Stars' GM hoping for quick turnaround after disappointing season
Despite the team's struggles this season, Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill doesn't plan on going through a rebuild with his team anytime soon.
"Is it a major rebuild? No. I guess that is the bright light in all this. We've got a lot of major pieces here, and we're going to get this back together. It's going to be a quick turnaround," Nill said during an interview with Bruce LeVine and Owen Newkirk of The Ticket.
After finishing with 109 points in 2015-16 - the second-highest total in the NHL - the Stars have regressed significantly in 2016-17, as they stand only 77 points with just one game remaining in the regular season.
The fall of the Stars has been quite shocking, considering the only major departure from the club in the offseason was winger Valeri Nichushkin, who left for CSKA Moscow of the KHL.
The rest of the team has remained relatively the same, though injuries were a major factor in lack of lineup continuity.
The oft-injured Jason Spezza missed some time. So too did fellow veterans Patrick Sharp and Ales Hemsky. Even when this trio was healthy, their production fell off a steep cliff compared to last season.
Sharp and Hemsky are both unrestricted free agents following the season and likely won't be back. The departure of these two veterans will free up $9.9 million in cap space.
Superstars Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin still had stellar campaigns, but they were unable to carry to the team like they did at times in 2015-16.
Yet, perhaps the major reason the Stars took a step back this year was their goaltending. Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi have combined for an .894 save percentage - the second-worst in the NHL.
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The Stars were able to hide this glaring weakness last season thanks to a league-best offense and the third-highest 5v5 Corsi For percentage, per Corsica.Hockey. This season, though, they have ranked in the middle of the pack in both goals for and CF percentage.
"You have to have good goaltending in this league. If you don't have good goaltending, you are not winning," said Nill. "The goaltending has to take their share of the blame. But it is the play of the team that hasn't helped them out. It's a family affair."
Unfortunately, both Lehtonen and Niemi are each under contract for one more season. The tandem has a combined cap hit of $10.4 million in 2017-18.
Nill could turn to a free-agent goaltender such as Ben Bishop, Ryan Miller, or Brian Elliott to solve his team's issues in the crease, but all three will likely cost a pretty penny.
Nill will have to find a way to ditch one of Lehtonen or Niemi, or, ideally, both. That won't be easy.
He could try to convince Golden Knights GM George McPhee to take on one of their salaries while also sending a prospect to Vegas as compensation. The other option would be buy out one goaltender.
Regardless, Dallas won't be going far with its current tandem between the pipes.
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Despite the foggy forecast in net, there is still plenty of hope for the Stars. Seguin is just 25 years old and Benn is only 27. There is still a large window to win while these two are still in their prime.
In fact, the injuries and poor play this season have forced the Stars to see what they have in some younger players, which could be beneficial down the road.
"Our young guys have been good. You have to give them credit," said Nill, speaking of players such as LW Remi Elie, D Julius Honka, and C Jason Dickinson, who are all just 21. "They have been competing hard, and they have been probably the bright light in what isn't a very bright situation right now."
Though a "retooling" almost never works, it might be possible for Nill and the Stars given the dynamic duo of Benn and Seguin and the influx of young talent on the way.
There are still holes to fill all through the roster, but the departures of Hemsky and Sharp will leave Nill with some money to play with this coming offseason. How he intends to spend it is up to him.