When the Dallas Stars first entered the 2018 offseason earlier than expected, it came with a serious gut check.
Another season had passed and the Stars were once again on the outside looking in at the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After being just two years removed from winning the Central division and looking like one of the most promising teams in the NHL, Dallas had fallen into the bottom half of the Western Conference.
And, as it happens with every early offseason, the problems from 2017-18 became incredibly relevant and formed a sizable to-do list for GM Jim Nill to work on.