Nieuwendyk’s tenure as the GM was short lived, but the transactions he completed are having a lasting effect. His first transaction brought in goalie, Kari Lehtonen. At the time, Lehtonen’s career was floundering. Drafted second overall in the 2002 NHL Draft, he was falling short of expectations with the struggling Atlanta Thrashers. Since his move to the Stars, Lehtonen has become the bona fide starter and plays a crucial role on a team with a shaky defensive core.
Nieuwendyk proceeded to bring in offensive defenseman Alex Goligoski from Pittsburgh but it did cost the Stars both James Neal and Matt Niskanen. Goligoski, although, has meshed well with Trevor Daley on the top defensive pairing. This past season Goligoski notched 42 points good for third best on the team.
Nieuwendyk’s other moves included moving Mike Ribeiro to Washington and bringing in Cody Eakin, trading Steve Ott to Buffalo for Derek Roy and signing veterans Ray Whitney and Jaromir Jagr. These moves might seem negligible, but they have paid great dividends. Eakin has developed into a stingy third line center. Ray Whitney has been a mentor for many of the youngsters on the team. And Roy and Jagr were traded for picks and prospects to add more depth to the farm system. It should also be noted that Dallas’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, just won the Calder Cup (AHL championship) this past year.
These moves failed to get the Stars to the playoffs, so that was it for Nieuwendyk and in came Jim Nill. Nill wasted no time as he went out and traded Loui Eriksson and Riley Smith to the Boston Bruins for Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverly. Seguin and Peverley were very effective this year for the Stars. The Seguin and Jamie Benn connection looks that it can blossom into a powerful offensive punch for years to come. Pair that with Valeri Nichushkin, who is a product of the Stars farm system, and you have a potentially very quick and potent first line. Now that Alex Chiasson was dealt along with other prospects to Ottawa for Jason Spezza, the Stars now boast a lineup that features a dynamic blend of speed, offense, grit, and a solid veteran presence. Rebuilds are tough for any franchise to go through. Tough calls had to be made and fan favorites had to go. But in the end, the many meticulous moves made by Nieuwendyk and the blockbusters orchestrated by Nill now have the Stars in position to compete in the Central division, so long as their defense holds up.