Stars Seeking Various Upgrades

The Dallas Stars are seeking upgrades at various positions ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

Mar 2, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) and defenseman Thomas Harley (55) and center Roope Hintz (24) and left wing Jason Robertson (21) and center Matt Duchene (95) celebrate after Johnston scores his second goal of the game against the St. Louis Blues during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Stars are again at the top of the line for Stanley Cup contenders. Enduring back-to-back eliminations in the Western Conference Finals, the Stars are trying to get over the hump in 2025. This season, the challenge is greater than ever, as the Western Conference is filled with powerful and championship-hopeful squads.

With the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline a few days away, the Stars are still in the market for upgrades. They've already made one deal, acquiring forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci. But there is plenty of belief that the Stars aren't done. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman discussed the organization's trade plans on a recent episode of 32 Thoughts, and he gave the impression that Dallas is going all-in. Especially with Tyler Seguin and Miro Heiskanen on Injured Reserve, giving the Stars extra salary cap space, Friedman said people would be shocked if they don't take advantage of the cap flexibility.

"I think a lot of people would be really surprised if the Stars don't try to maximize this in a certain way," he said. "If they kind of did nothing, we'd all be shocked."

Where might the Stars seek upgrades? According to Friedman, there are two major areas. The first is right-side defense. The second is forward depth.

"I look at right 'D, ' and I look at the forward situation, scoring," he said. "They could really load up,"

If loading up is the goal in Dallas, there are plenty of options to bolster their overall depth. New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson has been linked to the Stars for a few months. If they want to bring in an impactful forward, Nelson makes a ton of sense. Besides him, there are several other candidates that the Stars might target. Whoever it is, expect the Stars to be active in the final days before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

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