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NHL Trade Rumors: 5 teams who need to trade for Mitch Marner

By Alex Hoegler

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 09: Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner (16) gains control of the puck at the blue line during the Toronto Maple Leafs versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 09, 2019, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 09: Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner (16) gains control of the puck at the blue line during the Toronto Maple Leafs versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 09, 2019, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images /

5. Dallas Stars

Thanks to the play of Vezina Trophy candidate Ben Bishop and a stingy defense that allowed the second fewest goals in hockey (202), the Dallas Stars fell just one goal shy in reaching the Western Conference Final.

First-year head coach Jim Montgomery implemented an excellent and effective defensive system that the young Stars bought into. Dallas took down the powerhouse Nashville Predators in the opening round of the playoffs before falling to the St. Louis Blues in double overtime of Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

light. Related Story. 3 free agents the Stars should sign this offseason

Despite the successful season, it’s quite evident that the Stars are in need of some more scoring up front if they want to build off of 2018-19. Dallas ranked 29th in goals for during the regular season (210), as captain Jamie Benn struggled immensely with just 53 points. After he, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov, Radek Faksa was the Stars’ top scorer with 15 goals and 30 points.

The Stars have one of the deepest and most talented blue lines in all of hockey, so general manager Jim Nill can easily sacrifice one of them if it means adding a star forward who can play behind Seguin.

Drafted third overall by the Stars in 2017, Miro Heiskanen has displayed the ability to grow into a franchise-changing blueliner. With tremendous hockey IQ and world-class skating, Heiskanen is the type of player Toronto needs in its quest to compete for a Stanley Cup. He had 12 goals and 33 points in his rookie season.

This would be a tough trade for Nill, but he knows the defense will survive just fine with John Klingberg plus youngsters Julius Honka and Esa Lindell. With plenty of cap space, the Stars could even target somebody like Erik Karlsson or Jake Gardiner to offset the departure of Heiskanen.

This is a pure one-for-one hockey trade. Dallas gets a superstar forward to help regrow the offense. The Maple Leafs get a true No. 1 defenseman who they can build around for years to come. The Stars are loaded with blueliners, and the Maple Leafs have more than enough offense up front. It makes perfect sense for both teams here since they would both be addressing their biggest voids.

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