The consensus among hockey experts across the continent is that Jim Nill won the summer.
The wily Stars general manager entering his fifth season in Dallas was backed into a corner after an injury-induced collapse pushed his team to 24th in the league at 34-37-11 last season. So he turned the franchise upside down, and now oddsmakers have listed the Stars in the top five contenders to win the Stanley Cup this season.
So how did Nill make this transition? He let go of head coach Lindy Ruff and assistant coach James Patrick, watched a bevy of older players walk away, and signed the best replacements he could find.