We all loved waiting for the end of home games if the Stars won because of the "Mush Tush" celebration. It was a fantastic celebration between two friends on the same team. Unfortunately, after the Matt Duchene signing this morning, it was pretty inevitable what was coming next. Mason Marchment was just traded to the Seattle Kraken for a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick next season. Here is where the Stars stand in terms of the trade and why this was a necessary move by the Stars.
The Stars needed to get Marchment's contract off the books because he was making 4.5 million next season. With Duchene getting the massive extension to remain with the Stars, it was pretty much set in stone that this move was coming in the following days. Now the Stars have around 5 million dollars to play with during free agency in July. While the move might be emotional for some fans, I was pretty much expecting it after the way Marchment gave the Oilers power play opportunities in the Western Conference Finals.
I don't think the Stars are done right now in terms of making cap space. There's also Matt Dumba's contract that the Stars could potentially dump with another team. I'm sure attaching the two draft picks they just got will get a team to suck it up and take Dumba for a season. The other possibility is that the Stars buy out his contract tomorrow and rip the band-aid off. While they would have a salary cap penalty for two seasons, there's no room for Dumba on the roster with how Lian Bichsel has been playing.
One game fans will remember Marchment for was when he scored the hat trick on New Year's Eve in 2023. He also created many other moments for the Stars while competing for the Stanley Cup. He will make more moments with the Kraken, and I'm sure they will enjoy watching Marchment throw some people around. Take care of him, Kraken fans.
Marchment was a great teammate and even a better person. The fan base thanks him for his contributions over the last three seasons, but it was time to move on after the Western Conference Finals. That and the fact that they needed salary cap space led to the Stars trading him to the Pacific Coast. He will do well with the Seattle Kraken as he will bring experience and physicality to their lineup. The Stars now have room to sign Mikael Granlund and Jamie Benn to new contracts as well.