The Dallas Stars are not pursuing Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp despite several rumors naming them as a suitor, according to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. Heika, a Stars beat writer, has a source saying the team hasn’t been pushing for a Sharp deal with Chicago.
“He’s a great player, but he’s not what we need right now,” a Stars source told Heika. “It’s that simple.”
Sharp is considered one of the top players available on the trade market even with a $5.9 million annual cap hit, which is the big reason why the Blackhawks want to move him in the first place. Chicago can no longer afford to pay the winger that kind of money, but with a weak free agent market, Sharp can offer value to other teams.
It appears we can remove the Stars from the list of suitors, however, given that Heika is pretty plugged in with the franchise. That still leaves seven rumored destinations, including Florida, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Montreal and Washington, for Sharp.
We’ll likely know more about the winger’s future soon with the 2015 NHL Draft starting Friday night in Sunrise, Fla.