How The Dallas Stars Won The NHL Trade Deadline A Week Early

The 2024 NHL trade deadline has come and gone, and this year's deadline didn't offer much when it comes to fireworks. Sure, there were some big names moved, but we really didn't see any "blockbuster" deals. Just a couple of teams stockpiling for runs at The Cup.

One of the biggest deals of the deadline was the trade sending Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers. The Panthers are the best team in the NHL with 90 points at the start of deadline day (today), and adding a player with the playoff pedigree that Tarasenko has makes that team way more dangerous right away. Florida wrestled him away from Ottawa for a couple of mid-round draft picks, which looks pretty wild for a 2-time All Star.

The Carolina Hurricanes also put together an incredible deadline. They swung two separate deals to acquire Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Washington Capitals and Jake Guentzel from Pittsburgh. Carolina is playing from behind a bit here, while they're in playoff position, they're behind the New York Rangers in the Metropolitan These two pieces really boost them.

But I will argue the team that won the trade deadline did it a week before the deadline arrived. Last week the Dallas Stars swung a 3-team trade to acquire Defenseman Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames. The deal also included the New Jersey Devils, and a ton of draft picks.

The reason Tanev is a huge deal for Dallas is the fact that his addition addresses a specific need.

While other deadline deals are just looking for the best available player on the market, or just more scoring to pile goal-scorers onto the ice for the playoffs. But Tanev is a big shot-blocking body that can help the overall toughness of the Stars. He's the "edge" the Stars might need down the stretch.

But the real victory for the Stars is the fallout from the trade deadline moves, as the team shuffled the deck around to call up their top prospect Logan Stankoven. He's the AHL's leading scorer, and has made an immediate impact for the Stars' offense.

Because of where the Stars currently sit at the time of the trade deadline, and the fact they got their needs filled before prices moved up at the deadline, I really think the Stars won the trade deadline.