As the Chicago Blackhawks exit the Dan Hamhuis sweepstakes, so enter the Dallas Stars. Dan Murphy reported this morning that the Stars were interested in acquiring Dan Hamhuis. Perhaps more importantly, Murphy added that Hamhuis would be amenable to such a move.
This development didn’t necessarily come out of left field. Dallas has needed help on their blue line for as long as they’ve been competitive – the better part of these last three seasons. Of interest to the Canucks and their fans is that Hamhuis appears willing to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate such a move. That’s huge.
The Stars make sense as a suitor on a number of levels. They have a need on their blue line, the cap space to work with and any number of blue chip prospects to entice a quasi-selling team like the Canucks. In fact, the Stars cracked the list as one of the top five trade destinations for Hamhuis when I broached the topic a week ago to the day.
Dallas hasn’t any particularly awful contracts to offload either – a qualifier absent most, if not all Hamhuis suitors to this point in the discussion. They have roughly 15% of their salary cap wrapped in goaltending, but I can’t imagine the Canucks realistically helping them on that front. Certainly not this season.
Should these teams trade, it will likely be a lot closer to a deadline rental agreement than a salary retention move. It’s not a hockey trade, but close.
It’s hard to say what the Canucks could expect in return for Hamhuis. He’s by far the best rental defenceman left on the market and they usually command a hefty return this time of year. How hefty remains to be seen. Is there any chance the Canucks can snag Valeri Nichushkin, who found himself on the trading block recently? Or will they settle for a mid-level prospect, the likes of a Jason Dickinson?
Hard to say, but when you’re a sinking team with single-digit playoff chances by percent, you have to get some value on impending unrestricted free agents. The Canucks appear to be going that route. Getting closer, anyways.