The long-term signing of the young defenseman to a cap-friendly contract still leaves the Stars in an ideal heading into this offeason and beyond.
Jim Nill hasn't had unmitigated success in his term as Dallas Stars general manager so far. There are deals that didn't work out the way he'd probably hoped for Sergei Gonchar and even Ales Hemsky to this point, and of course there's the apparently never-ending quest for a competent backup goalie.
But one area Nill has managed masterfully is the team's salary cap. Despite having highest paid goaltenders in the NHL and a lineup of elite forwards, the Stars remain in the ideal salary cap situation even after the seven-year, $4.