Extended Thoughts on the Dallas Stars' Trade Target Quandary

It's not as simple as it used to be

With the Oilers finally making the move to ship out Stuart Skinner today, the trade chatter around the league is only going to increase. Quinn Hughes is being hypothetically acquired by approximately 33 out of 31 fanbases outside Vancouver, and the vultures are beginning to circle around likely lottery teams like Buffalo, Nashville, Seattle, and Calgary.

For the Stars, you’ll hear all the scuttlebutt about the same targets. This is as good a list as any. Sure, Mason Marchment and Jamie Oleksiak could make for relatively low-cost reunions if and when Seattle sells them, and Rasmus Andersson could be the second right-shot defensemen the Stars eye from Calgary in three years. And hey, who knows what else the Stars might need if Roope Hintz ends up missing time after taking a puck to the skate last night in Minnesota?

But there are some far bigger realities that have to factor into any moves the Stars make, at this point. Because this isn’t 2023 anymore, or even 2024. Any trade of consequence is going to be, well, more consequential than ever before for the Dallas Stars.

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