Thank you Detroit

So the off season has entered the shoot me now I am bored section so I thought I would review what Mr Jim Nill has done with his new team. This could take a while....

Let me start off by saying as the title says.... Thank you Detroit! Jim Nill has worked wonder with the team (on paper at least) and has really put the Stars on the map. I was saying yesterday it is really weird to see the Stars mentioned so much on the NHL facebook page and official site as well as other media outlets. The team is changing for the better and people seem to be taking notice.

Since the draft Nill has turned his attention from the future to the present and has made a string of moves that makes the team better now. The best bit of all this is that he hasn't done that at the cost of the future, in fact the moves have made our future even better.

7th June, traded a conditional 2013 6th round pick for Sergei Gonchar. 8th June, signed Gonchar to a 2 year $10m contract.
When this happened I was happy enough that Nill was addressing the need for a defender capable of running a power play. After the draft, this move makes even more sense as it became apparent they had been targeting Nichushkin and intentional or not, they now have the perfect mentor for the young Russian. Gonchar brings with him a wealth of experience and although his best days are behind him, he proved capable of running a teams defence when Karlsson got injured in Ottawa by putting up 27 points in 45 games. His presence also will relieve pressure on the wealth of prospects in Austin as they do not have to come in and be the go to guys before they are ready.

20th June, signed Lindy Ruff.
One of Nill's first things on his to do list was to find a replacement for Gulutzen. The process took a while and there was some nervous times as guys the Stars were looking at signed elsewhere. Eakins in Edmonton and AV in New York. That said, Nill said all along he was in no hurry and wanted to be sure he made the right move and one of his biggest needs was experience. Ruff brings that in buckets and although his last few years in Buffalo weren't the best, he has proved he can coach a winning team. You don't stay that long in one organisation without doing something right. More recently Nill brought in James Patrick as an assistant coach to focus on the teams defence. I was nervous at first, and if I am honest I did not want Ruff, but the more I read about what he has been doing this off season to prepare and to get himself ready the more I am coming around to liking this move.

4th July, traded Loui eriksson, Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser and Joe Morrow for Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley and Ryan Button.
The big move of the summer. Nill made it known, almost from the day he signed, that his main aim was to move Benn back to his natural position on the wing. That naturally meant he needed both a #1 and #2 centre. Most Stars fans started looking at UFA options and the pickings were slim. None of us expected Nill to fill both needs in a single trade but with this move he did exactly that. The move was a pricey one as I don't think there is a single Stars fan that wanted to move Eriksson but in Tyler Seguin they got a potential super star who already has a 30 goal season and a stanley cup at the ripe old age of 21. With Benn on his wing, the two should hopefully grow together and form the foundation for a long term contender. They also received a very good player in Rich Peverley who gives them options in the top 6.

4th July, traded Philip Larsen and a 2016 7th round pick for Shawn Horcoff.
So having filled the top 2 centre spots Nill had done what he set out to do right? Wrong. In a very unexpected move Nill picked up Horcoff to move the Stars depth down the middle from almost empty to over flowing. Horcoff is a player who has a horrendous contract and the Oilers had been looking to move for a while but with plenty of cap space the Stars did not need to worry about this and in doing so traded for a player who can play a solid two way game and should help out both in the faceoff circle and on the penalty kill. In Philip Larsen they gave up a guy who showed flashes of potential but who struggled mightily this past season.

5th July, signed Dan Ellis to a 2 year $1.8m contract.
With Bachman gone the backup spot was empty and in Dan Ellis the Stars now have a reliable and proven backup. This should give Lehtonen the chance to rest when needed and allows for Campbell and Nihlstorp to run the AHL and have to earn their way into the NHL instead of being handed it.

6th July, signed Valeri Nichushkin to a 3 year entry level contract.
The much talked about 10th overall pick was the first move that really made Stars fans sit up and take notice of what Nill was doing. Nill had looked to trade up in the draft and had been targeting Nichushkin but the price was too high. In the end, he didn't need to as the young Russian fell into his lap. Nill has said over and over that he is going to give Nichushkin every chance he can to make the team but has also said the spot isn't his by default. He has the tools to be an NHL player but if he doesn't make it there will be much talk about him and the "Russian factor". As it stands, he has been allowed out of his 2 year deal in the KHL to play in the NHL. His KHL team could have tried to block his move but agreed he can leave if he gets an NHL spot. I see no problem with him returning to the KHL for a year if he doesn't make the team. People will freak but I would not see that as a sign he will never play for the Stars, more a step in his development. Either way, if he forces his way onto the team then it will not make a difference.

8th July, signed Chris Mueller to a 1 year $0.6m contract.
At first I looked at this and though wtf another centre? What about Eakin and Fiddler? But then it became apparent this was a move to address the depth at centre in the AHL. Mueller is a veteran player who has a small amount of NHL experience and has been a very good AHL player. He should help the Texas Stars stay near the top of the AHL and provide options when injuries hit.

And now for the pointless but mandatory lines bit.

So many options have been posted about by Stars fans on various sites and who knows what Ruff has up his sleeves but right now I would put the lines as follows.

Benn - Seguin - Peverley
Whitney - Horcoff - Chiasson
Nichushkin - Eakin - Cole
Roussel - Fiddler - MacDermid/Garbutt

Dillon - Robidas
Gonchar - Goligoski
Daley - Connauton/Rome/Benn

Lehtonen
Ellis

All of this makes me very excited for the season ahead and regardless of who goes where, I cannot wait to see what all of the new players can do.

TL;DR: Nill good, me like.