When the Dallas Stars made the biggest splash at the NHL Trade Deadline by acquiring Mikko Rantanen for an arm and a leg, the first thought on everyone’s mind was something along the lines of, “This is the superstar piece that can finally put Dallas over the top.”
The second thought that came to mind was something like, “Okay, but what the heck are you going to do about the defense?”
With Miro Heiskanen injured and no real cap space (or assets) to overpay for one of the few somewhat decent defenders available at the deadline, the Stars decided to stand pat on the blueline.