Men's hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics is at a fever pitch with the quarterfinals set for Wednesday, the semifinals on Friday, and the medal contests going on Sunday. After that, the NHLers still in Italy will head back to North America to get ready for the resumption of the regular season.
The Dallas Stars are already preparing for their return and will play four games before the NHL trade deadline on the afternoon of March 6, including the Colorado Avalanche that night. Between now and then, we'll take a look at the Stars' opponents their potential trade targets, and consider how they might, look in Dallas.
First up for the Stars are the Seattle Kraken, a team in an odd spot thanks to holding third-place in the Pacific Division, but who are also just four points away from falling all the way out of the postseason. Whether the Kraken are buyers or sellers is to be determined. But count on a move, anyway.
Kraken winger Jaden Schwartz
If Seattle struggles right out of the gate, the Kraken could look to move some older players, including Schwartz. The 33-year-old has been with the team since it entered the league, and while he's no longer a 50-point player, Schwartz is a reliable forward who gets second-line ice time in Seattle and can play on both the second-unit power play and penalty kill.
His numbers are similar to Jamie Benn's, but with nearly twice as many shots. Part of that is Benn's extraordinarily high shooting percentage, but Schwartz would find a comfortable spot on Dallas' third line pretty easily.
Eberle needs to retire a Kraken, Tolvy and Schwartz short term deals. Trade Big Rig. https://t.co/ZDV9IvOt7s
— Sam (@SJCar8713) February 8, 2026
Kraken winger Eeli Tolvanen
Tolvanen, like Schwartz, is an unrestricted free agent at season's end. The difference is that he doesn't fit in Dallas' lineup quite as well. He would likely get a raise from his $3.75 million salary to whatever team re-signs him, and the Stars aren't in a position to do that.
Besides, given his age (26), teams that want Tolvanen would likely want him for more than a rental. Still, the Stars are extremely light-hitting-wise, especially among their forwards, light-hitting-wise, light-hitting-wise, and Tolvanen could provide some thump if general manager Jim Nill is seeking that to go along with a bit of scoring (31 points in 55 games).
Kraken winger Jordan Eberle
The most intriguing option for the Stars is this longtime steady hand. Eberle, the Kraken captain, found new life with his career in his 30s upon joining Seattle. He leads the team in scoring, though 38 points in 54 games is hardly glamorous.
But it's easy to envision the former Oilers first-round pick in Dallas. He fits cleanly into the second power play and, with fewer demands on his ice time with the Stars - something that might do his body good at age 35 - Eberle would provide the greatest bang-for-buck on the list.
Ultimately, Seattle probably won't make a move on Dallas, nor will Dallas make a move on Seattle. As fun as it would be for Stars fans to have a reunion with defenseman Jamie Oleksiak or young net forward Shane Wright, the stars - ahem - don't appear to align very well with the Kraken.