How & Why Vladislav Kolyachonok Was Re-Claimed Off Waivers By The Stars

The Dallas Stars originally acquired 24-year-old Belarusian defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok during an offseason trade last July with the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of a deal to offload Matt Dumba’s contract from their salary cap. He started the season with the AHL’s Texas Stars, but was recalled to Dallas in mid-November and appeared in 11 NHL games for the Stars. As some injured players got healthy, Dallas elected to placed Kolyachonok on waivers on December 16th with the intent to send him back down to the AHL. However, he was claimed by the Boston Bruins, although he only featured in two games for Boston and was a healthy scratch for another 14 games. The Bruins placed him on waivers on November 20th, the same day they faced the Stars at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Stars pounced and re-claimed Kolyachonok, who was then allowed to be assigned to the Texas Stars (AHL) on November 21st. The DLLS Stars Podcast, along with in-studio guest Robert Tiffin of StarsThoughts.com, talk through this saga and discuss why this an important move for the defensive depth of the organization.