Monday was the trade deadline for the National Hockey League. While some teams such as the Winnipeg Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning, and New York Rangers were active, the Dallas Stars were quiet, not making a single move. To some, this was a surprise – but to Stars General Manager Jim Nill, it was just another day. Let’s take a look at the reasoning behind the Stars inactivity.
The Stars did not make any trades today. GM Jim Nill will speak shortly and we'll post a video recap afterwards.
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 26, 2018
Staying Put: Dallas Stars Silent at Trade Deadline
Fans across the NHL saw a lot of popular names on the move. Just a few that come to mind are Paul Stastny, Ryan McDonagh, Evander Kane, and Rick Nash. However, the Stars chose to stay out of the trade spotlight and keep their team the way it is.
What does this mean? Well, surely it is Jim Nill sending a message to his team that he believes they are just fine and are in good position to make a run in the playoffs. The Stars had a very busy and productive summer this past year, acquiring players such as Ben Bishop, Marc Methot, and Alexander Radulov. The team has rebounded quite well from last season and are currently 36-23-4 with a total of 76 points. The Stars also sit in fourth place in the Central Division.
“I like our dressing room,” Nill said Monday to SportsDay Dallas. “My message is, ‘I like where we’re at, I like our chemistry, so now it’s up to the guys in the dressing room to get the job done.'”
And so @DallasStars stand pat at the trade deadline. They've recalled Jason Dickinson from the American Hockey League. GM Jim Nill said he likes his team, like's the team's organizational depth and now it's on the guys in the room to get it done. Gauntlet thrown.
— Scott Burnside (@OvertimeScottB) February 26, 2018
Stars Receive the Message- Time to Act
The Stars players and coaching staff seem to agree with Nill’s decision. They received the message loud and clear and are ready to roll.
“This is our team. We’ve earned the right to fight for a playoff spot. That’s what we wanted,” head coach Ken Hitchcock said in an interview with NHL.com. “We knew going in that the group we have right now has made great strides and we want to keep going.”
Defenseman John Klingberg added, “Totally agree. Jim has done a great job. Just look at our roster. We love what we have. Obviously, we have (Martin) Hanzal out, and that hurts us a little bit, but we’ve got really good prospects in (Jason) Dickinson and even (Denis) Gurianov and Roope Hintz and all those guys down there. We are happy with what we have, and it’s up to us now for sure.” (NHL.com)
The Stars have only 19 games left. Currently in fourth place in the Central Division, the team would like to improve on that and get a higher seed for the playoffs. The only way to do that is to win. And the only way to do that is do play well with the players they have. Jim Nill made it clear that he has all the faith and confidence in his coaching staff and team, and it is now up to them to deliver. On Tuesday, the Stars put out the Calgary Flames by a score of 2-0 and will take on the hot Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
Nill: "When you first start talking, you really don't know what the prices are. But we started to see that the prices were very high." https://t.co/Lr6wJ3HsU3
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 26, 2018
Main Image Credit:
