Stars stand pat at trade deadline, but big additions may be on horizon

In an odd season, an odd trade deadline seems to make perfect sense.
The Stars "stood pat" at the NHL trade deadline Monday, and yet they hope they might have acquired three or four key players.

Dallas
made a waiver claim on defenseman Sam Vatanen
, who could be in the lineup Tuesday against Florida, and general manager Jim Nill said there is a chance that injured Stars players Tyler Seguin and Ben Bishop could be playing in two weeks. That's pretty good news for a team that is trying very hard to grab the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division.
"We talk about the trade deadline and bringing in players -- we've talked all along that if we can get Seggy back, if we can get Rads (Alexander Radulov) back, if we can get Bish back … if you start adding those players, those are elite players and we have missed them," Nill said. "If you start getting those players back, those are as good of trade additions as you can have, and they're not costing us any assets."
The Stars have battled injuries all season and may have lost another player Sunday when Andrej Sekera left the game after getting hit on the foot with a hard shot. Sekera had an MRI on Monday and results weren't available, but the chance to add Vatanen was too tempting to pass up. The 29-year-old defensemen has had an up and down year with New Jersey, but he has a history of being a top four defensemen with the Devils and Ducks, and he joins a strong group of Finnish players in the Stars dressing room.

"He played with Roope Hintz in Finland," said Nill, who added that he has known Vatanen since he was drafted. "He's a good player, he's competitive, he's got experience. With our situation and our schedule, we just thought he was a good player to add at the right time."
Vatanen is right-handed, so he adds that element to a very left-handed group of defensemen. He also has run the power play in his past, and that could be big for the Stars' second unit. He was seen mostly as a skilled defenseman in his time with the Ducks, but took on more penalty killing responsibilities with the Devils, leading them in shorthanded time on ice per game at 2:33 in 30 games this season.
Either way, he has a chance to give the Stars some added depth, especially if Sekera is out for an extended period of time.
Nill said he resisted the temptation to dangle pending UFAs like Blake Comeau, Andrew Cogliano or Jamie Oleksiak for draft picks because the Stars are in the middle of an intense playoff hunt.
"We talked to teams, and you have to make a decision. Do we have a team bound for the playoffs or are you going to get some kind of draft pick for them?" Nill said. "We're in a real battle and I think it's more important for our player to continue doing what we're doing. We're trying to get in the playoffs and fighting for our lives. Because of our injuries, we don't have a lot of depth, and to get rid of those players just wasn't going to be the right move."

So then what about adding? Nill said the fact the Stars already have traded away draft picks in the past (picking just nine players in 14 rounds the past two years) made it difficult to part with them again this season. Once they knew they had acquired Vatanen, it made it easier to stand pat the rest of the day.
"To be able to add a player that didn't cost us a pick was very important," Nill said. "We've given up a lot of picks over the last couple of years and we want to replenish the system. When Sami because available on waivers, that worked out for us. And we talked to other teams and we did have some discussions about adding other players, but in the end the acquisition cost wasn't going to be worth it."
Especially if the big guns can eventually make it back. Seguin had hip surgery in the off-season and has been rehabbing in Ontario and Texas. He is expected to start skating with the taxi squad on Tuesday. Bishop had knee surgery in the off-season and started skating with the taxi squad on Monday. Nill put the potential return date for each at two weeks.
He said that a lot will be determined when they start skating and testing themselves in competition drills.
"I don't like to give exact dates, because when you're coming back from major surgery, things can change quick," Nill said. "The tough part in bringing players back is we never practice anymore. To get players up to game condition, game speed, and get in the grind of everyday hockey, we don't have that ability."

Joel Kiviranta has a lower-body injury and will hopefully start skating later this week. Alexander Radulov has a lower-body injury and will see a specialist to see if there is a chance he can return to play or whether it would be best to have an operation now.
There are lot of variables in that mix, but Nill said he really wants to see what this team can do down the stretch.
"You go down to that dressing room and our guys believe in themselves, and they've played that way," Nill said. "I give them a lot of credit. We haven't got the job done yet, and we've missed a lot of opportunities, but I cannot fault the work ethic and the commitment the players have given every night."
And for a team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final last season, it could be a very tough opponent if it finally had a healthy roster heading into the post-season.
"As a group, our organization has gone through a lot," Nill said. "It's the players, it's the coaches, it's the trainers. This COVID and the winter storm, it really wreaked havoc on our team, and it's still affecting some players. But we have battled every night and we're in every game almost every night. We don't always get the results we want, but there's no quit in our group. That's what impresses me."
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.