from Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated,

... it's not like Dallas has been a hot destination, either. It's a town that appears on plenty of no-trade lists, including Spezza's initially. Sure, you can golf 50 weeks of the year and the absence of a state income tax is a nice bargaining chip. But so is winning, and this team is only now figuring out how to do that after years of ineffective play.

It's to his credit then that Nill hasn't only figured out a way to work around his own limitations, he's had the courage to make the hard choices that have brought his plan to life. The Stars haven't been turned into overnight Stanley Cup contenders, but he has given this team direction. He's given it an image.

And maybe most importantly, he's given it hope. Not just for years down the road, but for this season.

And that's making some other GMs look bad.

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