Dallas Stars CEO Jim Lites ripped into forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn on Friday, but owner Tom Gaglardi made it clear that Lites' comments don't mean that any sort of shakeup is imminent.
"Our best players have to be our best players," Gaglardi told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. "This is not about trading anyone. This is not about firing anyone. We are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year, and this team is built to win and contend now. We need to take advantage of the opportunity we have in front of us."
However, Friedman believes that there will be fallout if the club does indeed miss the playoffs.
Benn is averaging 0.79 points per game, which is the worst since his rookie season. The captain is the currently the team's highest-paid player at $9.5 million.
Seguin is also having a down year, as his 0.84 points per game are his worst since arriving in Dallas. He signed an eight-year, $78.8-million extension this past summer that will kick in next season. Both players have full no-movement clauses.
Jim Montgomery is in his first season as head coach of the Stars, while general manager Jim Nill has been in charge since April of 2013.
Lites' harsh comments have been a point of discussion for the NHLPA, according to The Athletic's Sean Shapiro.
