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For a fourth straight year, the Dallas Stars made the playoffs. And for a third straight season, they were eliminated in the Western Conference Final. This year, it was another loss to the Edmonton Oilers for Dallas. The Stars have already made offseason moves, firing Pete DeBoer. Now Dallas needs to figure out how to get over the hump, and return to the Stanley Cup Final. To do that, they need to make some trades in the 2025 NHL offseason.
Dallas does not have a lot of assets to work with this offseason. To begin with, they do not have a first-round or second-round draft pick this year, while not having a first-round pick in 2026 or 2028. Meanwhile, they are projected to have just $4.5 million in cap space. They also have seven unrestricted free agents, along with restricted free agent Mavrik Bourque. The Stars need to find a way to create more cap space this offseason.
There would be two primary ways for the Stars to do that. They could buy out contracts, but that also creates dead cap space. Dallas also does not have many contracts that would be attractive to buy out. The other option is trading players away, saving cap space, filling out their roster, and recouping some of their lost draft capital.
Stars trade away an expiring contract
Dallas does not have a lot of depth currently on the roster. Their top line of Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, and Jason Robertson is all under contract, as is their second line. Still, they have just eight forwards under contract, and not much cap space to work with. With a lack of depth and the need for cap space, the Stars need to be strategic on who to move. One solid option is moving on from Mason Marchment. Marchment has become the subject of trade rumors recently, and for good reason.
To begin with, Marchment is in the final year of a four-year contract he signed with the Stars. He is expected to require more than $4.5 million per year on his next contract, something that the Stars may not be able to afford. His no-trade clause is now a modified one, so moving him is possible. Moving the former free agent signing would also save Dallas $4.5 million this year, nearly doubling their salary cap.
On the ice, Marchment has not been a reliable mainstay. He played in just 68 games in his first season in Dallas, before playing in 81 games in the 2023-24 season. Still, he would miss 20 games this season as well. For a team struggling with depth, a player who consistently misses games is not something that would be desirable. He could also bring in a solid asking price. He tied his career high in goals this season, while also scoring 47 points, the second most of his career. For a team looking to add depth to its middle-six, Marchment could be a perfect fit.
Dallas needs to move a blue liner
The Stars currently have five blue liners set to make over $3 million this season. Further, they have two other defensemen under NHL contract. Unlike the situation at forward, where the Stars have little depth, they have plenty of it on the blue line. The top pairing of Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley are both under contract this season, and they led the team in ice time last year. Esa Lindell is also under contract, and he was third on the team in ice time. The Stars will likely be losing Cody Ceci, who was acquired from the Sharks this year.
Even after losing Ceci, the Stars still have Ilya Lyubushkin, who was playing on the second pairing at the end of the playoffs. With four top defenders under contract, the Stars can save money and open up a space for younger defenders, such as Lian Bichsel. The best option for a trade is Mathew Dumba. Dumba will turn 31 before the start of next season and will cost $3.75 million this year. This is also the last year of his contract, and with other defenders under contract, it is unlikely he will be re-signed. This means Dallas should move him now and get value while they can.
The defender also saw his ice time decrease drastically this season. He averaged just 15:18 of ice time per game, the lowest since his first full season in the NHL in the 2014-15 season. He managed the lowest offensive output of his career, and both his hits and blocked shots numbers declined this year. While Dumba may not bring a ton of value, paying over $3 million for a third pairing defender is a luxury the Stars cannot afford.
Could Jason Robertson leave Dallas?
Robertson is another player who has been mentioned as a trade candidate for the Stars. The 2017 draft pick is also coming off a great year. He led the team with 35 goals, while also sitting second on the team with 80 points. It was the fourth straight season that Robertson has tallied 79 or more points, and the third time in four years he has scored 35 or more goals. The winger has also been reliable. This was the third straight season he has played in all 82 games.
Trading Robertson would mean a major loss of production for the Stars, but it is a move that may help them long term. Robertson is due $7.75 million this year, meaning the Stars would over double their cap space by making the trade. He will be a restricted free agent at the end of next season, and the next contract should be for over $10 million per year. With Rantanen, Hintz, Tyler Seguin, and Wyatt Johnston all under contract in the 2026-27 season, and all costing $8.4 million or more, re-signing Robertson may be difficult.
After four straight years of solid production, this would be the perfect time for Dallas to make a move. They should be able to bring in some draft picks that were lost in prior trades, while saving money. Dallas has a major need to revamp this roster and save cap space. While trading away franchise faces such as Robertson would be difficult, players such as him, Marchment, and Dumba being moved would be the best for the future of the franchise.
