Stars and Flyers Swap Prospects in Minor League Deal

In a move aimed at shuffling depth at the AHL level, the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers swapped two players in a minor league trade earlier today.

Christian Kyrou, a 22-year-old defenseman who the Stars drafted in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, is headed to Philadelphia in the deal. Meanwhile, the Flyers are sending Samu Tuomaala, a Finnish forward who was selected in the second round of the 2021 draft, to Dallas.

Neither the Stars nor Flyers expect either player to contribute at the NHL level anytime soon, but the trade provides both teams with some additional depth for their respective AHL teams—the Texas Stars and Lehigh Valley Phantoms — both of which need improvements that these players could potentially provide.

A Fresh Start for Both Sides

Dallas Stars defenseman Christian Kyro — Jul 8, 2022; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Christian Kyrou gives an interview after being selected by the Dallas Stars in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images | Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Kyrou’s career in professional hockey hasn’t lived up to his second-round draft status. He’s played in 97 career AHL games with the Texas Stars and has registered just 38 points. While he put up seven points in seven games in last season’s Calder Cup playoffs, his lackluster production so far this year — he’s recorded zero points in four games — led Dallas to the decision to move in a different direction.

Tuomaala’s tenure has been a similar story. From 2021-25, Tuomaala, who was drafted for his ability to score from the right wing, was one of the Flyers’ top prospects coming out of that draft but has not been able to live up to expectations. That was especially true last season, when he played in just 46 games and recorded 32 points. In three contests so far this year, Tuomaala has yet to put a shot on net.

🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨

We have acquired forward Samu Tuomaala from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Christian Kyrou.

Tuomaala will be assigned to the @TexasStars.

Welcome to #TexasHockey, Samu! pic.twitter.com/E49sbkcN3n
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) October 30, 2025

If both players can improve their production moving forward, the deal could be a win-win for both sides. The Texas Stars have started the season 0-5-1 and have scored only 10 goals. If Tuomaala gets back on track and increases his output, his added scoring could help Texas throughout the rest of the campaign.

While the Phantoms haven’t had quite as negative a start — they sit at 4-3 and third in the Atlantic Division behind the Providence Bruins and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins — they have given up 23 goals and scored only 21. Kyrou’s defensive abilities could help address those issues if everything goes according to plan.

Of course, the unstated goal in trades like these is to find a diamond in the rough, someone who could provide an unexpected boost at the NHL level. If Stars general manager Jim Nill and Flyers GM Daniel Briere have their way, that’s exactly what they believe they’ve done with this deal.

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