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Rolling out New Lines: Predicting Your 2019-2020 Dallas Stars Roster

By Lennon Rush

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 10: Mats Zuccarello #36 of the Dallas Stars plays against the Nashville Predators during the second period in Game One of the Western Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on April 10, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 10: Mats Zuccarello #36 of the Dallas Stars plays against the Nashville Predators during the second period in Game One of the Western Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on April 10, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 26: Valeri Nichushkin #43 of the Dallas Stars skates with the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period of their game at T-Mobile Arena on February 26, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Stars 4-1. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Two Trades

It’s no secret the Dallas Stars will be working with a very limited amount of draft capital in the 2019 NHL Draft. With only four picks to work with in Vancouver, Jim Nill should take an opportunity to turn any excess depth into a broader cabinet of young-gun prospects. Having this in mind, Dallas gets on the phone:

The Dallas Stars trade Forward Valeri Nichushkin to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2019 Fourth Round Pick (95)

It’s finally time for Val Nichushkin’s time in Big D to end. After a shockingly disappointing 2018-2019 season – one in which he failed to score a single goal – there is no longer a reason to hold onto the 2013 tenth overall selection.

That said, Nichushkin is only 24 and was once a highly touted prospect who immediately transitioned to the NHL, therefore I wouldn’t be shocked if he stays with the Dallas Stars in a depth role.

I’m pulling the trigger on this trade because in watching his recent play, it seems as if Val could really benefit from a change of scenery. Los Angeles provides him with just that – a new city in which he can escape 1st-round expectations. The Kings are getting a player with high upside for little cost.

In return, the Dallas Stars begin the process of clearing up a logjam of bottom-six forwards, all the while receiving a top 100 pick.

Win-win.

The Dallas Stars trade the RFA rights of Mattias Janmark and their 2019 6th Round Pick (173) to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2019 3rd Round Pick (66) and a 2019 7th Round Pick (190)

This next trade has the Erik Cole trade coming full circle, as Mattias Janmark waives farewell to the Lone Star State and returns to Detroit, where he was originally drafted. This is another tough, but necessary pill to swallow; #13 becomes another victim of having too much organizational depth. Only scoring 6 goals and notching 19 helpers is simply not enough to crack this club if you cannot also take faceoffs.

The Red Wings struggled defensively as a unit last year, finishing with a minus-50 in goal differential and a 77.1% penalty kill. Janmark would immediately help Detroit in that department, offering a rebuilding team some quality PK minutes and sound defensive play.

Dallas nets another top 100 pick – a much-needed opportunity to sustain organizational success. These trades together eradicate their bottom-of-the-roster logjam and allow top prospects like Denis Gurianov to carve out a role with the big club. Giving Jim Nill two valuable cracks at finding future talent is never a bad idea, either.

Moving on…

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