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Meet the Buyers: Dallas Stars looking to load up in Central Division arms race
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Photo credit: Brett Holmes-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Mar 4, 2026, 14:00 ESTUpdated: Mar 4, 2026, 13:56 EST
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The Dallas Stars are looking to make their first Stanley Cup Final since 2020.
They’ve made the last three Western Conference Finals, falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, then the Edmonton Oilers in the last two seasons. With a victory on Tuesday, the Stars now have won their last 10 games, bringing them to second place in the Central Division, six points behind the Colorado Avalanche.
What’s impressive is that they’ve been able to do this without one of their top six forwards for most of the season, as Tyler Seguin is on the season-ending long-term injured reserve. That opens up a bunch of cap space which the Stars could use to make a splash.
So in this edition of Meet the Buyers, we’ll look at the Stars’ needs and their cap situation, as well as  what they’d have to offer the Calgary Flames in a potential trade.

Stars’ needs and cap situation

With Seguin heading to the SELTIR, the Stars now have a little under $7.012 million to play with in cap space ahead of the Mar. 6 trade deadline. That means that they can absorb the contract of all the Flames’ players who have had their names come up in rumours.
It seems like the Western Conference’s annual arms race will take place in the Central Division this season. The Minnesota Wild were the first to strike, landing Quinn Hughes back in December. Well, the Avalanche and Stars seem to be fighting over Nazem Kadri’s services.
For the Stars, it’s a logical replacement for Seguin, as both are veteran left-shot centres with playoff experience. It also makes sense for the Avalanche, as Kadri won the Stanley Cup with them in 2022. Kadri isn’t the same player he was then, in fact, he hasn’t been as productive as he was last season, scoring just 12 goals and 41 points in 60 games, compared to the 35 goals and 67 points he had last season.
Blake Coleman has also been connected to the Stars in the past. The Plano, Texas native’s 30-goal season came two seasons ago, but he has 13 goals and 22 points in 48 games this season, just two goals shy of matching his total from last season. The fit with the Stars is right there, considering that Coleman was raised in Texas.
There was also an argument that they could use a defenceman, such as MacKenzie Weegar or Zach Whitecloud. But the Stars added Tyler Myers from Vancouver on Wednesday morning to add to their group. With this move, we’re not quite sure if they’re still in need of a Weegar or Whitecloud.

What the Stars have to offer

Buying at the last few deadlines have taken a hit on their pick surplus. They are missing their 2026 first and 2028 first, both were moved in the Mikko Rantanen trade with the Carolina Hurricanes last season. They have their 2026 second and third, as well as their 2027 first and second. They moved their 2027 second and their 2029 fourth to Vancouver in Wednesday’s Myers trade.
As for young roster players, left-shot defenceman Lian Bichsel and centre Mavrik Bourque could be of interest for the Flames. It’s hard to see either player being traded for Kadri, Coleman, or Weegar. Additionally, Jason Robertson’s name has come up in trade rumours, but it’s a little too early in the rebuild to even consider that.
Bischel ranked as Daily Faceoff’s top Stars’ prospect, with right-winger Emil Hemming ranking second. Left-winger Ayrton Martino ranked third, and Cameron Schmidt, a right winger, ranked fourth. Their lone centre in the top ten is Brandon Gorzynski, who is both a centre and left wing, ranked eighth.
Ideally, the Flames could wrangle the 2027 first or Bourque away from the Stars in a potential trade for Kadri or Coleman.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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