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Stars GM has talked about trading third overall draft pick

2016 NHL Draft - Round One

BUFFALO, NY - JUNE 24: Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill is pictured during round one of the 2016 NHL Draft on June 24, 2016 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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The Dallas Stars are in go-for-it mode, and their general manager is willing to trade the third overall pick in the 2017 draft to give them a boost.

“I have talked to other teams already about possibly moving that pick, getting an established player back,” Jim Nill told SiriusXM’s NHL Network Radio, per NHL.com. “It gives us lot of options. I think this will heat up more as we go.”

The Stars were one of the three big winners in the draft lottery, moving up to the No. 3 spot after finishing 24th overall during the regular season.

And while it’s a near certainty that Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier will be selected with the first two picks, it’s wide open after that.

“Probably a group of another 10 players, and that’s when it comes down to team’s personal preference,” Nill said. “Are you looking for a big strong centerman? Are you looking for a scoring winger? Are you looking for a power forward? There is lot of different options there.”

The Stars -- with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin right in their primes, and Jason Spezza turning 34 next month -- do need to make a run at the Stanley Cup soon. They’ve already made a couple of big moves this offseason, hiring Ken Hitchcock to be their new head coach and signing goalie Ben Bishop to a six-year deal.

If there’s a weakness on the Dallas roster, it’s probably the blue line. The Stars lost veteran defenders Alex Goligoski and Jason Demers last summer, and head coach Lindy Ruff spent much of 2016-17 scratching various defensemen, including new addition Dan Hamhuis.