The Dallas Stars have emerged as one of the best teams in the NHL this season. Thanks to rising superstar Jason Robertson and goaltender Jake Oettinger the Stars are in control of the top seed in the Central Division and have the fifth-best team in the NHL with a 28-13-9 record and 65 points. It has been a strong season for the whole team as they also are sporting a plus-41 goal differential which is tied for second-best in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils.
Thanks to their first-half success, the Stars are poised for a deep playoff run if they can maintain their success in the second half. Elliotte Freidman and Jeff Marek took some time during The Jeff Marek Show to discuss the Dallas Stars and how they’re a legit Stanley Cup contender this season.
Friedman expects them to add before the deadline. However, he’s not confident it will be a big piece. Marek believes the Stars might dangle Radek Faksa out there as a trade piece to acquire something else they need.
If the Stars can move on from Faksa, they would clear some valuable cap space. Faksa has a $3.25 million cap hit and is signed for two additional seasons after this one.
It’s no surprise that the Stars will be looking to add a smaller piece or two at the March 3rd deadline, as a big splash is not in the cards. While the Stars could use an upgrade over Denis Gurianov on the wing, the price of acquiring such a star such as Timo Meier will be too costly.
The Stars also need to address some issues on defense, as the 38-year-old Ryan Suter has not been the answer and has become more of a liability. Adding a younger and more physical defenseman like Luke Schenn could be the answer. The price for Schenn is not expected to be crazy, and adding a player who likes to impose his will with hits is just what a team needs in the playoffs. Schenn also provides valuable playoff experience as he is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and knows what it takes to win it all.
With five weeks remaining until the March 3rd trade deadline, anything and everything can and will happen around the NHL, as this is one of the craziest times of the year. Expect Jim Nill to be an active buyer but don’t expect him to make the big splash of adding Bo Horvat, Timo Meier, Ryan O’Reilly, or Jakob Chychrun to Dallas.
