Dallas Stars get Max Domi, Dylan Wells from Chicago Blackhawks

As anticipated, Max Domi turned the most recent participant concerned within the Chicago Blackhawks‘ flurry of strikes with the ahead being traded Thursday to the Dallas Stars, it was introduced.

Domi, together with minor league goaltender Dylan Wells, went to the Stars in trade for goalie Anton Khudobin and a 2025 second-round decide.

The commerce itself was finalized shortly after Domi’s new staff got here away with a 5-2 victory towards his previous staff. Domi was scratched for the sport with the Blackhawks asserting he was being held out for roster administration functions.

Domi, who turned 28 on Thursday, joins the Stars at a time when they’re within the hunt for each the Central Division and Western Convention regular-season titles. Beating the Blackhawks noticed the Stars push their divisional result in 5 factors over the Minnesota Wild whereas having a one-point edge over the Vegas Golden Knights for one of the best report within the convention.

Even earlier than the season began, there was an expectation that Domi may very well be traded for quite a lot of causes. The Blackhawks got here into the season with the idea they’d be nearer to a lottery decide than a playoff spot.

And due to that, the staff can be ready to commerce gamers, contemplating it had quite a lot of pending unrestricted free brokers together with gamers on team-friendly contracts who may very well be parlayed into draft capital.

Domi was a part of a pending unrestricted free agent class that additionally featured Andreas Athanasiou, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. He signed a one-year, $3 million cope with the Blackhawks within the offseason after spending the 2021-22 season with the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Blackhawks opened the season successful 4 of their first six video games. Since then, they’ve endured by 5 totally different shedding streaks of greater than 4 video games with two of them being separate eight-game skids.

Domi nonetheless emerged to guide the staff in scoring with 18 targets and 49 factors whereas averaging 18:17 in ice time. He is projected to attain 67 factors, which might be the second-most factors in his profession.

What may need been his strongest efficiency of the season may need additionally been an audition for the Stars. On Feb. 22, Domi scored two targets — together with the successful objective — and completed with three factors in a 4-3 win towards the Stars.

Buying Domi means the Stars now have one other top-six ahead to bolster a staff that’s averaging 3.24 targets per recreation, which ranks 14th within the NHL. Most of these targets — 67% to be precise — have come from six gamers. Domi now offers the Stars an alternative choice whereas additionally being one other power-play menace. Eighteen of his factors this season have come on the extra-skater benefit, which may show important for a staff that already has the No. 9 energy play within the NHL with a 23.3% success price.

Domi’s departure is available in what has been a busy week for the Blackhawks. They’ve already traded Kane to the New York Rangers, ahead Sam Lafferty and defenseman Jake McCabe to the Toronto Maple Leafs and defenseman Jack Johnson to the Colorado Avalanche.

The draft capital obtained in return for these trades has set the Blackhawks as much as have 11 picks for the 2023 draft, 9 picks for the 2024 draft and one other 9 picks for the 2025 draft.

But it surely’s not simply in regards to the complete variety of picks the Blackhawks personal. They’ve two first-round picks in every of these drafts. They’re additionally one of many strongest contenders to win this yr’s draft lottery, as they’ve the second-fewest factors within the NHL, and in the event that they win the lottery, they’d be ready to take the presumed No. 1 decide in Connor Bedard.