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Dallas Stars Biweekly Links: Jim Nill and a Potential Return to Hockey

Posted on by Tyler Mair

When it comes to the possibility of a season resumption for the NHL, count Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill as someone who believes hockey will be back sometime this summer. But before you get too excited, keep in mind that we’re still at least a month if not more before meaningful games will actually get played:

“Once we get the clearance to play games, we need to make sure players are up 100-percent speed,” Nill said. “We’re not gonna rush and the league isn’t going to say, ‘We’ve got 10 days, get in shape and let’s go at it…’ I think you are probably looking at three to four weeks of a training camp.”

A return to hockey will almost certainly mean a return to the Stanley Cup playoffs for Dallas, and would be the first time since 2006-08 that the Stars have made the postseason in consecutive years. So as much as it may irk fans, it makes sense that Nill hasn’t started a new head coaching search quite yet:

“I’ve talked to Rick numerous times and right from Day 1 that’s what we talked about,” Nill added. “Let’s see how this season ends… Let’s see how Rick feels about things. Does he think if we have success, we keep going? Or does he prefer his other role? For now, the game plan is let’s get through this season and go from there.”

You can read more from Sean Shapiro here.

Stars Stories

ICYMI it last week, here’s a Q&A with Tyler Seguin if you’re now in the interview mood:

Once upon a time, the Stars we actually able to beat the St. Louis Blues in the second round of the playoffs:

Thomas Harley has a good chance of making the NHL roster this year, adding to what’s becoming a studded blueline in Dallas:

Around the League

Rather than link several COVID-19 related hockey articles to you, I’m just gonna link ESPN’s latest roundup on the topic:

Two weeks after the Chicago Bulls fired their GM mid-pause, the Chicago Blackhawks have fired CEO and President John McDonough:

After being gone from the NHL for two seasons, Joel Ward has officially retired from professional hockey:

Count this as completely unsurprising:

Finally, the NHL salary cap will likely be the same for next season due to a loss of revenue, but that shouldn’t affect the Stars too much:

Talking Points