As expected, Max Domi became the latest player involved in the wave of moves from the Chicago Blackhawks, with the forward being traded to the Dallas Stars on Thursday, it was reported.
Domi, along with minor league goalie Dylan Wells, went to the Stars in exchange for goaltender Anton Khudobin and a 2025 second-round pick.
The swap itself was finalized shortly after Domi’s new side came away with a 5-2 win over his old side. Domi was pulled for the game, with the Blackhawks announcing he was being retained for roster management purposes.
Domi, who turned 28 on Thursday, joins the Stars at a time when they are in the hunt for the Central Division and Western Conference titles in the regular season. By beating the Blackhawks, the Stars extended their division lead to five points over the Minnesota Wild while holding a one-point advantage over the Vegas Golden Knights for the best conference record.
Even before the start of the season, it was expected that Domi could be traded for a number of reasons. The Blackhawks entered the season with the belief that they would be closer to a lottery pick than a playoff spot.
And because of that, the team would be able to trade players, given they had a number of unrestricted free agents pending as well as team-friendly contracted players who could be traded. in draft capital.
Domi was part of a class of pending unrestricted free agents that also included Andreas Athanasiou, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. He signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Blackhawks in the offseason after spending the 2021-22 season with the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Blackhawks started the season winning four of their first six games. Since then, they’ve endured five different four-game plus losing streaks, two of which were separate eight-game slip-ups.
Domi still emerged to lead the team in scoring with 18 goals and 49 points while averaging 18:17 in ice time. He is expected to score 67 points, which would be the second most points of his career.
What might have been his best performance of the season might also have been an audition for the Stars. On Feb. 22, Domi scored two goals — including the game-winning goal — and finished with three points in a 4-3 win over the Stars.
The acquisition of Domi means the Stars now have another top-six forward to bolster a team that is averaging 3.24 goals per game, which ranks 14th in the NHL. Most of those goals – 67% to be exact – came from six players. Domi now gives the Stars another option while being another power play threat. Eighteen of his points this season have come on extra skater advantage, which could prove vital for a team that already has the No. 9 power play in the NHL with a 23.3% success rate. .
Domi’s departure comes during a turbulent week for the Blackhawks. They have already traded Kane to the New York Rangers, forward Sam Lafferty and defenseman Jake McCabe to the Toronto Maple Leafs and defenseman Jack Johnson to the Colorado Avalanche.
The draft capital received in exchange for these trades resulted in the Blackhawks having 11 picks in the 2023 draft, nine picks in the 2024 draft and nine more picks in the 2025 draft.
But it’s not just about the total number of picks the Blackhawks have. They have two first-round picks in each of those drafts. They are also one of the top contenders to win this year’s draft lottery, as they have the second-fewest points in the NHL, and if they win the lottery, they would be able to take the presumed No. #1 in Connor. Bedard.