Frustration can be a very effective motivator, if you use it correctly.

The Stars have been driven to make a run at a championship this year, in part because they have won one playoff series in the last nine seasons, and in part because they are coming off one of the most frustrating campaigns in franchise history.

And they're fine with that.

"We're not rebuilding, we said that right from the end of last season," said Stars president and CEO Jim Lites. "We've been rebuilding for the better part of a decade. We're through with that."

And so, as training camp is set to begin Friday in Cedar Park, the Stars have constructed a team they believe can win the Stanley Cup. That's right, a team that finished 24th in points in 2016-17 at 34-37-11 honestly believes it can win it all.

And with good reason.

In a summer of big moves, the Stars got everything they wanted. They added a veteran coach in Ken Hitchcock, a top-10 goalie in Ben Bishop, maybe the most talented player available in free agency in Alexander Radulov and a versatile two-way center in Martin Hanzal.

After finishing 29th in goals against and 30th in penalty kill last season, this group should be much better when it comes to team defense. Yes, they will sacrifice offense by bidding adieu to the high-flying circus run by former coach Lindy Ruff, but they should be able to keep the puck out of their net with significantly more consistency.

"When you look at what we needed to do, fix the goaltending, improve the penalty kill, we were able to get the pieces to do that," owner Tom Gaglardi said. "I think we had a great summer. You usually don't get all of the things you want, but I think we did this year. I think we were able to target key people, and we were able to get them."

The first step was the coaching staff, and the acquisition of Hitchcock and assistant coach Rick Wilson will certainly change how things are done. Hitchcock runs a structured system that focuses first on preventing goals and then attacks with an aggressive mind-set of battling for puck possession. Wilson has a history of developing young defensemen with an eye for simple, smart play, which should fit perfectly with what the Stars have on the blue line.

"Wils is one of the best ever at helping a younger player understand how to play the game," Hitchcock said. "You look at [Joel] Edmundson and [Colton] Parayko in St. Louis last year, and both of them took huge steps forward. I think he'll do the same thing here."

Dallas has an abundance of defensemen who need guidance. In addition to rookie Julius Honka and second-year blue-liner Esa Lindell, Wilson should be able to help with John Klingberg, Stephen Johns, Jamie Oleksiak and Patrik Nemeth.

"Last year, I think you can say had we kept [pending free agents] Alex Goligoski and Jason Demers that we probably would have been better," Gaglardi said. "But I like where we are now on defense. I really do think we should be in great shape going forward on defense."

And by not spending money on Goligoski and Demers or Kris Russell, the Stars had the money to spend on goaltending and forwards this summer. By buying out Antti Niemi and signing Bishop to a six-year deal that averages $4.9 million, Dallas has $12.3 million committed to the goaltending position for this season.

Radulov signed a five-year deal that averages $6.25 million and Hanzal a three-year contract that averages $4.75 million, and that pushed the Stars right up to the $75 million salary cap.

"We have always talked about leaving cap space, but we changed that this year," Gaglardi said. "We knew what we wanted."

And that's to win now.

General manager Jim Nill has always preached a long-term look at the Stars, and he continues to do that. With first-round pick Miro Heiskanen probably a year away and youngsters such as Denis Gurianov and Roope Hintz knocking on the door, Dallas should have a solid future. But they also want a solid present.

"As a GM, you're always juggling, but we feel we're in a very good place," Nill said, referencing the fact Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are among the top players in the league. "We have players in their prime, and we need to take advantage of that."

It's what Nill has been building to as he enters his fifth season with the franchise.

"If you look at what Jim Nill has done, we're ready for this," Lites said. "The fact that he's added players like Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza in previous years, the fact that he has drafted as well as he has, the fact that he did what he did this summer, we're ready to win now."

In fact, more than ready.

One last push?

The Stars have been increasing their payroll under owner Tom Gaglardi and made a big jump up the rankings this summer in hopes of pushing for a Stanley Cup. Here is the history of the payroll since Gaglardi bought the team in 2011: