The Dallas Stars arguably need to upgrade their defensive lines. To do so, Dallas should sign a right-handed defenseman. But who would the Stars pick ahead of the NHL trade deadline on March 8th? It’s up to the team, but here are my top three picks.
3. Brett Pesce
Brett Pesce has been a crucial part of the Carolina Hurricanes blue line. But Pesce’s time in Carolina is running out, as he’ll become a UFA at the end of the 2023-24 NHL season. The 29-year-old right-handed defenseman is in the final year of his six-year, $24.15 million contract.
Pesce could sign with Dallas to help Carolina free up some cap space. Pesce is arguably a Norris-caliber shutout defenseman who can help boost Thomas Harley’s defensive pairing.
2. Noah Hanifin
Noah Hanifin is a left-handed defenseman and one-half of the Calgary Flames’ top defensive duo alongside Chris Tanev, who I’ll mention in the next and final entry. Hanifin is in the final year of his six-year, $29.7 million contract. The 27-year-old will become a UFA at the end of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Hanifin’s left-handed, so he’d require at least one D-man to play on his off-side. Hanifin would be the perfect left-handed D-man to help a right-handed D-man as the Dallas Stars look to come out on top. I’d be intrigued to see if the Stars would include Mavrik Bourque in a trade for Hanifin with an extension.
1. Chris Tanev
Chris Tanev, born Christopher Tanev, is a right-handed defenseman and an alternate captain for the Calgary Flames. Tanev, however, is in the final year of his four-year, $18 million contract. The 34-year-old veteran D-man will become a UFA at the end of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Tanev is one-half of the Flames’ red-hot defensive duo with his fellow defenseman, Noah Hanifin. Multiple sources have reported that the Stars have been linked to both star defensemen, but I doubt they’d sign both. If Tanev signs with Dallas, he could use his body to stop pucks while making passes that help move pucks through neutral zones.
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