NHL Trade Rumors: Dallas Stars Should Turn Away Callers for Mike Ribeiro

The Dallas Stars are floating Mike Ribeiro around the trade block, but with the playoffs on the horizon, they should hold on to the high-scoring center.

The Stars are currently 32-26-4, good for third in the Pacific division. If the postseason started today, they would have the eighth seed in the Western Conference. While that's obviously not an ideal playoff position, it's not worth sacrificing for whatever they could bring in by dealing Ribeiro.

Anything can happen in the postseason and the Stars will need all the scoring power they have once they get there.

Ribeiro has incredible offensive ability, and although he's slowed a bit since his All-Star campaign in 2007-08, he's still one of the most potent offensive centers in hockey.

This season, he's third on the Stars with 45 points and tied for second on the team with 32 assists.

Ribeiro has netted at least 20 goals three times during his 11 year career. He's currently sitting at 13 this season, and with a month and a half to go before playoff time, I wouldn't be surprised if he reaches that clip again.

I'm assuming Dallas GM Joe Nieuwendyk has his sights set on the long-term, but he can't afford to trade an offensive force like Ribeiro. As this Sharks fan pointed out, Dallas wouldn't be the first team to make a major mistake by dealing Ribeiro.

"

The dude in the Habs office who thought it was a good idea to get rid of Mike Ribeiro should be thrown in the icy lake.

— Evan Galway (@Ghostface2K) February 24, 2012"

Ribeiro, for all his faults, is still capable of pulling off ridiculous offensive feats. The Stars will need him for their upcoming playoff push, and if they want to reach the postseason for the first time since 2008, they will turn away Ribeiro's potential suitors.