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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Day One of NHL Free Agency is in the Books

Patience is still the watchword for the Dallas Stars. Other than signing both Curtis McKenzie and Patrick Eaves to two- and one-year contracts, respectively, the team made it through the first day of the Free Agency Frenzy without making much of a splash.

As Mike Heika put it, the Stars took care of their own. General manager Jim Nill explained why.

“We like what we have and we want to keep moving in that direction,” said general manager Jim Nill. “We’re still open to trades or making changes, but we also want to make sure we stay consistent and build from within.”

Heika goes on to point out that after working out new deals with Eaves and McKenzie, the Stars have 13 forwards under contract for next season.

That means at least one of top six forward spot seems wide open. Maybe it’s Eaves or McKenzie. Maybe it’s Brett Ritchie or Cody Eakin. Maybe it’s Jason Dickinson or Devin Shore pushing up from the minors.

“I think the game is changing where it’s not so much a top six, but a top seven or eight,” Nill said. “We believe in the young players we have, and we want to give them a chance to succeed.”

Although Nill concedes that a move could still be coming—more likely later in free agency—he continues to emphasize how much he likes the guys he already has.

“We’re certainly going to continue to monitor opportunities, but I don’t think today is the day to make a move,” Nill said. “It’s a long summer, and there’s a lot that can happen.”

What do y’all think? Any deals from yesterday that you wish the Stars had made? [DMN]

Hopefully everyone had a lovely Canada Day yesterday!

If you missed Sergei Zubov talk on The Ticket on Tuesday, never fear.

A lot went down yesterday, so if you need a refresher, you can recap with this handy tracker. [NHL]

Sure, it’s too early to know who’ll be the happiest long-term, but here are the winners and losers from opening day of free agency. [ESPN]

Chief among the debate has been Toronto’s decision to send Phil Kessel packing to Pittsburgh. Stars fans will get to see Kessel’s debut in black and gold firsthand during the 2015-16 opener. [Sportsnet]

Boston continues to have an active offseason. Yesterday, the team traded Reilly Smith (and Marc Savard) for Jimmy Hayes, while also inking Matt Beleskey to a five-year, $19 million deal. [NESN]

While the Stars themselves may not have been busy, there was a lot going on with former Dallas players. Backup goalies of seasons past—including Jhonas Enroth, Anders Lindback, and Richard Bachman—found new homes in the NHL. [DMN]

Former Dallas captain Brenden Morrow will be looking to play somewhere other than sunny Tampa Bay, Adam Pardy will stay in Winnipeg, and Shawn Horcoff is making us quickly forget anything good he ever did in Victory Green.

Antoine Vermette’s departure from the Coyotes turned out to be more like a quick vacation. If, you know, vacations usually included winning the Stanley Cup. [ESPN]

The Oilers made a few changes to their lineup, adding both defenseman Andrej Sekera and center Mark Letestu. [CBC]

Elsewhere in the Western Conference, Calgary re-signed Karri Ramo to a one-year deal and brought Michael Frolik into the fold. [Flames]

Sabres fans don’t have to worry about the draft’s second overall pick returning to play for Boston University.

Along with signing Brad Richards to a one-year contract, Detroit also signed Mike Green to a three year, $18-million deal. [Free Press]

Glen Sather stepped down as the New York Rangers general manager, although he’ll remain the team president. Assistant GM Jeff Gorton will take over as GM. [Newsday]

How did things end up like this for Mike Richards? A look at the rise and fall of the former King. [CBC]

Former Texas Stars captain Maxime Fortunus has found a new team in the AHL.

Ryan Lambert brings us Puck Daddy’s latest Power Rankings. The Stars decision to bring in Antti Niemi makes the list, but unfortunately not in a good way. [Puck Daddy]

Current free agent and former Dallas Stars draft pick Rich Clune wrote candidly about his battle with addiction over at The Player’s Tribune. It’s an honest account of his struggle over the years and is definitely worth a read. [The Player’s Tribune]

And finally, be sure to keep this in mind before retweeting that latest trade report.

Talking Points