Today is a day that many people have been looking forward to for months, no I’m not talking about National Pancake Day, but the day before the highly anticipated NHL trade deadline. The day has been filled with excitement as players all across the league have been tossed to and fro as teams either attempt to build and prepare for next season or strengthen their teams heading into the playoffs.

The Dallas Stars are no exception, looking to strengthen their team for the future as well as fight off teams like the Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks, and Phoenix Coyotes, who are nipping at their heels for the wild card spot. They made a deal with the Anaheim Ducks that send their veteran D-man Stephane Robidas to the Ducks in exchange for a conditional 4th round draft pick in this year’s upcoming draft. This is a trade that many Dallas fans weren’t quite wanting, with Robidas being a fan favorite, but isn’t too surprising.

Robidas recently turned 37 and hasn’t played a game since late November when he broke both bones in his right leg in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. On top of that, Robidas will become an unrestricted free agent during the offseason. Despite this serious injury, Robidas has managed to make a quick recovery and is expected to be back later this season. He has made sure not to rush the recovery process, wanting to make sure he is fully healed so it won’t affect him too much if he becomes a free agent. This trade will provide Anaheim with a veteran defenseman that will help in their playoff run, which is likely to be a deep one, considering that the Ducks have been the number one in the league for practically the entire season.

While Stars fans may be upset with this trade, it is worth keeping in mind that getting rid of Robidas clears up 3.3 million dollars in cap space, meaning that there may be another big trade on the horizon for the Stars. If not, then the Stars are likely to use that space to hire a strong player as a free agent during the offseason. Only time will tell what will happen on the Stars roster as we count down until the trade deadline.