The NHL trade deadline is approaching, and the Dallas Stars are expected to make a move.
Sitting in fifth place overall in the NHL standings, the Stars are in a “win-now” mode. With Minnesota trading for Quinn Hughes in December and Colorado likely to make a move, the Stars may need to make a change of their own before the March 6 deadline to keep pace with their divisional rivals.
After sacrificing three first-round picks ahead of last year’s trade deadline, the Stars have fewer assets to part ways with. Here is a look at some of the pieces GM Jim Nill may be willing to include in a trade:
The current players
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Four current players are most likely to be included in a possible trade — defensemen Lian Bichsel, Ilya Lyubushkin and Nils Lundkvist and forward Mavrik Bourque.
Bichsel and Bourque will likely be the top targets of opposing GMs, given that the former first-round picks have both proved their abilities to contribute at the NHL level and still have plenty of room to grow.
Bourque, a 24-year-old center from Quebec, has already matched his goal total from last season (11) in 16 fewer games. After an adjustment period from AHL to NHL play, the former AHL MVP has hit his stride over the last few months and climbed Dallas’ lineup into the top six.
His versatility, with both scoring and penalty-killing abilities, makes him valuable to any roster. He can fit almost anywhere in the lineup.
Bourque is certainly a player Dallas would want to keep. He, Logan Stankoven and Wyatt Johnston were seen as the team’s future not long ago. But Nill showed he was willing to part ways with the future to win now, trading Stankoven to Carolina last March for Mikko Rantanen. For the right deal, he could be willing to do the same for Bourque.
Bichsel is another piece central to the Stars’ future on the blue line. The 21-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut just over a year ago and has become one of the most physical players on the team, leading the Stars in hits until he was sidelined for two months for surgery in November.
The primary reason the Stars may be willing to trade Bichsel is that they already have the left side of their defense secured. Miro Heiskanen is under contract until 2029. Esa Lindell will be in Dallas until 2030. Thomas Harley recently extended until 2034.
The Stars have been playing Heiskanen on the right side the last few years, and Bichsel has been their third defenseman on the left. But if the Stars can make a trade to lock up a top-four, right-shot defenseman for years to come, it could be worth trading Bichsel.
Lundkvist and Lyubushkin are also options to be included in a trade package, but the Stars are already thin on the right side. They may agree to trade one only if they’re bringing in a stronger replacement.
The prospects
The prospect pool is nowhere near as deep as it was just two years ago, but the Stars could look to some of their recent draftees if they don’t want to part ways with current roster members.
Dallas’ 2024 first-round pick, Emil Hemming, might be an attractive option for other organizations. His stock rose after helping lead Finland to a silver medal at the 2025 World Junior Championships, where he recorded a goal and three assists in the tournament.
Hemming has been a standout with 46 points in 32 games for the Barrie Colts (OHL) this season. He also appeared in five games for the Texas Stars and will likely find a more permanent spot in the AHL soon.
One of the Stars’ most recent picks — Cameron Schmidt, whom Dallas selected in the third round last draft — has been considered one of the steals of the draft. The 19-year-old leads the Western Hockey League with 38 goals and ranks second with 81 points.
The two young standouts could be pieces the Stars build around in the future, but they must also prioritize winning now while the window is open.
The picks
The Stars traded a lot of draft picks last year. In the trades for Mikael Granlund, Cody Ceci and Mikko Rantanen, Dallas gave up six picks, including its 2025, 2026 and 2028 first-round picks.
With a thinning prospect pool, Nill may not be willing to part ways with his 2027 or 2029 first-round picks unless a deal too good to pass up arises.
If the Stars are willing to seek out a rental, they may be able to avoid trading their first-round picks. They still have second-round picks in the next two drafts and a plethora of late-round picks.
Ultimately, the Stars have the assets to make a meaningful move ahead of the trade deadline. The question is just whether Nill believes his current group can go all the way with the boost.
On Twitter/X: @Lassimak
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