While each of the moves the Dallas Stars have made over the last two weeks (dealing Mike Ribeiro and Steve Ott, signing Ray Whitley and Jaromir Jagr) have made sense individually, there's still a question as to what this team's plan is long-term.
That, at least, was the reaction from SI.com's hockey columnist Allan Muir as he recapped the deal that sent Steve Ott to Buffalo and Derek Roy to Dallas:
And maybe [Roy] will get back to the 60-point range and add some zip to a dreadful power play. It might even lead to a few more wins next season... but to what end? At 29, and with a year to go before UFA status, Roy looks like another finger in the dike. And what does that mean for the Stars? Another year or two of being in the hunt, only to fall short? Another first rounder in the 10-15 range?
Nieuwendyk is regarded as a smart man around the league. So smart that it's worth wondering whether he's getting input from above on these deals. They sure don't feel like they're coming from a unified vision.
The Stars have a bonafide star in Jamie Benn, but considering that Dallas is not a hockey town and seems unlikely to lure a big-time free agent, is the best way to acquire more talent around Benn to sink to the top of the draft?
Read more on the Stars at Defending Big D and SB Nation Dallas.