The Dallas Stars upgraded at the trade deadline by trading for Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames. The way Jim Nill pulled off that deal without giving up a top-three prospect or a first-round pick should be celebrated. It was another signature Jim Nill trade where it didn't impact the Stars' chances of winning the division. However, what he said after the trade deadline has me somewhat concerned. Let's dive into what he said after the trade deadline yesterday.
Dallas Stars Radio Analyst Bruce LeVine reported that Jim Nill said, “We have internal options that are better than any other trade we could have made. Logan Stankoven is an example of that.” You have to give him props for not making a random trade and ruining the future of this team. When will we see these internal options at the NHL level? The Stars did call up Logan Stankoven to fill in for Tyler Seguin while he recovers. However, fans wonder when we will see these other prospects that Nill has been glowing about.
Instead of jumping on day one and signing random free agents except for Matt Duchene, let's look internally at these options before signing players. Mavrik Bourque is more than ready to join the Stars at the NHL level. He currently has 20 goals and 42 assists through 62 games this season. Daryl Reaugh mentioned earlier this season he doesn't have much left to develop at the AHL level.
I'm not trying to critique how Nill does his job as the General Manager. He's been an excellent manager during his time with the Dallas Stars. I don't want him jumping to sign players like Sam Steel and Craig Smith when we have players like Bourque and Matej Blumel down in the minor leagues. They cost less and have proven they can contribute at the NHL level. While we might re-sign Joe Pavelski for one more season, it's time to see if we can start bringing up the young guns from Cedar Park. The Stars could be 20 times better next year if you give the top prospects a chance.