DALLAS — Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill said Thursday that a team has to weigh whether a star player fits before it disrupts a room that is already winning, and that the Mikko Rantanen trade cleared that test. Nill made the comments in an interview on NHL Network.
Dallas has not been drafting very high, Nill said.
“That’s the fine balance. You’re trying to, I always talk about, you’re trying to win today, you’re trying to win tomorrow, and you’re trying to make sure you’re competitive in six, seven, eight years down the road, and that’s the tough balance,” Nill said. “But when a star player does become available, I think it’s important to see, is it a fit for you? Can you make it work? Do you have the assets to add that player? Do you have the cap room to be able to add them?”
“So those are all the things you take into place, and really that’s what took place with Mikko Rantanen, as you mentioned. We thought he was a good fit for us,” Nill continued. “Where we’re drafting in the draft, we’re not drafting very high, so anytime you can get a player like that, it’s important to see if you have an opportunity to attain them. And we were able to do that.”
What The Mikko Rantanen Trade Cost
The Stars acquired Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes in March 2025 for Logan Stankoven, a 2026 first-round pick, a conditional 2028 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick. Rantanen signed an eight-year, $96 million extension before he played a game for Dallas.
Rantanen had 22 goals, 55 assists, and 77 points in 64 games last season. He missed 15 games with a lower-body injury he sustained playing for Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February. His 93 penalty minutes led the Stars. In six playoff games he had 1 goal, 6 assists, and 7 points.
The draft position Nill referenced is a consequence of the same approach. Dallas had no first-round pick in 2026 and none in 2025. Its most recent first-rounder was Emil Hemming, taken 29th overall in 2024. The Stars held one pick in the first four rounds this June and selected 59th, 155th, 187th, 197th, and 219th.
Three Conference Finals And A First-Round Exit
Dallas reached the Western Conference Final in three straight seasons from 2023 through 2025 and lost each time. The Stars went 50-20-12 for 112 points last season and finished second in the Central Division. The Minnesota Wild eliminated them in six games in the first round.
Nill has won the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award three times, in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and is the only general manager in NHL history to win it three times. The Stars extended his contract through the 2027-28 season on March 31.
The Bill On The Cap Sheet
Dallas has kept spending against the ceiling. Pro Hockey Rumors, working from PuckPedia figures, listed the Stars last month at $105,360,333 in cap charges against the $104 million upper limit, or $1,360,333 over. Jason Robertson signed a one-year, $12 million contract on July 21 and becomes eligible to sign an extension Jan. 1. Thomas Harley began an eight-year deal this season at a $10.587 million average annual value.
Dallas opens training camp Sept. 17 at Comerica Center in Frisco. The Stars host the St. Louis Blues in the regular-season opener on Oct. 2 at American Airlines Center, with puck drop at 8 p.m. CT on TNT.
