The History of Trade is a mini series going through each team’s best and worst trades of all time. Each team has their own history and some may cross over, but the series will try to stick to each team. This article will focus on the Dallas Stars trade history, finding the best and worst of all time.
Dallas Stars Trade History: Best and Worst Trade of All-Time
Best Trade
A trade full of talent sent legendary defenseman Sergei Zubov to Dallas to help the team win the Stanley Cup.
The Trade
A trade between the Dallas Stars and the Pittsburgh Penguins sent Kevin Hatcher to Pennsylvania and Zubov to the Lone Star State.
Traded Away
Kevin Hatcher is an incredible hockey player and one of the best U.S. born defensemen. However, most of his success came earlier on in his career during his time in Washington. Hatcher played 10 seasons with Washington from 1984-1994. He was then traded to Dallas in 1995 in return for Mark Tinordi and Rick Mrozik.
Hatcher played two seasons with the Stars, playing in 121 games. He played well in Dallas, leading the Stars defenseman in scoring. Hatcher scored 25 goals and having 45 assists during these two seasons. By the time of this trade, he only played five more seasons. He gave Pittsburgh a strong defenseman for three seasons before moving on to the Rangers and Hurricanes. Hatcher played 220 games with the Penguins, scoring 45 goals and tallying 95 assists. The Stars traded away a strong veteran, but ended up landing a player who would become a face to the franchise.
The Return
Sergei Zubov is one of the greatest players in Dallas Stars history, and one of the best offensive defensemen in NHL history. Zubov played 12 seasons with the Stars and became one of the most revered players in Dallas history.
Originally from Moscow, Zubov began his NHL career with the Rangers before being traded to the Penguins in 1995. Allegedly, Zubov and Mario Lemieux did not get along, prompting Zubov to be traded to Dallas after one season in Pittsburgh.
Zubov’s presence was immediately felt in Texas. In his first season with the Stars, he appeared in 78 games scoring 13 goals and tallying 30 assists. Zubov’s offensive abilities were obvious. He had excellent speed and amazing puck moving abilities. Throughout his time in Dallas, he consistently played in over 70 games, with exception to his final two seasons. In the 70-plus game seasons he posted over 40 points in each.
During the 1998-99 season, Zubov tallied 41 assists and scored 10 goals. During the Stars playoff run, he scored once and assisted on 12 goals. The Stars won the Stanley Cup this season, largely in part to Zubov’s strong play on both ends of the ice.
When he retired from the NHL, he was the all-time scoring leader for Russian born players, though that title has since been claimed by Sergei Gonchar. He played 839 games for the Stars in 12 years. He scored 111 goals and assisted on 438 with a total of 549 points in the green and silver.
Honorable mentions: The Stars receive Joe Nieuwendyk from Calgary in return for Corey Millen and Jarome Iginla; The Stars receive Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley, and Ryan Button in return for Loui Eriksson, Joseph Morrow, Reilly Smith, and Matt Fraser.
Worst Trade
The Stars have faired a bit better in recent years with trades. However, they have struggled in the past. The worst Dallas trade of all time came at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, which ended up strengthening a bitter Western Conference rivalry.
The Trade
The Dallas Stars trade their 28th overall pick (Corey Perry) to Anaheim in return for two second round picks (Vojtech Polak and B.J. Crombeen)
Traded Away
Hindsight is 20/20 on this one, as it is easy to see the payoff now. Corey Perry is one of the best wingers in the NHL. Over his time in the league, Perry has gotten better and better. Perry played his first season with the Ducks in the 2005-06 season. Appearing in 56 games, the rookie scored 13 goals and assisted on 12 for a total of 25 points.
During his sophomore campaign, Perry helped the Ducks win their first ever Stanley Cup. Appearing in all 82 games during the 2006-07 season, Perry scored 17 goals and assisted on 27 for 44 points. During the postseason, his presence was felt. Perry scored six goals and had nine assists for the Ducks in 21 playoff games, ultimately ending with Anaheim beating Ottawa in five games to take the Cup.
Each season since, his offensive talent has improved. His career best came in the 2010-11 season, in which he scored 50 goals and 48 assists for a total of 98 points. He was awarded the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for leading the league in goals.
Perry has scored 349 goals and 368 assists for a total of 717 points in 886 games played for Anaheim. He also has two Olympic gold medals for Team Canada from the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.
The Return
B.J. Crombeen played 23 games over two seasons for the Dallas Stars. The winger scored once in these games, and assisted six times for a total of seven points. Crombeen was claimed off waivers in 2008 by the St. Louis Blues, where he continued to have a mediocre career. He has played in 445 NHL games, scoring 34 goals and tallying 48 assists for a total of 80 points. He last played for the Arizona Coyotes during the 2014-15 season.
Vojtech Polak played in only five games for the Stars between 2005 and 2007, never recording a single point. He spent most of his career in North America with the Dallas AHL affiliate at the time, the Iowa Stars. After the 2007-08 season, Polak went overseas and has since played in the Swiss league, the Czech league, and the KHL.
Dishonorable mentions: Dallas receives Alex Goligoski from Pittsburgh in return for James Neal and Matt Niskanen.
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