Exactly five years ago Jim Nill took his first big swing as the Dallas Stars’ general manager.



In a July 4 blockbuster, the Stars acquired Tyler Seguin in a seven-player deal that was supposed to alter the state of the franchise.



And in a way, it did. The acquisition kicked off a summer tradition where the Stars have consistently laid claim to the title of “champions of the offseason,” but it’s yet to yield results on the ice with more playoff misses than appearances during that time.



As of Tuesday night, Nill seems to be working on another July blockbuster, one that could be just as impactful as the Seguin deal from 2013. While a potential return has yet to be disclosed, sources have told The Athletic that all-world defenseman Erik Karlsson very well could end up playing for the Stars this season.



It’s a pretty good Plan B after the Stars came up short in their pursuit of John Tavares, who met with six teams but...