PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- Jim Nill said he was left with an empty feeling after the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The general manager watched his Dallas Stars defeat the previous two Stanley Cup winners -- the 2023 champion Vegas Golden Knights in seven games in the Western Conference First Round, the 2022 champion Colorado Avalanche in six games in the second.
The Stars made the conference final for the second straight season and third time in five. They had a chance to win it all.
Only to lose to the Edmonton Oilers in six games.
"We went through a grinder to get there," Nill said while scouting the World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena on Monday. "We went through a tough road. We took the tough way, nothing wrong with that. You've got to beat the best teams. It was good for us, but we maybe left …"
He paused for a moment.
"And I'm not knocking Edmonton or the teams that got there," he continued. "Edmonton got there. They beat us, but I think we let something slip away."
The challenge is to grab it this season.
The Stars will look different after a series of offseason changes, but they remain contenders, and Nill, voted GM of the Year by his peers each of the past two seasons, has room under the NHL salary cap to maneuver if needed.
"I think our team might be a little bit better than we were last year at this time, and now let's see," Nill said. "Let's get the season started. Let's see where we're at."
The Stars had question marks last summer. Among them: Would center Wyatt Johnston avoid a sophomore slump? Could defenseman Thomas Harley make an impact? What about forward Logan Stankoven?
Well, Johnston led Dallas with 32 goals. Harley seized a spot in the top four and now needs a new contract as a restricted free agent.
"We'll get him done," Nill said. "It's a process you've got to go through. I don't foresee it becoming an issue."
Stankoven led the American Hockey League with 57 points (24 goals, 33 assists) in 47 games for Texas before he was called up Feb. 24. He had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 24 NHL games.
This offseason, the question marks include: How will the Stars replace forward Joe Pavelski and defensemen Chris Tanev and Ryan Suter? Can forward Mavrik Bourque make an impact in the NHL after he had 77 points (26 goals, 51 assists) in 71 games for Texas and was named the most valuable player of the AHL last season?
Pavelski was a key leader and scored 27 goals last season. The 40-year-old is retiring.
"It's going to be a big loss, but we knew it was going to come eventually, and now somebody else has to step up and grab that," Nill said. "It's an opportunity for guys."
Tanev played an important shutdown role after he was acquired in a three-team trade Feb. 28, but when he and the Stars couldn't agree on a contract, the pending unrestricted free agent was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 29 and signed a six-year contract with them two days later.
Suter was plus-14 and averaged 18:56 of ice time last season. The 39-year-old was bought out June 28 and signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Blues on July 10.
Dallas signed three veteran defensemen July 1: Matthew Dumba (two-year contract), 30, Ilya Lyubushkin (three years), 30, and Brendan Smith (one year), 35. They have younger defensemen in the mix, including Nils Lundkvist, 24, and Lian Bichsel, 20.
Can Harley, 22, can take yet another step?
"Let's see where it all fits," Nill said. "We're a good team. Let's see where it comes together and where it goes. Really, everybody's just got to continue to mature and grab bigger roles."
Nill has flexibility to adjust depending on what happens.
"The good thing, we've got cap room because of the moves we made," he said. "We've got cap room to do things. Let's see. Do we stay healthy? Do we get injuries and have to make some decisions? The foundation of the team is good. It's strong. Now let's see. Do we have to add to it? Do injuries impact something? We'll see where we're at."
