Recently, NHL insider David Pagnotta reported that the Dallas Stars have expressed interest in Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane. At the time of this writing, the Stars still need to re-sign top restricted free agents (RFA) Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger, so it would be challenging for them financially to bring in Kane before the start of the 2022-23 campaign. Yet, with the future Hall of Famer being in the final year of his deal, this could be something that both teams explore before this upcoming season’s trade deadline passes.

With the Blackhawks rebuilding, Kane would be a prime rental candidate if he elects to waive his no-movement clause (NMC). Chicago would likely want at least a first-round pick, top prospect, and young NHL-caliber player in any move centering around the veteran. Let’s take a look at a few potential trade targets from the Stars that the Blackhawks should pursue in a hypothetical Kane blockbuster.

Denis Gurianov

Denis Gurianov is the young NHL forward who makes the most sense for the Blackhawks to target from the Stars. The 25-year-old winger is a former first-round pick who has shown glimpses in the past of being a quality second-liner. With the Blackhawks moving on from forwards like Alex DeBrincat, Dominik Kubalik, and Dylan Strome this offseason, it’s clear that Gurianov would be an immediate fit in their top-six. This, in turn, would provide him with a bigger role and could help him take that next step offensively.

Gurianov is coming off of a down year, however. In 73 games during the 2021-22 season, he had 11 goals and recorded 31 points. That is not bad production in the slightest, but he also had 30 points in only 55 games the season before. Thus, he certainly is capable of providing more, and perhaps a move to the Blackhawks could allow that to occur. This is especially the case if he is utilized on Chicago’s top power-play unit.