Zizing ‘Em Up: Nill talks NHL trade deadline, Stars' moves
General manager doesn't expect 'a big splash' to bolster team ahead of postseason
© Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images
By
Mike Zeisberger
NHL.com Staff Writer
TORONTO -- Twelve months ago, the Dallas Stars sent shockwaves throughout the hockey world with their blockbuster trade with the Carolina Hurricanes that landed them forward Mikko Rantanen.
This time around, the Stars are once again open to being active in the week leading up to the NHL trade deadline, which is Friday. Just don’t expect anything near the magnitude of what they pulled off last year.
“I don't see us doing a big splash,” Stars general manager Jim Nill told NHL.com on Sunday afternoon.
He went on to explain why.
“First of all, the salary cap still comes into play more than ever, not only for this year, but for next year,” he said. “I've got some very good players, and very good players eventually make big money.
“We got Thomas Harley just re-signed, he’s jumping up next year from making $4 million to making $10.5 million. I’ve got Jason Robertson as a pending restricted free agent. He's going to get a big pay hike. So I’ve got to manage that for next year also. Can I take on a guy that’s signed for three more years at $5 million each? I don't have the cap space for that.
“Every team has different situations they're going to look at short term and long term.”
The Stars considered both when they pulled the trigger on the Rantanen deal on March 7, 2025.
To that point, Nill figured the Stars were finished dealing after acquiring forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks a month earlier.
“But when a guy like Rantanen comes available, well, he’s a generational player,” Nill said. “I mean, we thought we were done, and then three or four days before the deadline, about the same time as it is now, you get a call finding out a guy like that is available. It’s not often a franchise player like that comes on the market. You don’t get a guy like that unless you’re drafting in the top five. And then, when he does, you quickly change direction and say, 'Wow, we’ve got to take advantage of this opportunity.'"
As of Sunday, the trade market had been slow, a byproduct of so many teams still feeling they have a legitimate shot to make a Stanley Cup Playoff run. As such, Nill said there could be players made available between now and the deadline whose names haven’t even been brought up yet in any kind of trade discussions.
“It happens quickly,” he said. “All of a sudden a team decides it will be a seller last minute. And you have to be ready to pivot last minute when a coveted player is put on the market at the last moment.”
A scenario Nill expects to see around the League in the next few days.
As for his own team, Nill said forwards Rantanen (lower body), Radek Faksa (upper body) and Roope Hintz (illness) should all be available for the start of the postseason, if not earlier.
Rantanen has 87 points (25 goals, 62 assists) in 74 games for the Stars since the trade. The 29-year-old was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Logan Stankoven, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, a third-round pick in the 2026 draft and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
“He’s come as advertised,” Nill said. “He’s a great player and will have a huge role in our playoff aspirations, no matter what we might do in the coming days.”
DEADLINE DEALS & THE SUBSEQUENT CUP CHAMPS
As Nill points out, the acquisitions of forward Brad Marchand and defenseman Seth Jones prior to the deadline a year ago proved to be key moves in the Florida Panthers’ run to a second straight Stanley Cup championship.
Of course, it doesn’t always work that way.
So how, in fact, have trade deadline additions helped a team win the Stanley Cup several months later, if at all?
Here’s a rundown of each Cup champion since 2010.
2025: Florida Panthers
Key deals: Acquired F Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins for a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 draft; acquired D Seth Jones and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft from the Chicago Blackhawks for G Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 draft.
Upon further review: Marchand was a difference-maker for the Panthers with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 23 postseason games en route to helping the Panthers win a second consecutive Stanley Cup championship. Jones had a significant impact as well, accruing nine points (four goals, five assists) and finishing plus-11 in 23 playoff games.
2024: Florida Panthers
Key deals: Acquired F Vladimir Tarasenko from Ottawa in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and Florida's third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft; acquired F Kyle Okposo from Buffalo in exchange for D Calle Sjalin and a 2024 seventh-round pick.
Upon further review: Tarasenko added secondary scoring with nine points (five goals, four assists) in the playoffs and was plus-4. Okposo had two assists in 17 postseason games.
2023: Vegas Golden Knights
Key deals: Acquired F Ivan Barbashev from St. Louis in exchange for F Zach Dean; acquired G Jonathan Quick from Columbus in exchange for G Michael Hutchinson and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick.
Upon further review: Barbashev ranked fifth in team playoff scoring with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) and provided key first-line offense in the Golden Knights’ run to the Cup.
2022: Colorado Avalanche
Key deals: Acquired F Artturi Lehkonen from Montreal in exchange for D Justin Barron and a 2024 second-round pick; acquired D Josh Manson from Anaheim for D Drew Helleson and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft; acquired F Andrew Cogliano from the San Jose Sharks for a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft; acquired F Nico Sturm from the Minnesota Wild for F Tyson Jost.
Upon further review: Lehkonen forged his championship legacy with 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 20 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Included among those eight goals was the overtime series winner in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers, and the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Game 6 of the Final against the Lightning. Manson had eight points (three goals, five assists) in 20 playoff games with the Avalanche and scored in overtime in Game 1 of the Western Conference Second Round against the St. Louis Blues.
2021: Tampa Bay Lightning
Key deals: Acquired D David Savard in trades involving Columbus and Detroit. Columbus traded the defenseman and received a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Detroit received a fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft. The Lightning also received Red Wings D Brian Lashoff.
Upon further review: Savard had five assists in 20 playoff games and provided second-pair depth.
2020: Tampa Bay Lightning
Key deals: Acquired F Blake Coleman from New Jersey for F Nolan Foote and a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft; acquired F Barclay Goodrow and a third-round pick in the 2020 draft from San Jose for F Anthony Greco and a 2020 first-round pick.
Upon further review: After being upset by the Blue Jackets in a sweep in the Stanley Cup First Round one season earlier, the Lightning knew they needed more sandpaper in their lineup. Enter Coleman and Goodrow. GM Julien BriseBois said giving up a first-round pick for each was a high price but worth it in the end. Coleman had 13 points (five goals, eight assists) and Goodrow six points (one goal, five assists), each playing all 25 postseason games. More importantly, they were keys in grinding down the opposition as part of Tampa Bay's newfound defensive style.
2019: St. Louis Blues
Key deal: Acquired D Michael Del Zotto from Anaheim for a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Upon further review: Del Zotto played seven regular-season games for St. Louis and none in the playoffs. The Blues made their splash the previous offseason by acquiring F Ryan O'Reilly, who proved to be the heart and soul of the team, from the Buffalo Sabres in a trade that included F Tage Thompson going to Buffalo.
2018: Washington Capitals
Key deal: Acquired D Michal Kempny from Chicago for a conditional third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Upon further review: Though not the biggest of names, Kempny lived up to his role as a depth defenseman and had three points (two goals, one assist) in 22 regular-season games. More importantly, he chewed up valuable minutes while playing in all 24 playoff games for Washington, finishing with five points (two goals, three assists).
2017: Pittsburgh Penguins
Key deals: Acquired D Ron Hainsey from Carolina for F Danny Kristo and a second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft; acquired D Mark Streit from Tampa Bay for a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Upon further review: Hainsey played 16 regular-season games for Pittsburgh and 25 in the playoffs, and was valuable on the second pair for a defense group that found success without the injured D Kris Letang. Streit was a scratch for all but three games during the Penguins' run to the Cup.
2016: Pittsburgh Penguins
Key deal: Acquired D Justin Schultz from Edmonton for a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Upon further review: Schultz played 15 of 24 playoff games and saw his ice time grow when Trevor Daley was injured during the Eastern Conference Final. The acquisition of Schultz was the final tweak of the Penguins' reload; they'd traded for Daley and F Nick Bonino, Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel during the previous eight months.
2015: Chicago Blackhawks
Key deals: Acquired F Antoine Vermette from the Arizona Coyotes for D Klas Dahlbeck and a first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft; acquired F Andrew Desjardins from San Jose for F Ben Smith and a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2017 draft; acquired D Kimmo Timonen from Philadelphia for a 2015 second-round pick in the 2015 draft and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft.
Upon further review: Vermette scored three game-winning goals in the final two series and helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup for the third time in six seasons. Desjardins and Timonen were role players.
2014: Los Angeles Kings
Key deal: Acquired F Marian Gaborik from Columbus for F Matt Frattin, a third-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2015 draft.
Upon further review: Gaborik led the NHL in goals (14) during the playoffs and was fourth in points (22) in 26 games, helping the Kings win the Cup and making GM Dean Lombardi look like a genius.
2013: Chicago Blackhawks
Key deal: Acquired F Michal Handzus from San Jose for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.
Upon further review: Handzus had 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 23 playoff games, took key face-offs and killed penalties.
2012: Los Angeles Kings
Key deal: Acquired F Jeff Carter from Columbus for D Jack Johnson and a conditional first-round pick in the 2013 draft.
Upon further review: Sure, Carter’s nine points in 16 games after the trade helped the Kings squeeze into the postseason, but it was his playoff performance that was key to the Kings hoisting their first Cup, as he scored eight times en route to the title.
2011: Boston Bruins
Key deals: Acquired D Tomas Kaberle from Toronto for a first-round pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, a conditional second-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft and F Joe Colborne; acquired F Rich Peverley and D Boris Valabik from the Atlanta Thrashers for F Blake Wheeler and D Mark Stuart; acquired F Chris Kelly from Ottawa for a 2011 second-round pick.
Upon further review: The Bruins don’t hoist the Cup without Peverley, Kelly and Kaberle. With F Nathan Horton and F Marc Savard concussed for the majority of the final against Vancouver, Peverley and Kelly stepped up. Peverley, Kelly and Kaberle combined for 36 postseason points.
2010: Chicago Blackhawks
Key deals: None
Upon further review: They won the Cup for the first time in almost five decades, so the recipe of standing pat obviously worked in this case.
QUOTE/UNQUOTE
“Yeah, we’re in a tough division, and you’re going to be playing a good team right from the get-go if you make the playoffs. But it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had a tough matchup in the rirst round. You deal with it. Any team that wants to win the Stanley Cup has to go through good teams to get there.” -- Nill, commenting on how the Stars could be on a collision course to meet the formidable and vastly improved Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference First Round
THE LAST WORD
Six intriguing teams to keep an eye on in the days leading up to the trade deadline Friday:
— Nashville Predators: Buyers or sellers? On one hand, they’re just three points behind the Seattle Kraken for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. On the other, with teams coveting centers, the Predators have two good ones in Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos, who recently told reporters he “loves it’ in Nashville.
— St. Louis Blues: Is this the year they finally move center Brayden Schenn and goalie Jordan Binnington, two key cogs in the team’s 2019 Stanley Cup championship? And what of 26-year-old Robert Thomas and 27-year-old Jordan Kyrou, who could fetch great returns but are also in the prime of their respective careers and could still help the Blues moving forward?
— Calgary Flames: It almost seems like a fait accompli that forwards Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman will be moved, doesn’t it? A reunion with the Colorado Avalanche would seem to be an ideal fit for Kadri after he won the Stanley Cup with them in 2022, but he’d also slide seamlessly into the lineup of teams like the Montreal Canadiens and Utah Mammoth.
— New York Rangers: Center Vincent Trocheck, who scored the shootout winner in New York’s 3-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, is a man in demand around the League. As such, it seems it’s not a matter of if he moves but when. Interestingly, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has reported that Trocheck wants to stay in the Eastern Conference.
— Vancouver Canucks: The fire sale continues. The only question is, where will players like forwards Evander Kane, Elias Pettersson and defenseman Tyler Myers end up if they’re moved? Of note, Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon, whose team was thumped 5-0 by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, was in Seattle scouting the Kraken-Canucks game on Saturday. The Canucks are 32nd in the NHL standings, 10 points behind the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers, and are en route to have the best odds to get the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft Lottery and a chance to select highly-regarded Penn State forward Gavin McKenna.
— Toronto Maple Leafs: A three-game losing streak coming out of the Olympic break should logically make the Maple Leafs sellers. If so, pending unrestricted free agent forwards Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton should definitely draw interest.
