00:00Jim Nill on Sean and RJ 105.3 The Fang. Good morning, Jim. How are you?
00:05Good morning, guys. How's everybody today?
00:07Doing great. You know, Coach, Jim, we're doing so optimistic because the Cowboys pulled out this trade for Joey Porter.
00:14You're somebody who's pulled off a number of big deals in recent years.
00:18As somebody who's done that, what is that, when a deal goes through like that, how do you process that
00:23and feel like that?
00:23Is it something like just elation and euphoria? Is it relief? Like, okay, stress is gone now.
00:28We can just rest a little bit. What's the feeling in the immediate aftermath when you make a big deal
00:32like that?
00:33Well, I think the thing that people need to realize is the preparation that goes into it.
00:38You know, it's not something that you just, you know, yesterday you made two phone calls and you got a
00:43trade done.
00:43This was probably something that was going on for quite a while.
00:47You start planting seeds, you start, you got to figure out, you know, your cap situations, your roster situations.
00:52And so there's a lot of preparation that goes through it.
00:55And you're probably relieved, I guess, with a lot of it because you'd never, until it's done, it's never done.
01:01And so, like I said, you just, you grind away at it.
01:05And when it is, when it's finished, you're, you know what, you're, you're happy for your team.
01:10You've given the players an opportunity.
01:12You've added a player that makes your team better.
01:14And that's what the players want.
01:15Jim, we all praise you guys as being the best and most successful organization in DFW, but obviously haven't recently
01:23gotten over that final edge.
01:26Why could this year be different in terms of how you guys are built and what you have?
01:32Why could this finally get you guys to where you ultimately want to be?
01:36Well, you know, there's a lot of good teams in the Metroplex here.
01:39So to say we're the best, you know, one thing I've learned, stay humble.
01:42So I know everybody's working to be the best and sometimes things work and they don't.
01:46But, you know, why is it this year?
01:48You know, the most important thing, you just want to keep giving yourself a chance.
01:53It's, you know, I don't want to sound pessimistic, but it is, it's hard to win that final, to, you
01:59know, to win the final trophy.
02:01It's a tough thing to do.
02:02And so the biggest thing is you remain humble, you get at it.
02:06And you just want to be giving yourself a chance.
02:09You know, every, every year, you just want to give yourself a chance and be in the mix.
02:12A lot of things have to go right.
02:14You know, you got to stay healthy.
02:16You got to get the right breaks at the right time.
02:18And if those things come apart, and as long as you've given yourself that opportunity to do it, you know,
02:23you've got a chance.
02:24And that's where we're at with our team.
02:26Matt Duchesne placed on IR.
02:28We saw that yesterday.
02:29Can you explain the thought process?
02:31Why you guys didn't put him on the LTIR?
02:34And obviously, Stars fans are sensitive to Matt's injuries.
02:38How concerned should Stars fans be?
02:40And why did you guys decide the route you did?
02:43Well, he's, he came, actually came to camp in great shape.
02:48Probably been in the best shape he's ever been.
02:50And unfortunately, he just got dinged up in training camp.
02:55And we thought he was going to play the last exhibition game.
02:58Couldn't.
02:58And it hasn't got better.
02:59So we decided to put him on LTIR.
03:03And we're still going to decide if we want to go LTIR.
03:05We're still waiting for some reports from doctors and trainers and medical people in that.
03:09So it just, it's going to give us an opportunity, hopefully, maybe to, if we put him on LTIR, if
03:15we decide to go that route, we can bring some other players up just to expand their rosters.
03:19So it's just a situation.
03:21Unfortunately, like I said, Matt came to camp in great shape.
03:25I mean, he was excited to get going.
03:26He had his best playoffs ever.
03:28So he was real excited.
03:29But sometimes these things happen.
03:31I had a good talk with him yesterday.
03:33It's the big picture.
03:34You know, we got 84 games this year.
03:37And it's a long year.
03:39And the most important part is get him healthy and make sure he's ready to go for the whole season
03:42and the playoffs.
03:43Jim Nill joining us here on 105.3.
03:45Jim, Glenn Gullitson had told the media the other day you guys will likely play with 11 forwards and seven
03:51defensemen.
03:52You guys have only done that a few times in the last few seasons.
03:55Why is that an unpopular or uncommon approach for most coaches?
04:00Well, you know, the biggest thing is in this, let's see, the way the game is played nowadays is you've
04:07got four lines.
04:08It's just so much easier to roll four lines, put pressure on the team.
04:12That's really how our team is built is with depth.
04:15You know, there's some teams that might be top heavy in players, which, you know, because of the salary cap
04:22and because of the high end of those players, they play those players more.
04:26We're more built on four lines.
04:28We think it gives us more success.
04:30You know, you look at Carolina who won.
04:31It's all about we just think the depth of the four lines coming at you as a team is really
04:36effective.
04:37And that's why we prefer to do that.
04:39But if you have to go 11-7, we're still set up pretty good for that.
04:42So we have lots of flexibility that way.
04:44Stars GM Jim Nill right here on Sean and RJ 105.3 The Fan.
04:48And, Jim, we're having a lot of examination over NFL preseason and how much it is leading to injuries and
04:55guys not really practicing as much.
04:58Talk about y'all's changes to your preseason and specifically for the Stars.
05:03Jake Ottinger didn't play in the preseason.
05:05Practicing now.
05:06How are you viewing the changes in hockey's preseason?
05:10And how are you looking at Jake?
05:13Well, our game's really evolved.
05:14You know, it used to be, you know, go back or go back to my days way, way back.
05:17You know, you kind of came to camp to get in shape.
05:20And now today's athletes, they're in tip-top shape 12 months of the year.
05:24You know, they're very dedicated.
05:25You know, we had players skating back in June at a practice facility, getting prepared for the next season.
05:31So training camps, you know, used to be the three or four weeks and get prepared.
05:35Guys, because of their conditioning and how they're ready to go, we decided to shorten up camps.
05:41And I think it's a great idea.
05:44You are always worried about injuries and that.
05:47But where our game is a little bit different, our players do need a couple games to kind of get
05:51themselves going usually.
05:53You know, there's going to be different situations because of injuries may not happen.
05:56But players usually prefer to get one or two games in just to get the feel of the puck and,
06:02you know, the speed of the game and the hits on your body and that.
06:05So I think it will cut down on injuries a little bit, much like the NFL has decided to do.
06:10But our players do.
06:11Most of them would prefer to play one or two games just to get themselves ready.
06:15Jim, you know, Maverick Bork was a critical piece for you all last year, especially in 5-on-5.
06:21How do you see guys stepping up?
06:24Who do you envision really stepping up with the absence of Bork this season?
06:28Well, we've got, you know, one thing we kind of, people kind of forget is Tyler Sagan, we lost him
06:33in December last year.
06:34And he was maybe having one of his best all-round years.
06:38And so we lost him.
06:39So the addition of him coming back healthy is major for us.
06:42You know, he's probably a 25 to 30 goal scorer nowadays.
06:46So that's going to, you know, add to our lineup there.
06:48And then we've got some young players that are, you know, entering their second year.
06:52You know, Justin Ritzkovian, it's an opportunity for him to step up, get more ice time.
06:58So we just think with, like I say, healthy Tyler Sagan, players like Ritzkovian, you know, your fourth line chipping
07:04in a little bit more.
07:05We brought Keeve Uranti in.
07:07You know, a year ago he had 14 goals.
07:10You know, does he chip in 8 to 10 goals?
07:13So it's just really it's going to be through the team, through the depth of the team, just players adding
07:17goals, which we think will help us.
07:19And the other part is I think our back end can add more goals.
07:22Our back end, Thomas Harley had an off year.
07:25I think he can add more goals.
07:26I think Meryl can and Lundqvist.
07:28So we've got some players on the back end that can add some more goals also.
07:32Jim Neal, getting you ready for the star season right here on 105.3 The Fan.
07:35You guys made a decision to waive Colin Blackwell.
07:39He's cleared waivers.
07:39Now he's down in Texas.
07:41How tough is it, Jim, to tell a veteran like Blackwell that you're making that move?
07:46Those are the tough days.
07:48Those are the things you don't enjoy doing.
07:49And, you know, especially when it was really more of a situation with the salary cap.
07:53You know, it really wasn't indicative of his play or his training cap.
07:56You know, he did get hurt in cap, but that wasn't indicative of that.
08:00It's just it's unfortunately that's the business side.
08:02You know, we have to deal with salary caps.
08:04You've got to be cap compliant.
08:05And it's unfortunate.
08:07But he'll be back up with us.
08:08And we look forward to him, you know, down the road.
08:12The biggest thing for him is just go down there, get your game ready so that when you do get
08:15called up, you're ready to go.
08:16You guys were able to pull one out and bring Jason Robertson back.
08:21For Stars fans wondering, can you have conversations with his camp before January 1st?
08:28And if so, are these discussions ongoing as we enter the year?
08:33Yes, we cannot sign him until January 1st, as you mentioned.
08:37But I'll start having more serious conversations with his representatives probably around the 1st of December.
08:43That's when we'll start to discuss his situation.
08:46And, you know, the big thing is Jason wants to be here.
08:49We want him to come back.
08:50And we just need to find the right contract that fits.
08:53And I think we'll be able to do that.
08:55Is your salary cap whiz, Mark Janko, going to get some additional props with all this maneuvering that you guys
09:02had to make?
09:03Yeah, he's got lots of stick-hailing to do.
09:05You know, it's a big part of the business now.
09:08And managing that isn't easy.
09:11It's a lot of moving parts, and he does a great job for us.
09:14Stars GM Jim Nill with us here on 105 Through the Fan.
09:17And, okay, Jim, so Gulliton had said a couple weeks ago that you guys did a deep dive on analytics,
09:23particularly how you guys are playing offensively.
09:26What are you guys hoping to take from analytics?
09:28How do you apply it?
09:29And I guess as a broader philosophy, do you guys view analytics in hockey as being more predictive or prescriptive?
09:37You know, the coaches, you mentioned the deep dive.
09:40The coaches sat down over the summer and did a deep dive, see if they could find something.
09:43And we're always ongoing with our analytics, and the biggest thing in hockey right now is with the analytics is
09:50there's lots of numbers out there.
09:52And it's trying to find what numbers do have value, which means something, which don't mean something.
10:00I guess that's a funny way to say it.
10:01But, you know, some have value, some don't.
10:03And our sport's so unique that way compared to some other sports.
10:07You know, like in baseball, it's a pitcher against a batter.
10:09So it's a one-on-one situation.
10:11Ours is so evolving, you know, with the speed of the game, the puck.
10:16Goaltending can change things.
10:18You know, hard to believe, but like I said, you can have a breakaway and hit the post, and it's
10:22not a scoring chance, you know, according to analytics.
10:25So those are things that we're trying to separate.
10:28We have a very big analytics department that's doing a great job for us.
10:32And so the coaches dug into that, and they found some things they'd like to change.
10:37And so we're excited to see how that transfers over into the regular season and the playoffs.
10:42Jim, last one for you here.
10:43Obviously, big news in the last couple months about the announcement of the plans to have the arena development of
10:50the shops at Willow Bend over in Plano.
10:52You know, there's a November vote coming up to approve a measure.
10:56Just talk about, in general, the excitement of heading to Plano and maybe some of the bittersweet last couple seasons
11:05and memories here at the AAC.
11:07Yeah, no, the American Airlines Center has been great.
11:09It's a great arena.
11:10You know, being in downtown Dallas has been great, unfortunately, because of different unforeseen circumstances.
11:15We have to make a move here, and I think it's exciting.
11:20It's exciting for the organization.
11:21I think it's exciting for the metroplex of Dallas that, you know, what's going to take place here with a
11:29brand-new facility, a new arena, the surrounding area and that.
11:33So it's definitely definitely exciting.
11:35You know, we're in the planning stages of that.
11:37We've got, you know, everybody in our organizations involved in it.
11:40You know, you're talking to trainers and coaches, you know, what works for them.
11:43You're talking to, you know, our office people, what's going to work for them.
11:48So it's exciting times for the organization, and I think it's going to be great as a nation for the
11:52Dallas metroplex.
11:53Jim, it's always an absolute pleasure to have you on.
11:56Continued success and best of luck this year.
11:59Enjoy the season.
12:01Yeah, thank you, gentlemen.
12:02And you guys have a great fall here.
