Lots of thought went into this one.
Jani Hakanpaa blocked a slap shot in the 2nd period on a 5 on 3 penalty kill against the Edmonton Oilers, played the rest of the second period, but did not return to the game as Dallas played down a defenseman for the second time in as many games. It was later announced last night that Derrick Pouliot, a veteran defenseman playing down in Austin for the Texas Stars, was a surprise healthy scratch in the Texas Stars game. I think it's pretty easy to put two and two together that he will be joining the Stars in Boston.
We've also talked about this at nauseum. I believe Nill will make a move for a defenseman (especially now considering Jani and Nils are both injured), but I also believe it's going to be for a defenseman no one is talking about. If you've been paying attention to trade rumors, you might've heard names like Chris Tanev of the Calgary Flames, Noah Hanifin also of the Calgary Flames, and Sean Walker of the Philadelphia Flyers. Those players will cost top dollar for general managers looking to acquire them, and among the many things Jim Nill is good at, finding value from the "bargain bin" players is one of his specialties. Once again, it'll be a player no one is currently talking about.
So, I starting digging; looking at players that no one is talking about that could or might fit in the Stars system. A top four right-handed defensively-minded defenseman, and I think there are a couple here who are very interesting. I looked at a couple of stats to come up with this list; corsi (an advanced stat), plus/minus, average time on ice per game, and games played.
I'm not saying these choices are super likely, but I tried to go with several that I feel haven't really been mentioned all that much when talking with Stars' fans or on social media, so... please don't crucify me!
#3 Adam Laarson - Seattle Kraken - $4 million till 2025-2026
Adam Laarson was picked up by the Seattle Kraken from the Edmonton Oilers in the expansion draft two and a half years ago. Several things make the 31 year old stand out but the one that makes him stand out the most is since moving to Seattle, his time on ice per game has increased by almost three minutes. His plus/minus is +10 which leads all Seattle defensemen. In Dallas, his time on ice would most likely drop, but could increase his effectiveness. His cap hit of $4 million, 10 team no trade list, and depending on if Seattle would be willing to trade him could cause issues for Dallas in acquiring him.
#2 Henri Jokiharju - Buffalo Sabres - $2.5 million till 2023-2024
The Stars already have three defensemen from Finland. Why not add another member to the Finnish mafia? All joking aside, having so many fellow countrymen on the Stars could make the Stars a desirable destination for the 25 year old Finnish defenseman. With some injuries in the Buffalo lineup, Jokiharju has stepped up. His +9 leads Buffalo defensemen and the smaller cap hit would make it much easier for Dallas to make a deal, but would Jokiharju flourish in a more defined top four role? There is some hope there.
#1 Artem Zub - Ottawa Senators - $4.6 million till 2026-2027
This is the most interesting target for me. The 28 year old defenseman's cap hit is much higher than the previous two targets, but he was talked about a lot before the deadline last year before signing his extension. However, Ottawa was expected to be much better this year and they haven't, so they could be willing to trade him. Zub's time on ice averages to about 21 minutes a night which puts in that perfect category for Dallas needing a top four defenseman. Zub has a plus/minus of +7 and I believe would be the best under-the-radar add for the Stars.
Who knows? Maybe Nill does go out and get a Tanev or a Walker, but we will see!
