A vote of confidence when nobody is asking is usually not a good sign, at least when it’s from ownership. What does it mean when it comes from a long-time player? Matt Duchene, who famously took a below-market-value deal to stay in Dallas, wants the Stars to remain in the Jim Nill business. Duchene told NHL.com this week that the Dallas Stars’ bounceback from an early playoff exit will occur as long as Jim Nill is around.
“He’s the heart and soul of our organization, and we, to a man on that hockey team and in that organization, we trust him. And so, as long as he’s running the show and doing his thing, I know we’re going to be a team that can contend.”
Duchene, who signed a two-year below-market deal in the wake of Nashville buying out his contract three summers ago, signed another below-market deal last season. It makes sense that the 17-year veteran would believe in the potential of a Dallas Stars bounceback. He has regularly bet on the Stars in his quest to win a Stanley Cup finally.
Matt Duchene’s Role in a Dallas Stars Bounceback Season
Duchene missed 25 games last season. 24 of the 25 were consecutive, all tied to an upper-body injury connected to a hit from then-Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton. Duchene called it “the hardest injury he’s ever had to come back from.”
He hadn’t really been himself following the hit, with three points in 11 games through the end of 2025. Around the turn of the calendar, Duchene started to find his game again. He finished the season on a red-hot tear, with 40 points in his final 42 games. Duchene’s versatility brings something to every line he’s on, whether as a center or winger. He can play both positions, still skates well and has some of the best offensive instincts in the NHL at age 35.
Jim Nill selling Duchene on the Stars enough that he continues to take below-market-value deals should say plenty about Nill. Now, Nill’s tasked with orchestrating a Dallas Stars bounceback following this uncharacteristic early playoff exit.
Jim Nill’s Difficult Offseason
Duchene’s team-friendly contract exists because of Nill. Duchene said as much to NHL.com:
“There’s a reason I wanted to lock in long-term last summer. And there’s a reason I first decided to sign there (in 2023). He was a big part of that. So I couldn’t be happier to be part of that team.”
Nill likely wishes every player was as bought in as Duchene. It would have made this summer much simpler. Certainly, there’s no suggestion that winger Jason Robertson, an elite goal scorer, isn’t bought in. In fact, Robertson desired to return to Dallas, which ultimately helped end the contract stalemate with a one-year band-aid. Still, Robertson’s competing desire to both only play in Dallas and be paid what he feels his worth made for a difficult summer for Jim Nill. A Dallas Stars bounce-back would have been far less likely without Robertson. Yet, a difficult one-year cap crunch could make a Dallas Stars bounceback a challenge this season.
The summer can’t be over for the Dallas Stars. Their bounceback season in 2026-27 relies on multiple things. First, a healthier Matt Duchene would be helpful. Second, Dallas could use more injury luck beyond Duchene. He lost 25 games early in the season. An ill-timed injury to Roope Hintz cost him the entirety of Dallas’s first-round series loss to Minnesota. Third, Nill must determine the best salary cap path.
Dallas Stars Bounceback is Contingent on Nill’s Cap Math
The Stars might not have enough depth as currently constructed. They certainly did not in the playoffs, particularly without Roope Hintz available.
The Dallas Stars are still more than $1.3 million over the 2026-27 salary cap, according to Puck Pedia. They are within the 10 percent offseason cushion, but the Dallas Stars bounceback to deep contention might be most reliant on Nill’s ability to navigate this.
Duchene is one of seven Stars players with full protection from a trade. That already limits what Nill can accomplish. The Stars could choose to trade a forward like Sam Steel ($2.1 million AAV) or Radek Faksa ($2 million AAV). Trading either and running with a 22-man roster would likely be the simplest way for Dallas to move forward.
Still, that doesn’t give the Stars much leeway in-season, with only limited potential growth in their salary cap. With all this in mind, Duchene’s faith in Nill could be tested in the coming months.
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