Jim Nill has been one of the best General Managers the Stars have had in some time. He's been able to draft and develop some of the best talent in this organization. Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley, and others have been the result of the hard work and dedication of Nill and his team running the organization. I wouldn't be surprised if he were able to three-peat as the GM of the Year in the NHL. That would be quite an accomplishment for the Dallas Stars General Manager.
The Dallas Stars need a contingency plan in case Nill decides to retire within the next couple of seasons. He's getting up there in age, and he might want to step back and enjoy time with his family. It's perfectly understandable after all the work he's done for the Dallas Stars over the years. One name immediately comes to mind as the potential replacement for Nill, Former Dallas Stars player Jere Lehtinen. He has been the General Manager for Team Finland during the Four Nations Tournament and has also helped manage Finland's national program.
Now I'm sure Tom Gaglardi will go in a different direction when looking for the next general manager of the Dallas Stars when the time comes, but what's better than bringing in a former player of this organization who has his number retired in the rafters? He knows international hockey like the back of his hand and has nudged the Stars in the direction of Finnish talent that would work well with the Stars.
While Lehtinen would have to draft other players from other countries, he would be the perfect replacement for Nill when the time comes for him to head out to the lake and fish. I'm not trying to nudge Nill out of the front office at all. With the way he's been cooking as the Stars' GM, he can remain for as long as he wants to be a GM. However, you have to plan if he decides to retire in the next five seasons. That's why the Stars need to be prepared, and Lehtinen is the perfect candidate to replace Nill as GM of the Dallas Stars.