A COMPLETE makeover in Dallas!

Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill was more than busy this summer. It has been non-stop all summer for the GM who made significant changes in all departments. 

He started by changing things behind the bench; Lindy Ruff would not return for the 2017-2018 season and Ken Hitchcock took his place. Hitchcock coached from 1996 to 2001 in Dallas, and led the team to their Stanley Cup win in ’99. Nill believes Hitchcock can do it again. 

The GM was just getting started. Management fixed one of the biggest Stars’ problems: the goaltending and acquired Ben Bishop from the Tampa Bay Lightning. To help him out, he took veteran blueliner Marc Methot from the Vegas Golden Knights, where he was taken from the Ottawa Senators. Nill went on to add more power to his offense lines, as he signed Alexander Radulov and Martin Hanzal. After the loss of Patrick Sharp and Cody Eakin, Radulov and Hanzal are expected to fill in and spark Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza. 

You may think with all those changes, the Stars were quiet at the NHL Draft, but think again. They acquired Miro Heiskanen as a 3rd overall pick, followed by Jake Oettinger (26th overall), Jason Robertson (39th overall), and more.

Veteran players were offered contract extensions, like Esa Lindell who was signed to a 2-year, $4.4 million contract, Brett Ritchie to a 2-year, $3.5 million contract, Radek Faksa to a 3-year, $6.6 million contract, and Jamie Oleksiak to a 1-year, $964,688.

A lot of players were added, but the loss of Sharp, who signed back with the Chicago Blackhawks hurt.  Ales Hemsky went to the Montreal Canadiens and Antti Niemi to the Pittsburg Penguins, but Nill acted quickly and wisely to allow his team to improve and make this season way better than last year’s.