the most passionate goal celebrators around.

With his absence, the Stars lose a young forward that, though there were certain shortcomings in his production, had one of the most determined and enthusiastic personalities in the locker room.

Shore wraps up his time in Dallas with 29 goals and 82 points in 209 games played.