Dallas Stars trade Erik Cole to Detroit Red Wings

By Cory Buck | Mar 2, 2015

Feb 19, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars right wing Erik Cole (72) tracks the puck during the first period against the San Jose Sharks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

The Dallas Stars have traded veteran forward Erik Cole to the Detroit Red Wings for a pick and two prospects.

The Detroit Red Wings have tossed their hat in the trade deadline fray as the powers that be in the Eastern Conference continue to stock up on veterans with expiring contracts. The Wings added to their top nine with veteran Erik Cole, who tallied 18 goals with the Dallas Stars this season. In exchange, Detroit gave Dallas two solid prospects and a second-round pick.

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TSN reports that the Stars also threw in a conditional third-round draft pick, which will return to the Stars if Detroit makes the Eastern Conference Finals. With Cole in tow, Detroit is banking on giving up the pick in an Eastern Conference that is growing increasingly top-heavy.

Detroit joins the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins as teams that have loaded up within the last 24 hours to improve their roster. With no juggernaut atop the standings, it appears things are wide open for those willing to part with some future assets.

The Red Wings traded forward Mattas Janmark and defenseman Mattias Backman to go with the second-round pick in order to acquire the 36-year-old Cole, who brings Stanley Cup experience to a team that’s growing younger around veteran stars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

“I’ve seen Backman ever since we drafted him,” Dallas GM Nill said of one of his newly acquired prospects. Nill was formerly a member of Detroit’s front office. “He’s very close to being an NHL-ready defenceman. Janmark plays the game the right way both ways. We look forward to getting him over here and seeing where his development’s at.”

Detroit suffered a disappointing playoff campaign that lasted all of five games against the Boston Bruins last season. With this trade, GM Ken Holland is signalling to his fans and the rest of the NHL that Detroit isn’t planning on failing like that again.

The Stars meanwhile give themselves a chance to re-tool a bit without drastically changing the makeup of their roster, which remains poised to emerge in the Western Conference, if not this year then very soon. The team has had a largely disappointing 2014-15 campaign, but with the majority of their core forwards being young and under contract, Dallas GM Jim Nill knows it won’t be long provided he sticks to the plan.

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