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After an uncharastically cold stretch in early December, the Dallas Stars have been terrific as of late. With eight wins in their last 10 games, Pete DeBoer's club has vaulted into third place in the Central Division. They're a point back of the Minnesota Wild with a game in hand, and only eight behind the league-leading Washington Capitals in the President's Trophy race.
With the stretch run starting to heat up, there are huge expectations on this roster to make another deep run in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Dallas has advanced to back-to-back Western Conference Finals, losing to the eventual champion Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, and the Edmonton Oilers last season. The Stars came within two wins of a championship back in 2020, losing in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.
While the franchise remains without a championship since Brett Hull's heroics back in 1999, the Stars again project as one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference come April. And things have been great in Texas recently.
Stars are surging up the Western Conference
Now 28-15-1 after a tough 3-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night, the Stars are within striking distance of the division leading Winnipeg Jets. Jake Oettinger has been lights out between the pipes recently, while Casey DeSmith seems to always put in a good performance in limited action.
The blue line remains one of the best units in the league, while the offense is scoring 3.16 goals per game — good for 10th place league-wide. And that's without the services of Mason Marchment, who took a puck to the face in a game against the Wild on December 27. He's still a couple of weeks away from a potential return and remains in Dallas skating, general manager Jim Nill said earlier this week.
Marchment will be a huge boost to the roster when he's able to return. But the Stars likely won't be seeing Tyler Seguin again in 2024-25 after hip surgery — at least in the regular-season.
Dallas needs a Tyler Seguin replacement
Along with Marchment and Matt Duchene, Seguin helped to make up one of the best second lines in hockey before his brutal injury. The veteran was on a tear, amassing nine goals and 20 points in 19 games. Although it's extremely hard to replace a player of his caliber, the front office will at least be able to put Seguin's $9.85 million cap hit on LTIR.
“The Stars will have ample cap room to add closer to the trade deadline once they put Tyler Seguin and his $9.85 million cap hit on long-term injured reserve,” The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun wrote back at the end of December. “They haven’t yet; he’s still on IR and counting against their live cap. But that will change when they need it.”
With Roope Hintz now day-to-day as well, the Stars' forward core doesn't look nearly as formidable as it did at the beginning of the season. Although Dallas is getting strong contributions as of late from Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and captain Jamie Benn, Nill should be looking to improve the top-six ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline.
And in that quest, there might be no better player to insert into the lineup than New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson.
Stars must trade for Islanders' Brock Nelson ahead of deadline
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Nelson has heard his name swirling in trade rumors for months, and the veteran forward remains at the top of NHL trade boards around the league. The 33-year-old is putting together another strong campaign in Long Island, managing 12 goals and 26 points in 44 games — good for fourth in team scoring.
The Minneapolis, Minnesota native is set to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and considering the Islanders are currently dead last in the Metropolitan Division, there's a good chance the former first-round pick finally plays for a team that isn't New York. Nelson was drafted 30th overall in 2010 and has played with the Isles for over a decade.
Nelson would be a savvy add for Nill; the goal scorer would fit nicely on the second line with Duchene and Marchment (when he's healthy), and could even be an option to slot into a top-line role if DeBoer decides to split up Robertson, Hintz and Johnston.
LeBrun believes the Stars would be a great fit for the veteran sniper, who has scored over 30 goals in each of the last three campaigns.
“While the Stars have plenty of depth up front, general manager Jim Nill has never been shy about adding at the deadline when he’s going for it. And this team remains very much in its go-for-it window,” wrote the hockey insider.
“The fly in the ointment when it comes to Nelson’s actual availability is that Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello hasn’t always seen value in moving his pending UFAs, regardless of where his team is in the standings. But I believe Nelson intends to test free agency on July 1, so one would think that will influence Lamoriello’s decision, depending on where the Isles are in the standings. Nelson to the Stars. I like it. I like it a lot.”
Nelson to Dallas just makes a ton of sense, and the Stars would likely be willing to part with draft capital to bring the talented forward to Texas. Although there is a route where Nelson remains in Long Island, considering the team's struggles and his pending UFA status, there's a very good chance he gets moved.
Without Seguin, the Stars are a completely different team, there's no doubt about that. But with excellent goaltending, one of the more mobile defensive units in the game and a powerful attack up front, this roster should again be contending for a Stanley Cup this spring. And Nelson — who has 50 points in 78 career postseason contests — would be a phenomenal addition in that quest.
