The Stars (35-17-9) are currently tied for first place in the Central Division with the Winnipeg Jets with four games remaining. Dallas ranks 14th in the NHL in points per game (3.03).
“We are fortunate to have the opportunity to add a player of Chris' caliber to our team,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “He is a proven defenseman with postseason experience who is comfortable in all on-ice situations. Chris is one of the best penalty killers in the NHL and will be a tremendous addition to our special teams play. It will be.”
Grushnikov, 20, has played in 44 games with Texas of the American Hockey League this season, recording five points (one goal, four assists). He was selected in the second round (48th pick) of the 2021 NHL Draft.
The Flames (29-25-5) are on a four-game winning streak and are five points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference to advance to the playoffs.
“Obviously, Chris, it's never easy to let players go, given what he means to the organization and what he's done for us over four years, but we know that We knew it was something we had to do,” Flames general manager Craig Conroy said. He told NHL.com. “Moving forward, we've had a lot of conversations with different teams to understand what's best for the Calgary Flames in terms of what we're trying to do here and what we're trying to accomplish. “The fact that we're able to get Artem Grushnikov is that he's a young player,” a 20-year-old defensive defenseman who is good on the penalty kill, strong and just an all-around solid defender. … I think he's a player we would be happy to add to our group. ”
The Devils (30-25-4) are five points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot with two games remaining.
NHL.com independent correspondent Aaron Vickers contributed to this report.
