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| (Credit: Texas Stars) |
As Dallas' past few weeks have progressed, the conversation of a trade has begun to boil. Things went from "maybe after the Olympics" to "right now," at least among the fanbase even if not in the front office.
Usually, these trades involve multiple pieces and the AHL roster is always a good place to look. But, very similar to last year, there is not much trade value on this Texas Stars roster. The typical prospect that adds value to a trade is a younger guy who has a high probability of making the NHL within the next several years if not right now in the right system. Texas doesn’t really have anyone that fits that criteria, but if you must stick an AHL guy into your mock trade, these would make the most sense.
Tristan Bertucci (D)
Bertucci is the only guy you can make an argument for being a typical trade-bait prospect. The 20 year-old, second-round defenseman has had a solid rookie year transitioning from major junior hockey to the much heavier and faster-checking AHL. After a slow start to the season, Bertucci has racked up 15 points in 33 games and has also become the regular defenseman “quarterbacking” the first power play unit. He’s also proven to be a reliable defender, as one of the only skaters on the Stars with a non-negative plus-minus (he currently sits at even).
This seems to be right where you'd want a rookie AHL defenseman with an offensive slant to be. Not ahead of pace by any means, but right on track to potentially crack an NHL roster with continued growth. This consistency with his development could be particularly appealing for an organization that’s very confident in their player development pipeline.
That being said, he’s no lock to make the league and likely has at least a couple more years of development before he’s ready to contribute at the top level.
These next three prospects are not typically players you see traded at the deadline, but the Stars have dealt guys like this before. Most recently, Artem Grushnikov in the deal that sent Chris Tanev to Dallas. Sometimes, a team sees something in a prospect that others don’t.
Trey Taylor (D)
At almost 24, Taylor’s age is the biggest thing holding him back from being considered a top prospect. He’s immediately stepped into the number one defenseman role since Alex Petrovic and Kyle Capobianco have been in Dallas. His flashy skating draws the eyes as well. You can’t help but ooh and ahh at the moves he pulls through the neutral zone or the way he galivants across the blue line.
His production has dropped off a bit from the pace he set in last year's playoffs after joining the team at the end of the season, but he seems to have found a knack for the back of the net. He leads the team in goals from defenseman.
Most rookies in the NHL are between 20 and 21 years old, so it’d take a GM really loving what he sees to bet on Taylor defying the odds. When you watch him on the ice, it's hard to bet against him, though.
Arttu Hyry (RW)
Hyry has the same age difficulty as Taylor at 24, but added on top is the rash of injuries he’s received this year. He’s played in just 22 of Texas’ 38 games this year, and yet he’s remained effective when he is in the lineup with 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points.
Unlike Taylor, Hyry’s appeal isn’t in his flash but his grit. His play style seems to be exactly what you would like for your fourth-line grinders, with the potential benefit of his proven skill in the attack zone. That fit could be great for a young NHL squad that needs some consistent depth guys, but would still like the ability to play up in the lineup.
Unfortunately, due to his injuries, I’d put the likelihood of him being on someone's trade board at this point at essentially zero.
Matthew Seminoff (RW)
It’s rare to make the NHL as a sixth round pick, so Seminoff will have to defy the odds to get to the show. Similar to Bertucci, he seems to be on a good path for a late-round forward.
He made himself unscratchable in his first year in Texas, playing in 70 of the 72 games as a hard-nosed fourth-line grinder. Last season was a hiccup; his consistency dropped, and his offense didn’t progress the way the organization wanted it to. He even played a quick stint in the ECHL (where he scored 5 points in 5 games) to try and build some more confidence with the puck.
This season, he’s really taken a step. Playing on the top line, he’s produced 19 points in 38 games. His shot has been the tool that he has improved the most. It has some serious snap that you typically see from top scorers. In short, he is trending upward. This improvement, combined with his undeniable tenacity, might help him catch the eye of some scouts around the league as a potential bottom-six player.
The most valuable prospect in the Stars’ organization isn’t even on the Texas Stars roster. Emil Hemming, who is currently playing major junior hockey, is widely regarded as having the most potential among the Stars’ player development pipeline. He would be especially appealing to a team that is truly selling and is expecting to rebuild, which would give time for Hemming to potentially develop into a top-six NHL forward.
To wrap it up, Bertucci is the only one with traditional value on the trade market, but we’ve seen the Stars organization deal untraditional guys in the past. Texas will be crossing their fingers that they don’t lose even more roster players as they scrap for a playoff spot, but Dallas is hoping it’ll be able to squeeze a little more value from their dilapidated prospect pool.
Tristan Bertucci (D)
Bertucci is the only guy you can make an argument for being a typical trade-bait prospect. The 20 year-old, second-round defenseman has had a solid rookie year transitioning from major junior hockey to the much heavier and faster-checking AHL. After a slow start to the season, Bertucci has racked up 15 points in 33 games and has also become the regular defenseman “quarterbacking” the first power play unit. He’s also proven to be a reliable defender, as one of the only skaters on the Stars with a non-negative plus-minus (he currently sits at even).
This seems to be right where you'd want a rookie AHL defenseman with an offensive slant to be. Not ahead of pace by any means, but right on track to potentially crack an NHL roster with continued growth. This consistency with his development could be particularly appealing for an organization that’s very confident in their player development pipeline.
That being said, he’s no lock to make the league and likely has at least a couple more years of development before he’s ready to contribute at the top level.
These next three prospects are not typically players you see traded at the deadline, but the Stars have dealt guys like this before. Most recently, Artem Grushnikov in the deal that sent Chris Tanev to Dallas. Sometimes, a team sees something in a prospect that others don’t.
Trey Taylor (D)
At almost 24, Taylor’s age is the biggest thing holding him back from being considered a top prospect. He’s immediately stepped into the number one defenseman role since Alex Petrovic and Kyle Capobianco have been in Dallas. His flashy skating draws the eyes as well. You can’t help but ooh and ahh at the moves he pulls through the neutral zone or the way he galivants across the blue line.
His production has dropped off a bit from the pace he set in last year's playoffs after joining the team at the end of the season, but he seems to have found a knack for the back of the net. He leads the team in goals from defenseman.
Most rookies in the NHL are between 20 and 21 years old, so it’d take a GM really loving what he sees to bet on Taylor defying the odds. When you watch him on the ice, it's hard to bet against him, though.
Arttu Hyry (RW)
Hyry has the same age difficulty as Taylor at 24, but added on top is the rash of injuries he’s received this year. He’s played in just 22 of Texas’ 38 games this year, and yet he’s remained effective when he is in the lineup with 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points.
Unlike Taylor, Hyry’s appeal isn’t in his flash but his grit. His play style seems to be exactly what you would like for your fourth-line grinders, with the potential benefit of his proven skill in the attack zone. That fit could be great for a young NHL squad that needs some consistent depth guys, but would still like the ability to play up in the lineup.
Unfortunately, due to his injuries, I’d put the likelihood of him being on someone's trade board at this point at essentially zero.
Matthew Seminoff (RW)
It’s rare to make the NHL as a sixth round pick, so Seminoff will have to defy the odds to get to the show. Similar to Bertucci, he seems to be on a good path for a late-round forward.
He made himself unscratchable in his first year in Texas, playing in 70 of the 72 games as a hard-nosed fourth-line grinder. Last season was a hiccup; his consistency dropped, and his offense didn’t progress the way the organization wanted it to. He even played a quick stint in the ECHL (where he scored 5 points in 5 games) to try and build some more confidence with the puck.
This season, he’s really taken a step. Playing on the top line, he’s produced 19 points in 38 games. His shot has been the tool that he has improved the most. It has some serious snap that you typically see from top scorers. In short, he is trending upward. This improvement, combined with his undeniable tenacity, might help him catch the eye of some scouts around the league as a potential bottom-six player.
The most valuable prospect in the Stars’ organization isn’t even on the Texas Stars roster. Emil Hemming, who is currently playing major junior hockey, is widely regarded as having the most potential among the Stars’ player development pipeline. He would be especially appealing to a team that is truly selling and is expecting to rebuild, which would give time for Hemming to potentially develop into a top-six NHL forward.
To wrap it up, Bertucci is the only one with traditional value on the trade market, but we’ve seen the Stars organization deal untraditional guys in the past. Texas will be crossing their fingers that they don’t lose even more roster players as they scrap for a playoff spot, but Dallas is hoping it’ll be able to squeeze a little more value from their dilapidated prospect pool.
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