7 Biggest Trades in Dallas Stars History, Ranked

A blockbuster trade can shake up a team, the league, and the NHL odds.

Few teams know this better than the Dallas Stars, who made a couple of crucial moves to help lead them to Stanley Cup glory in 1999. 

Whether we’re talking about the famous Jarome Iginla-for-Joe Nieuwendyk trade or the deal that brought Sergei Zubov to Dallas, the Stars have been involved in some massive swaps in their history.

Here are my picks for the seven biggest trades since the Stars moved to Dallas in 1993.

7 Biggest Dallas Stars Trades in Team History

1. Jarome Iginla and Corey Millen for Joe Nieuwendyk  

One of the great “win-win” trades in NHL history, the Stars acquired Joe Nieuwendyk in 1995 with the hopes that he would provide the necessary scoring and leadership to help them get over the hump.

Nieuwendyk delivered.

The veteran scorer recorded 340 points in 442 games across seven seasons in Dallas, but his shining moment came when he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy after the Stars won the 1999 Stanley Cup.

This is also one of the biggest trades in Calgary Flames history.

2. Paul Broten for Guy Carbonneau

Like the Nieuwendyk deal, the Stars wanted Guy Carbonneau for both his on-ice impact and his off-the-ice intangibles. 

Carbonneau was known as one of the best two-way forwards in his generation, and his defensive prowess played a huge role in turning the Stars into a stingy powerhouse during the golden era in the late 1990s. 

Carbonneau was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.

3. Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser, and Joe Morrow for Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley, and Ryan Button

This one was a whopper.

There were rumours that Tyler Seguin had fallen out of favour in Boston, but nobody expected Seguin’s time in Beantown to end so suddenly.

The former No. 2 overall pick was sent, along with Rich Peverley, to Dallas for a package centered around Loui Eriksson. 

Eriksson never really found his top level with the Bruins, while Seguin developed into a true top-line centre for the Stars.

Seguin ranks third in franchise history in goals and points.

4. Kevin Hatcher for Sergei Zubov

There was only one Sergei Zubov, and the Stars were fortunate to acquire him during his prime in a one-for-one swap with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While Zubov was known for his offensive skills with the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, he took his game to a new level in Dallas.

Zubov was a key member of the 1999 Stanley Cup team and holds the franchise record for most goals, assists, points, and games played among defencemen.

Zubov entered the Hockey Hall of Fame alongside Carbonneau in 1999.   

5. Doug Zmolek, Shane Churla for Darryl Sydor and a Fifth-Round Pick

This trade didn’t look like a blockbuster when it was made, but Darryl Sydor would become an integral member of the Stars’ blueline during the franchise’s golden era in the late 1990s when they were always near the top of the hockey odds to win the Stanley Cup. 

A member of the 1999 Stanley Cup champions, Sydor played 714 games as a member of the Stars and was part of the “Big Four” on Dallas’ blue line along with Zubov, Derian Hatcher, and Richard Matvichuk.

6. Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen, Mike Smith, and a Fourth-Round Pick for Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist

Looking for more offensive firepower, the Stars pulled a blockbuster with the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2008 trade deadline.

Dallas sent a package centered around promising young goaltender Mike Smith to Tampa for Brad Richards, one of the game’s best playmakers at the time.

Richards would help Dallas reach the Western Conference final that season and stuck around Big D for two more years. 

7. Jamie Langenbrunner and Joe Nieuwendyk for Jason Arnott, Randy McKay, and a First-Round Pick

It was tough for the Stars to move Nieuwendyk after a terrific spell in Dallas, but the franchise was looking for a jolt to stay competitive in the early 2000s. 

The deal netted Arnott, who spent five seasons with the Stars, but it was the Devils who came out on top of this swap as Nieuwendyk and Jamie Langenbrunner played key roles for New Jersey when it won the 2003 Stanley Cup.