Stars’ dream, nightmare scenario for 2026 NHL Trade Deadline

The Dallas Stars have high hopes of winning the Stanley Cup this season. If the Stars are going to be successful in that aspiration, they are going to earn it. They play in the Central Division of the Western Conference, and this is unquestionably the toughest division in the NHL.

The toughest rounds of the playoffs are likely to be the first two rounds. They are in second place in the division with the Colorado Avalanche in first place and the Minnesota Wild in third place. The Stars are unlikely to catch the Avs — they trail by six points and Colorado has a game in hand — but the Wild is just one point behind.

A first-round matchup with Minnesota is likely, and the winner would have to face the Avs as long as they are not eliminated in first round by the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

The point is that the Stars have to strengthen their team by the March 6 trade deadline if they are going to fulfill their Stanley Cup aspirations. They will have perhaps the most difficult route to the title — along with the Wild — so they have to make excellent use of the trade deadline to give themselves a chance.

They recently placed star center Tyler Seguin on Long Term Injured Reserve, so that should give them some solid maneuverability with the salary cap. The Stars had $3.7 million in cap room prior to Seguin’s LTIR move; now they have $9.7 million. This should allow them to make multiple moves to strengthen the team and give head coach Glen Gulutzan an opportunity to maximize their chances in the home stretch of the regular season and into the postseason.

Multiple Stars needs at forward and on blue line

The Stars wouldn’t be where they are right now if they didn’t have a talented team that has executed extremely well. However, if general manager Jim Nill wants this team to go into the playoffs with momentum and find a way to get through four grueling rounds in the playoffs, he has to make multiple moves.

The Stars have plenty of strength with their top two lines. Wyatt Johnston serves as the center on the No. 1 line with high-scoring Jason Robertson and Mavrik Bourque on his wings. Matt Duchene centers the Stars’ second line with Sam Steel on Jamie Benn as his wingers.

However, the Stars could use some help with their No. 3 line, and the ideal pickup appears to be center Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames. Kadri appears to be one of the most sought after trade options this year. He has been a part of a Stanley Cup winner with the Colorado Avalanche, and he has been in crucial situations throughout his career.

Kadri is a 17-year veteran who has spent 10 years with the Maple Leafs, three years with the Avs and four years with the Flames. He has scored 319 goals and 741 points in his career and he is very competitive in the face-off circle, winning 48.7 percent of the draws he has taken.

Kadri scored a career-high 35 goals last year with the Flames, and he has lit the lamp 12 times with 29 assists this season.
He has demonstrated that he can put the puck in the net in the playoffs with 19 goals and 44 points in 52 career postseason games. He can play in the crucial moments, and if the Stars acquire Kadri, Gulutzan can feel confident that he has a player who can handle the pressure of the moment.

Stars should make a move for Myers on defense

The Stars have Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell as their top defensive pair, and Team Canada defenseman Thomas Harley highlights their second pair. However, adding a veteran like Justin Faulk or Tyler Myers would be a great addition. The belief here is that the St. Louis Blues are going to want a huge haul for Faulk and that the Canucks may be a bit more reasonable when it comes to a trade for Myers.

The 6-8, 230-pound right-shot defenseman is a 17-year NHL veteran who might be ideal for the Stars. He has the size to shut down nearly all forwards and can block shots and get in the passing lanes on a regular basis. Myers can stand up for his teammates and nobody is going to take advantage of smaller players with Myers on the ice.

Nill has to look at big picture and can’t get too picky

The key for the Stars is the competition they will face in those first two rounds. It won’t get more difficult than facing the Wild and the Avalanche early in the postseason. It’s about adding to the talent level and drive of the Stars — not about making the perfect deal.

The Stars will suffer a nightmarish fate if they let the Avs and Wild make the winning moves while they bide their time and hold on to their assets. The dream moves include picking up a solid forward and an effective defenseman who can both provide significant upgrades.

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