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Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill speaks to members of the media during his end of season news conference at Comerica Center on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Frisco. (Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News)
The NHL's offseason is moving quickly. Front office members and scouting departments league-wide are ready to shift their focus toward the 2026 NHL draft.
As the event approaches, a few hockey followers are wondering what the Dallas Stars could do. Dallas notably doesn't own a first-round pick in this year's draft, and won't make its first selection until the second round. Could Dallas look to work its way into the first round? Stars general manager Jim Nill addressed that question in a Saturday appearance on Sportsradio 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket (KTCK-AM).
"You're always looking to do that. Once again, the problem is the assets and you've got to be careful," Nill said. "We're trying to keep our assets together and it's no secret we've been a Stanley Cup contender the last, probably four or five years. We've moved out a lot of picks to supplement that over the years, and eventually you've got to pay the piper. They don't grow on trees, these picks. When you trade them away, and you don't want to trade anybody off your team, you're not going to have a lot of picks, so you've got to be very careful.
"You'd always like to, but we'll take it case by case and see where it's at."
Nill also addressed other key offseason topics like Jason Robertson's contract negotiations, Jamie Benn's playing future and more. Here's a look at what the Stars general manager said:
What is the status of Jason Robertson's contract negotiations?
Nill: "Jason's definitely a priority for us. He's a player we drafted, we developed. He's come in, he's become a star in the league. One of the top 10 or 20 scorers in the league, so he's definitely a player we want to get prioritized to get signed. We continue to go through those negotiations. I know everybody wants to get things done quick in that, but, really there's no pressure points, especially on the player's side right now. So we continue to discuss things, but like I said, there's really no deadlines right now. So everything is just kind of status quo."
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If it takes long to sign Robertson, could another team try to sign Mavrik Bourque to a restricted free agent contract? How big a concern is that for you, and can you prevent it?
Nill:"Well, that's with all the different scenarios we're looking at. We're continuing to talk to Mavrik, trying to get him signed also. He's a restricted free agent, so we'll continue to go through that process and see where it goes. But we have different plans in place for all those scenarios."
Where do we stand with Jamie Benn?
Nill: "I'm going to meet with Jamie. Going to meet with him again here after the draft and stuff, and see where he's at. Like I said, we want him back. He's a big part of our team and I don't see any, unless he thinks it's time, then we'll have to look different directions. But right now, I'm going to meet with him and discuss that with him after the draft."
Listen to the rest of Nill's appearance on The Ticket here.
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