Stars GM Nill signs two-year contract extension
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FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill has signed a two-year contract extension less than a month after being named GM of the year following the team's run to the Western Conference Final.
The deal announced Monday would keep Nill with the Stars through the 2025-26 season. The 65-year-old has said he hopes to work out a succession plan with owner Tom Gaglardi.
Nill just finished his 10th season in Dallas, which ended with a six-game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights after the Stars fell behind the eventual Stanley Cup champions 3-0 in the West final.
The Stars reached the 2020 Stanley Cup Final in the playoff bubble in Canada, losing to Tampa Bay in six games. They've reached the postseason six times under Nill.
“Jim has proven himself to be one of the best general managers in the NHL,” Gaglardi said. “He has meticulously built a team through free agency, trades and the NHL draft that’s among the best in the league, while also ensuring that the Stars are championship contenders for years to come.”
The highlight of Nill's tenure was the 2017 draft, when the Stars got top defenseman Miro Heiskanen and goalie Jake Oettinger in the first round and high-scoring forward Jason Robertson in the second. Dallas' top pick in 2021, Wyatt Johnston, was a key contributor as a 19-year-old this past season.
Nill's top move in free agency was the addition of longtime San Jose forward Joe Pavelski in 2019. He has been a staple on the top line and scored his 1,000th career point late in the regular season.
Nill hired Pete DeBoer as coach a year ago, and DeBoer became the second coach in NHL history to reach the conference finals with four different franchises.