Nill: 'In the end, I like where our team is at'

The Dallas Stars were quiet at Monday's NHL trade deadline, opting to make no deals. Shortly after the deadline passed, Stars GM Jim Nill talked to the media and shared his thoughts on the team's approach to the trade deadline.
Here is some of what he had to say.

Question: With the trade deadline in the books, can you talk us through what the approach was today
Nill: "Right from Day 1, when we go back to the start of the season, July 1, we made a lot of changes to our team. I like where our team is at. The big thing was going to be how healthy we stayed. Getting (Marc) Methot back is a big addition for us before the trade deadline. Overall, I like where our team is at. If we could have added another experienced player somewhere we might have done it, but the price had to be right. There were just none of those fits. I like our depth in our organization. We have lots of players down in Austin that are knocking on the door. I like where our team is at and unless it was going to be a real type of hockey trade I knew there probably wasn't going to be a lot going on."
Question: Once the market was set, the prices seemed very high. Was there ever a point where it seemed like a deal could come to fruition, or was there nothing close?
Nill: "There's always lots of talk. When you first start talking you don't know what the prices are, but we started to see that the prices were very high and unless we got some major injury that was going to force us to make a trade, there wasn't anything major that we were going to be doing."
Question: Considering injuries, how much did the uncertainty of Martin Hanzal play into how you approached today?
Nill:"We weighed into that, but we know he is still going to be coming back. He might be in and out of the lineup the whole season, but with the players we have down in Austin I am very comfortable - (Jason) Dickinson, (Roope) Hintz, (Curtis) McKenzie, Brian Flynn. We've got some good players down there. I am not too worried about the depth that way. I am happy where our team is at. We've played some good hockey, and I believe in our team. Now, we can move forward and go from there."

Question: Sometimes at the deadline, teams talk about if you make an add, that shows management supports the team. Are you looking at it the other way? Where you are saying, 'This is a room where we believe in what we have?'
Nill: "Anytime you make changes, you have to be careful with the dressing room. I like our dressing room; there is good chemistry down there. I like how we've played. I watched our trip where we were out West there. We didn't get the wins maybe we wanted to, but I liked how we played the game. I guess my message to the team is like where we are at, I like our chemistry, and now it's up to the guys in that dressing room to go do the job."
Question: Did you have a lot of calls coming your way?
Nill:"There were lots of calls. This was going on for almost two weeks. We did have a lot of interest in some of our players, some of the players down in Austin -- some of our prospects. But in the end, I like where our team is at. I like where our organization is at. We are getting good depth built up, and we are keeping our draft picks, and that's not only important for today but for down the road."
Question: With the draft in Dallas this summer, did that factor into you wanting to hold onto picks?
Nill: "No. With the draft, if there was a trade that made sense that was going to help us win the Cup, that was going to be no problem. But in today's cap world and in today's NHL if you don't have draft picks it is going to catch up to you. I think we did a good job last year replenishing our depth in the organization. We've got some good young kids coming, and I don't want to break that chain right now."
This story was not subject to approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mark Stepneski is an independent writer whose posts on DallasStars.com reflect his own opinions and do not represent official statements from the Dallas Stars. You can follow him on Twitter @StarsInsideEdge.