Good morning, Stars fans! Let’s get the week started with the latest from GM Jim Nill.
If you think you hated how the Dallas Stars’ season ended, just imagine being Jim Nill. After assembling that team, after defeating the previous two Stanley Cup winners, losing to the Edmonton Oilers must have felt as anticlimactic to him as it did to the fans.
Nick Cotsonikas talked to the Stars’ GM at the World Junior Summer Showcase last week. The NHL.com columnist, who provided some great Stars content during the 2024 playoffs, got Nill’s thoughts on the untimely end of Dallas’ season:
“We went through a grinder to get there,” Nill said while scouting the World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena on Monday. “We went through a tough road. We took the tough way, nothing wrong with that. You’ve got to beat the best teams. It was good for us, but we maybe left …”
He paused for a moment.
“And I’m not knocking Edmonton or the teams that got there,” he continued. “Edmonton got there. They beat us, but I think we let something slip away.”
And with the Stars’ latest offseason moves, Nill thinks maybe – just maybe – the Victory Green Gang has improved:
“I think our team might be a little bit better than we were last year at this time, and now let’s see,” Nill said. “Let’s get the season started. Let’s see where we’re at.”
There’s much more, so be sure to read the full column. [NHL]
Stars Stuff
Mike Heika continues his Player Profile series with a look at the Phenomenotter himself.
Around The Leagues
- Speaking of Otter – and we were, weren’t we? – he’s made Ryan Dixon’s list of the NHL’s true No. 1 netminders. [SportsNet]
- The New York Islanders have high hopes for new coach Patrick Roy. Former Star Pierre Turgeon thinks they have good reason for optimism. [NHL]
- Did someone say former Star? Jaromir Jagr and Natalie Darwitz are the headliners for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Hall of Fame class of 2024. [IIHF]
Finally
Yep, there’s gonna be another of them. Congratulations to Kate and Tyler Seguin!