11-11-8 is not the most ideal spot but the Dallas Stars are yet to allow the nail into this season’s coffin. The NHL trade deadline approaches on April 12 and one player is the difference between failure and success. Adding players like Mats Zuccarello in 2019 make an impact, scoring the final goal of the season in the Game 7 loss to the St. Louis Blues. It’s time for the Stars to choose if they are buyers or sellers at the deadline. The time to make these decisions is now otherwise they miss out. Here are some trade deadline situations for the Stars.
To buy or sell, that is the question. It depends on where the Stars are. They are still hanging on by a thread to playoff qualification hopes and one player could make all the difference. Their roster has “expendable” players the Stars could trade should they decide on selling.
Taylor Hall of the Buffalo Sabres is on the top of the list of players likely moving teams. The Sabres are 6-22-4 and on an awful run. They already traded Eric Staal away and the fire sale continues. Taylor Hall on the Stars could be the missing puzzle piece. The Stars have all their draft picks over the next 3 years and a 1st Round Pick would get him here. The Stars cannot afford his salary because their projected cap space sits at $0 and Hall costs $8 million per year.
Joe Pavelski and Anton Khudobin are targets should they become sellers. Jaromir Jagr warranted a conditional 1st Rounder from the Boston Bruins. Pavelski will get the same, especially since he is the Stars’ leading scorer like Jagr was at the time he got the trade notification. Khudobin is a target for the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft so the Stars may benefit by trading him now and let Jake Oettinger lead the way. Oettinger proved himself as more than a 3rd string goalie with a 5-2-6 record as a rookie. Trading these players could get them an extra asset moving forward.
Standing pat may also be another option for the Stars. Elite players stack the upcoming free agent pool, headlined by Alexander Ovechkin. The Stars will have north of $17 million in available cap space at the end of the season so expect them to make a splash in free agency instead of the trade deadline. Better flexibility comes after the season because of how little cap space they have now.
There are lots of options available for the Stars if they become buyers/sellers or stand pat at the trade deadline. The Stars struggle in the wins department and making moves could solve their problems. General Manager Jim Nill has decisions to make for the future of this team.
Photo Credit: Dallas Stars / Twitter
