Missing the playoffs is not something Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill wants to experience again.
“That’s something we don’t want to get accustomed to,” Nill said.
It’s why Nill has invested so heavily this offseason in veterans with championship experience. Three new Stars players – forward Patrick Sharp, defenseman Johnny Oduya and goalie Antti Niemi – have six Stanley Cup titles collectively.
“We’ve been very fortunate,” Nill said. “These guys have all won Stanley Cups. They’ve been the best players at their positions. They do things right on and off the ice and that’s going to make us better.”
All three players have also spent time playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, which, according to Nill, is not a coincidence.
“I have so much respect for Chicago,” Nill said. “They’ve won three [Stanley] Cups in six years. That means they’re doing something right. They’re drafting right. They’re developing right. They have the right players in place. We have an opportunity here, because of the [salary] cap and our position, to get some players in that position. And they’re only going to make us better.”
