Nill, Stars 'not blowing this up' after 1st-round playoff exit

There will be no overhaul of the Dallas Stars this offseason, general manager Jim Nill said Thursday.

Nill said he likes the makeup of his team despite losing to the Minnesota Wild in six games in the Western Conference First Round, which followed three straight trips to the Western Conference Final.

“We’re a good team, I’m not going to go and make a bunch of changes,” Nill said. “I’ve been through this rodeo before, going back to my years (as assistant general manager) in Detroit (with the Red Wings). We go three rounds and the next year you lose in the first round, and everybody wants to blow it up. And then you go the next year to the third round and win a Cup. 

“Is there going to be some changes? Yes probably, it’s going to happen organically, it’s going to happen with people pushing for jobs, but I’m not blowing this up, we’re too good of a team.” 

Dallas lost the last three games against Minnesota after taking a 2-1 series lead. That came after the Stars finished 50-20-12 during the regular season, the third straight season they won at least 50 games. 

In the past three conference finals, Dallas lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 and the Edmonton Oilers in 2024 and 2025.

“As we stand here today, the organization and myself are disappointed,” Nill said. “We have high expectations here and we didn’t fulfill that and it’s frustrating. What really makes it frustrating is, kind of what we went through this season. 

"All my years in hockey, it was probably one of the most demanding regular seasons I’ve ever gone through as a whole League, not only us but the whole League, with the scheduling, travel and for us really, the injuries. 

“That’s what makes it frustrating because we had heck of a season. We were third overall in the League, 50 wins, top 10 in all categories other than penalty killing. To sit here now and see we lost in the first round is disappointing.”

The Stars finished second to the Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11) in the Central Division, eight points ahead of the Wild (46-24-12). 

Injuries, however, caught up to Dallas and Nill read out the long list of ailments first-year coach Glen Gulutzan had to deal with throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. 

One of the most impactful was to forward Mikko Rantanen, who sustained a knee injury playing for Finland in a 3-2 semifinal loss to Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

Rantanen missed the Stars' next 15 games and returned on March 28 to play the final 10 games of the regular season. 

“Mikko had an MCL tear, so a major injury,” Nill said. “He came back, he was very competitive. He didn’t come back too soon, but it would have been nice to have one or two more weeks to get settled in.

“He never really got going again, and that’s not an excuse, it’s an injury and he battled to get back as soon as he could. But I never really thought he was himself, not most of the time coming back and to start the playoffs.”

Rantanen had 77 points (22 goals, 55 assists) in 64 games this season and seven points (one goal, six assists) in six playoff games.

The 29-year-old completed the first season of an eight-year, $96 million contract (average annual value $12 million) signed March 7, 2025, the day he was acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Logan Stankoven and four draft picks.

Dallas goes into the offseason with six players eligible to become unrestricted free agents, including 36-year-old captain Jamie Benn, who has played his entire 17 seasons with the Stars. Benn has been captain since the 2013-14 season.

“Jamie and I have talked just shortly,” Nill said. “We’re going to give him a couple of weeks, but I want him back. I think he wants to come back, but I’m going to give him that time. He needs to go through this and figure this out. The organization does want him back, yes.”

Benn, who missed the first five weeks of the season because of a collapsed lung sustained during a preseason game, had 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 60 games, and no points in six playoff games.  

“If any of you guys know Jamie, he’s devastated,” Nill said. “He takes these losses as hard as anybody. He takes responsibility for it. He just needs to sit down and be a good father, and a good husband right now and just chill a little bit and that’s what he wants to do, so I’m going to give him some time.”

Nill said if Benn does return, he will remain captain. 

“I think if you talk to anyone in the dressing room, he is a leader and he has so much respect,” Nill said. “You bring players in from other organizations, trades and things we did and stuff, and that’s always the first thing that comes up, is how strong the room is and how much respect there is for the leadership in the room. You’re always trying to figure out if there is a weakness here or there, but I don’t think that’s a weakness on our team.”

Dallas will also look to sign forward Jason Robertson, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent July 1.

The 26-year-old led Dallas with 96 points (45 goals, 51 assists) in 82 games and had eight points (five goals, three assists) in six playoff games, one point back of center Matt Duchene (nine points; two goals, seven assists) for the team lead. 

Robertson was in the last of a four-year, $31 million contract (AAV $7.75 million) he signed Oct. 6, 2022. 

“So my plan is to reach out to his agent here in the next week or so, and that’s our focus, is to get him signed,” Nill said. “He’s a big part of our team. We’ve drafted and developed him, and I think we want him to be a Dallas Star the rest of his career.”