FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Stars were looking for a creative, right-handed shooting defenceman and on Monday they found one.
Stars general manager Jim Nill said his team was able to make a deal with the New York Rangers for 22-year-old Nils Lundkvist in exchange for a conditional first-round selection in the 2023 NHL draft and a conditional fourth-round selection in the 2025 NHL draft.
"Nils is a skilled defenceman that adjusted to the North American game this past season and has a high ceiling," said Nill.
"We felt that adding a creative player like Nils to our defensive group was necessary, and he has a tremendous opportunity to establish himself as an everyday impact defenceman at the NHL level."
The five-foot-11 Lundkvist split the 2021-22 campaign between the Rangers and Hartford of the American Hockey League. He recorded four points in 25 regular-season games with the Rangers, including his first career goal on Dec. 8 against Colorado. Lundkvist also posted 15 points in 34 AHL games for the Wolf Pack.
He was originally selected by the Rangers in the first round (28th overall) of the 2018 NHL draft.
The native of Pitea, Sweden, was named the winner of the Salming Trophy in 2020-21, which is awarded annually to the best Swedish-born defenceman in the SHL, as selected by Hockey Hall of Famer Borje Salming.
Lundkvist's 14 goals in 2020-21 were the most in one season by a defenceman under the age of 21 in SHL history.
