Stars general manager Jim Nill doesn't have a ton of free cap space to work with as things stand right just over a month out from the NHL trade deadline. But if Dallas is wont to make a move, they may look toward the team they beat tonight. Thomas Harley scored the game-winner at 18:53 in the third, while Matt Duchene added two goals, both in the second period, in the 4-3 win over the Blues.
St. Louis entered tonight's game sitting as far away from last place in the NHL as it does from picking up the wild-card spot, eight points away from each. But considering the climb up is harder than the fall down, the Blues will almost certainly be sellers when the trading season heats up.
According to John Matisz at The Score, St. Louis has five players it may actively look to sell before the March 6 deadline. Here's how those players looked against the Stars and what they could bring to Dallas.
Note: Jordan Binnington, who ranks 15th on Matisz's list, has been left off here as the Stars are set in the net with Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith combining to give Dallas the fifth-best goals-against average and have tied for sixth in save percentage, even with the team's recent struggles.
Dallas Stars Trade Targets: Brayden Schenn brings size, grit and faceoff wins
Blue's center Brayden Schenn is the quintessential middle-six center who can chip in on the power play, win faceoffs, and knock around opponents. He proved that with his statistical line on Tuesday. At age 34, his first- or second-line scoring numbers are behind him, but he still gets time on the Blues' second powerplay unit, averaging 1:56 a game. If Nill determines a top-six scorer is the highest priority, Schenn isn't much of a fit, though he does chip in (12 goals, 10 assists this season).
If it's depth, though, Schenn brings it. Entering Tuesday, he had won his 585 faceoffs at a 54% clip and he ranked 12th in the NHL among top-nine forwards in hits with 109. The latter is something the Stars badly need. All Dallas forwards with 55 hits or more (Justin Hryckowian, Radek Faksa, Colin Blackwell, Adam Erne, Nathan Bastian) play on primarily fourth line.
Schenn's stats from tonight: Two goals on four shots, +2, six hits, 8 of 16 in faceoffs in 17:30 time-on-ice
Dallas Stars Trade Targets: Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou have offensive flair
Robert Thomas has spent the last few seasons as the Blues' top-line center, with much of that time having Jordan Kyrou on his wing. Both are on the block with Thomas' price coming into light in recent days.
Thomas landed on injured reserve back on Jan. 15 with a lower-body injury, but should return before the Olympic break. He's scored 33 points in 42, though his 18.3 shooting percentage would likely revert to its usual spot around 14% once he's returned.
Thomas isn't counted for goals - his career-high is 26 - as much as he is for setting them up. He has racked up 45-plus assists every season since 2021-22, including double-digit power play assists in each of the last four complete seasons. Thomas has also won 53% of his faceoffs since 2022-23.
A lot of those helpers went to Kyrou, who has disappointed this season with just 24 points (11 goals) in 42 games. The question is whether the Blues have struggled because he has or if he's struggled because his teammates have. Probably a bit of both, as Kyrou had seasons of 27, 37, 31, and 36 goals in the last four seasons. Each of those yielded double-digit power play goal seasons, as well.
Kyrou doesn't take faceoffs, block shots, or throw his body around, but his speed is one of the best in the league, and with top-level scoring likely at the top of the Stars' want list, Kyrou fits the bill.
Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou stats: Thomas: DNP, Kyrou: Three shots in 11:21; left the game with an upper-body injury
Justin Faulk - A righty who can play all situations
Justin Faulk is the most likely candidate to join the Stars from the Blues. While Alex Petrovic has provided admirable third-pairing minutes delivering hits and blocks, the Stars still regularly run him - a player with more AHL games than NHL games the last half-decade - and Nils Lundqvist a majority of nights.
Faulk plays an average of 22:31 a game for the Blues while matching up with Cam Fowler as the team's primary power play defenseman. He's also a second-unit penalty killer whose 94 blocked shots and 44 hits