After making a flurry of moves to improve the team in the offseason, the Dallas Stars are entering the weekend in first place in the Central Division.
While the additions have paid off in Dallas, some players have had to leave in recent seasons to make it all possible.
Let’s look at how former Dallas Stars players across the NHL have performed this season:
Max Domi, Left Wing, Toronto Maple Leafs
25 points (5 goals, 20 assists), 51 games
Domi was acquired by Dallas for goalie Anton Khudobin, a prospect, and a draft pick at the trade deadline last season. His contract expired after the team’s run to the Western Conference Final, and he opted to join the Maple Leafs. He has been the most productive player on Toronto’s third line, as it currently holds a wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.
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Luke Glendening, Center, Tampa Bay Lightning
9 points (8 goals, 1 assist), 54 games
Dallas signed Glendening to a two-year deal in 2021 and signed with Tampa Bay this past July. He has always been more of a gritty player and intangible leader than a point producer, which has continued through 55 games with the Lightning.
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Joel Kiviranta, Forward, Colorado Avalanche
7 points (2 goals, 5 assists), 40 games
Kiviranta played parts of four seasons in Dallas and joined Colorado in the offseason, where he plays a full-time role on the team’s third line alongside Fredrik Olofson and Zach Parise.
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Colin Miller, Defenseman, New Jersey Devils
6 points (2 goals, 4 assists), 32 games
Miller played 79 games for the Stars last season and produced the third-most points of his career. That earned him a free agent deal in New Jersey, where he has been in and out of the lineup due to injury, illness, and coaching decisions (healthy scratches).
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John Klingberg, Defenseman, Toronto Maple Leafs
5 assists (14 games)
Klingberg played in Dallas for the first eight years of his career before signing with the Anaheim Ducks in free agency in July 2022. Anaheim traded him to Minnesota at last year’s trade deadline, and he signed a one-year contract with Toronto in the offseason. He had hip surgery in early December and will miss the rest of the year after appearing in just 14 games.
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Andrew Cogliano, Forward, Colorado Avalanche
15 points (4 goals, 11 assists), 48 games
Cogliano played more than two seasons in Dallas but never produced at the rate he had during the early portions of his career. The trend has continued during his one-year stint in San Jose and three-year tenure in Colorado, although the Avalanche have a strong enough lineup that he doesn’t need to be a star player.
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Jason Dickinson, Center, Chicago Blackhawks
26 points (16 goals, 10 assists), 53 games
Dallas’ 2013 first-round pick is now in his second year with Chicago after six years in the Stars organization and one with Vancouver. Through 54 games, he already has a career-high in goals and is just four points short of his career-best point total.
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Mattias Janmark, Center, Edmonton Oilers
6 points (1 goal, 5 assists), 38 games
The Stars acquired Janmark as a prospect in a trade with Detroit, and he debuted during the 2015-2016 season. He spent four years with Dallas, accumulating 109 points before bouncing between Chicago, Vegas, and Edmonton. Janmark is in his second season with the Oilers and plays on the fourth line.
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Jamie Oleksiak, Defenseman, Seattle Kraken
8 points (2 goals, 6 assists), 53 games
Oleksiak had two stints in Dallas, split by two years in Pittsburgh. Seattle selected him from Dallas in the 2021 Expansion Draft, and he has spent the last three seasons on the Kraken’s second defense pairing.
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Corey Perry, Forward, Edmonton Oilers
10 points (4 goals, 6 assists), 21 games
Perry spent one year in Dallas after 14 years in Anaheim, putting up 21 points in 57 games. He has also played for Montreal, Tampa Bay, and Chicago and is currently Edmonton’s third-line right wing.
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Tyler Pitlick, Forward, New York Rangers
4 points (1 goal, 3 assists), 34 games
Pitlick spent two seasons with the Stars and was traded to Philadelphia for Ryan Hartmann in 2019. He has been in and out of the lineup for several teams over recent seasons and has played 34 games for the New York Rangers this season.
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Alex Goligoski, Defenseman, Minnesota Wild
9 assists (30 games)
Goligoski played with the Stars from 2010 to 2016 after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins for James Neal and Matt Niskanen. He became a steady and consistent presence for Dallas on the blueline but was traded to Arizona for a draft pick after the 2015-2016 season. He is now in his third year with Minnesota.
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Valeri Nichushkin, Right Wing, Colorado Avalanche
42 points (22 goals, 20 assists), 40 games
Nichushkin is currently fourth on the Avs in total points and third in goals. He was a solid player in Dallas but has blossomed in Colorado, especially over the last three seasons.
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Reilly Smith, Right Wing, Pittsburgh Penguins
21 points (9 goals, 12 assists), 44 games
Smith was drafted by the Stars in 2009 and spent time with Boston, Florida, and Vegas before joining Pittsburgh this past offseason. He was a part of the 2013 trade that brought Tyler Seguin to Dallas and has had productive seasons for each team. He is one of six Penguins with at least 10 goals this season.
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Mats Zuccarello, Left Wing, Minnesota Wild
40 points (9 goals, 31 assists), 44 games
Dallas was probably the most insignificant stop Zuccarello has made in his career simply because he only played two regular-season games with the Stars after being acquired at the 2019 trade deadline and breaking his arm. He scored a goal and had two assists as a Star, then signed with Minnesota that offseason.
