Blackout Dallas
Fansided

Dallas Stars: Potential Trade Pieces To Use At 2019 NHL Trade Deadline

By Josh Clark

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 10: Valeri Nichushkin #43 of the Dallas Stars skates against the Dallas Stars at Wells Fargo Center on January 10, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 10: Valeri Nichushkin #43 of the Dallas Stars skates against the Dallas Stars at Wells Fargo Center on January 10, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
DALLAS, TX – JUNE 23: n overhead view of the draft floor during day two of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – JUNE 23: n overhead view of the draft floor during day two of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) /

The Prospects And Draft Picks

Drafting quality NHL talent has become a bit of an issue for the Dallas Stars over the past few seasons.

From mistimed selections in the first round to a lack of homegrown players currently making a sizable impact in the NHL (minus Miro Heiskanen), the draft issues cast a nasty cloud over a franchise that has missed the playoffs in eight of the past ten seasons.

As a result, draft picks and prospects become an interesting discussion topic when linked to trade talk.

Let’s begin by discussing draft picks.

Picks are almost always included in any deadline deal nowadays. They are often used as sweeteners when trying to pull off a big deal, but can also be the center of a trade at times (i.e. a first-round pick for a rebuilding franchise).

Live Feed

New Jersey Devils' Tom Fitzgerald Robbed of Jim Gregory Nomination
New Jersey Devils' Tom Fitzgerald Robbed of Jim Gregory Nomination /

Pucks and Pitchforks

  • Dallas Stars stand fast at the NHL Trade Deadline: Good move or bad? Sports Dallas Fort-Worth
  • Dallas Stars front office takes major pay cut during pandemic Puck Prose
  • 5 teams that didn't do enough at the NHL Trade Deadline FanSided
  • Dallas Stars Bulletin Board: Zuccarello out, the road, and more Sports Dallas Fort-Worth
  • Dallas Stars: Breaking Down the Ben Lovejoy and Mats Zuccarello Trades Sports Dallas Fort-Worth

    • Nill is used to trading picks. A few weeks ago, he sent a fourth-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for Jamie Oleksiak. Earlier this season, he sent a 2019 seventh-round pick to Toronto for Connor Carrick and a 2020 seventh-round pick to Buffalo for Taylor Fedun.

    In 2016 (the last time that the Dallas Stars were “buyers” at a trade deadline), he packaged a conditional second-round pick along with a handful of players to send to Calgary in exchange for Kris Russell.

    Nill has a history of being open to dealing picks, whether they are the central or secondary part of the trade. Most deadline deals involve picks serving as sweeteners, so Nill might be adept to package one or two in a deal for an impact player.

    Now, there is a tag with this: Nill has yet to trade a first-round pick in his time as GM. Trading a first-round pick isn’t an incredibly common move in the NHL and usually only happens during a blockbuster deal. With Nill’s reserve towards building for the future, the first rounders will likely be off limits (unless a player like Artemi Panarin is involved).

    That leaves the Stars with five picks in 2019 (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th) and four picks in 2020 (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th) to use as enticers in any potential deal.

    When it comes to the prospect pool, however, the Dallas Stars will likely need to be somewhat generous. Any deadline trade for a serious impact player typically involves at least one high-ranked prospect in return, so the Stars might have to cough up a potential piece of their future, depending on the deal.

    More from Editorials

    It seems as though most of the Dallas farm system could be on the block. There are reports that the Stars do not want to trade Ty Dellandrea, their 2018 first-round pick, as he continues a strong development course in the OHL.

    That leaves names like Jason Robertson up for grabs. In addition, Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov might be included as well after showing spurts of promise at the NHL level this season. And depending on the deal, they may be players that the Stars have to part with.

    The draft picks and prospect pools could play an influential role both in how Nill crafts certain offers or how opposing teams may build their own counteroffers.

    Home/Editorials