On an appearance on the DLLS Podcast, hockey insider Jeff Marek dropped a nugget of information that the Dallas Stars were previously circulating aorund a player. The player in question is Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier.
Before Mathieu Olivier resigned with the Blue Jackets, I'm firmly of the belief that was a target for the Stars, they wanted him or someone like him, I don't think that search is over.- Jeff Marek, DLLS Podcast (Jun. 26, 2025)
Olivier, 28, is a 6-foot-2 right winger who had amassed a career high 32 points last season with the Blue Jackets. The Biloxi, MS native plays a mean, physical game, finishing second in the league in both penalty minutes (139) and in hits (306).
If the Dallas Stars want to add a player of his Olivier's archytpe and value, they'll likely need to compromise on one of those criteria, unless they are to clear some cap space.
In terms of free agents, the closest player who could fill the kind of role is Klim Kostin.
Kostin, 25, is a former first round draft pick by the St. Louis Blues in 2017. He was limited to just 35 games last season with the San Jose Sharks, scoring seven points (1+6), however he had previously hit a career high of 21 points over 57 games three seasons ago with Edmonton Oilers. Kostin took up a bruising role this year, delivering 111 hits with the Sharks.
As for trade candidates. Kiefer Sherwood, 30, of the Vancouver Canucks stands out as the prime candidate worth circling on. Making $1.5 million for only one more season, the Canucks could be convinced to move off of him for the right price, especially after a breakout season which involved tallying 40 points and breaking the all time hits record, finishing with 462 hits on the year.
Washington Capitals' forward Brandon Duhaime could be an option as well. Duhaime, 28, is making $1.85 million for just one more season. The winger tallied 21 points last season and also 165 hits last season, averaging just over two per game.
Now the big issue remains the cap as the Stars cannot afford any of these players for just picks and would need to move some money off the books if they were to go for these 'premium' support players. However, perhaps with salary retention, the Stars could target these players closer to the deadline as they'll look to add rentals to help push for the playoffs.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
Stars Goalie is One Game Away from History
From The Archive: The Stars Realign