Projecting The Realistic Trade Targets from the Texas Stars

(Credit: Texas Stars)

[Ed Note: We planned this for Wednesday then the Twitter/X rumor mill started swirling so we’re pushing Tuesday night so this work is still in the universe for everyone to read no matter what happens.]

The impending NHL trade deadline on Friday brings with it numerous outlandish fan-created trade proposals. I must admit that creating these “armchair general manager” moves on PuckPedia is a ton of fun, but which Texas players truly have any market value?

In the past two seasons, Texas has seen three of its most vaunted players, Logan Stankoven, Mavrik Bourque, and Lian Bischel, elevated to Dallas. After those three, not many Texas Stars have been knocking at the door as potential everyday NHLers. However, that does not mean there are no outside eyes on some Texas Stars long shots, as we saw with Artem Grushnikov getting traded to the Calgary Flames.

Matěj Blümel

Blümel is Texas’ leading scorer and is currently second in the AHL in scoring with 26-25=51 in 46 games. He has consistently improved his point totals in the AHL over the past three seasons, and with his recently increased penalty killing role, he seems to be attempting to develop the skills needed for a bottom-six NHL forward. 

However, Blümel has shown some difficulty transferring his AHL success into NHL productivity. In 13 games with Dallas over the past two seasons, he has averaged less than 10 minutes of time on ice, producing only two goals and a minus-3 rating. 

On some lower-tier NHL franchises, Blümel would likely force his way onto the top squad. With the proper defensive development, he could be a solid depth piece with some serious offensive upside. Unfortunately, Blümel is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this off-season, which dampens his potential trade value. 

Antonio Stranges

Stranges is the high-risk, high-reward home run swing prospect on the Texas Stars. The flashy forward has some of the highest pure skill in the entire AHL and is having the best professional season of his career with 18-23=41 in 49 games played. 

While his defense, which was initially suspect, has markedly improved, Stranges will never be projected as a bottom-six forward the way Blümel has pivoted. Instead, Stranges will have to increase his production in the AHL and, if given the opportunity, translate that scoring into the NHL. This makes it less likely that he will crack an NHL roster, but if he does and he produces, he could become a centerpiece of a team's offense. Those are some pretty big “ifs”.

Arttu Hyry

The newest Finn in the Dallas Stars franchise sparkled during Dallas’ training camp and was a finalist for the extra forward spot that Oskar Bäck eventually earned. Since then, Hyry has continued to impress and has already outscored his previous season's point total in Finland’s top hockey league, Liiga. 

Hyry has proven to be a staunch defender, boasting a plus-15 on the season. He is also a frequent member of the penalty kill (where he has two short-handed goals, by the way) and has shown to have a clutch gene, as he leads Texas with seven game-winning goals. 

The North American newcomer is still somewhat of an unknown commodity, which likely contributed to him not making the Dallas squad. He was signed as a free agent from Finland and did not have much of a scouting report. He was likely only signed thanks to Dallas’ deep ties to the country of Finland (namely its national team’s general manager and Dallas Stars Hall of Famer, Jere Lehtinen). 

If NHL franchises have paid attention to him, they would know that Hyry has the skills to play a top-six offensive role and could easily transition into a depth-checking line with decent size at 6’2” and stingy defensive play. 

Anyone Else?

2022 second-round pick Christian Kyrou is a name that is frequently getting thrown around as having some potential value, but the young defenseman has had a lackluster season. He has been a frequent healthy scratch, playing in only 29 of Texas’ 51 games. Outside of his last name, I do not see Kyrou getting anyone too excited. 

Other high-value prospects in Dallas’ organization are major junior players Tristan Bertucci and Emil Hemming, who are both having solid seasons with the Barrie Colts. However, since these two fall outside our purview at 100 Degree Hockey, I will let others speculate on their potential value.

Feel free to continue circulating those mock trade proposals, but remember, in the real world, potential needle-moving assets will likely come from outside the Texas Stars’ roster.