An official Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings trade is still haunting one side today

The Dallas Stars pulled off a 2015 trade with the Detroit Red Wings that barely made noise at the time, but today it looks like one of the most lopsided deals of the decade.

It seemed routine back then, just a veteran forward swapped at the trade deadline. But the ripple effects changed everything for Dallas and left Detroit fans shaking their heads.

At that deadline, the Stars sent Erik Cole and a third-round pick to the Red Wings.

In exchange, Dallas landed Mattias Janmark, Mattias Bäckman, and a second-round selection that would go on to become the steal of the deal.

That pick was used to draft Roope Hintz.

Even now, Red Wings writers can't help but revisit the trade. A breakdown by Red Wings Insider called it a move that "haunts fans to this day," a painful reminder of what could have been.

The Dallas Stars turned the Roope Hintz trade into a franchise-altering victory

Cole was 36 when he joined Detroit, a player with a strong résumé but a body that had been battered by injuries. He lasted just 11 games in a Red Wings sweater before a spine issue ended not only his season, but also his career.

Dallas, however, found themselves with far more than they expected.

Janmark became a reliable piece in their lineup, but the true prize was Hintz. That second-round pick transformed into a first-line center, now skating alongside Jason Robertson and putting up 30-goal seasons.

"That trade gave us two key pieces for the long term," a Stars staffer admitted years later.

Hintz's combination of size, speed, and skill has solidified him as one of the cornerstones of the franchise. Detroit, meanwhile, saw nothing lasting from the deal, bowing out of the playoffs and moving on with no return.

"It might go down as one of the quietest franchise wins we've ever had," a longtime Stars fan reflected.

Looking back, it's wild to think how a simple deadline swap set up Dallas's future so perfectly. I believe this trade still shows just how sharp the Stars' front office was at finding hidden value.