"He played with Roope Hintz in Finland," said Nill, who added that he has known Vatanen since he was drafted. "He's a good player, he's competitive, he's got experience. With our situation and our schedule, we just thought he was a good player to add at the right time."
Vatanen is right-handed, so he adds that element to a very left-handed group of defensemen. He also has run the power play in his past, and that could be big for the Stars' second unit. He was seen mostly as a skilled defenseman in his time with the Ducks, but took on more penalty killing responsibilities with the Devils, leading them in shorthanded time on ice per game at 2:33 in 30 games this season.
Either way, he has a chance to give the Stars some added depth, especially if Sekera is out for an extended period of time.
Nill said he resisted the temptation to dangle pending UFAs like Blake Comeau, Andrew Cogliano or Jamie Oleksiak for draft picks because the Stars are in the middle of an intense playoff hunt.
"We talked to teams, and you have to make a decision. Do we have a team bound for the playoffs or are you going to get some kind of draft pick for them?" Nill said. "We're in a real battle and I think it's more important for our player to continue doing what we're doing. We're trying to get in the playoffs and fighting for our lives. Because of our injuries, we don't have a lot of depth, and to get rid of those players just wasn't going to be the right move."