SB Nation - Krys Barch

Dallas Stars Shut Down Hurricanes 2-0

Brandon Worley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:07:42 -0000

More photos » by Mike Fuentes - AP

It wasn't always pretty, but overall, it was a solid game for the Dallas Stars as they took care of business against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes in shutting them out and ending their five-game point streak. The Stars received power play goals from Jamie Benn and Brad Richards, while Marty Turco was perfect as he recorded his 38th career shutout.

While he only had one assist, there's no doubt that Brenden Morrow was the best player on the ice for the Stars tonight. Seven big hits, three shots, a perfect screen on Richards' goal and a nice fight in the early minutes of the game. He seemed determined not to allow his team to come out flat against another opponent below them in the standings and when the Stars began to let up in the second and early third periods, Morrow was right there again to inject energy and attitude into the game. It infected everyone on the ice and at one point you even saw Mike Ribeiro getting into a scrum as he came to the aid of a teammate.

Before the game Ribeiro talked about how this team needs to play a full 60 minutes, yet they failed to do that tonight and nearly allowed the Hurricanes to get right back into the game. The Stars failed to cash in on several very close chances to go up by two or three goals in the first period.

And early in the second, it appeared those blown chances had come back to bite the Stars when Ray Whitney appeared to have tied the contest at 1-1. But replays showed he had kicked the puck in and video review took a second look and determined the kick was a distinct kicking motion, thus, nullifying the apparent score.

It was also a turning point in the contest as Carolina never really threatened to score until after Richards' third period goal gave the Stars some breathing room. Penalties to Krys Barch and Karlis Skastins gave the Canes an elongated 5-on-3 advantage and a big chance to get back into the game.

But the offensively-challenged outfit from Raleigh were foiled by some big stops by Turco, some big plays by the Stars' penalty killers, and some missed chances. A tickle off the post off a late shot by Whitney was the only thing that threatened to go in and Turco picked up his 37th career shutout.

Some more thoughts from Brandon BIbb after the jump.

First off, I think there was a raison d'tante for the Morrow fight in the opening minute of the contest. This was the fourth opportunity this month for the Stars to put two consecutive wins together and they started slow in the other three. Morrow was intent on not allowing that to happen tonight and it paid off later in the period when Jamie Benn put the Stars up 1-0.
This is the best I've seen the Stars' power play look all year. They moved the puck all over the ice tonight with the man advantage and I'd be remiss if I didn't give a ton of credit to Stephane Robidas. Last year when he was thrust in the role as a top defenseman on this team thanks to injuries, Robi looked like he was pressing a lot on the blue line. This year, he's looked far more comfortable and confident with the puck on the point.
On the flip side, Jeff Woywitka looked like a number 6 defenseman tonight. At one point, it appeared Chad LaRose made him look like a pylon in the second.
The hit Joni Pitkanen put on Stephane Robidas behind the Carolina net in the third period was worse than the hit that got James Neal suspended. Just sayin'.
Now as for the disallowed goal, they got the call right by the letter of the law. Still, in a league that supposedly sells offense as much as the NHL does, I can't really understand why goals that are kicked in should be disallowed. There's no safety threat on kicked pucks because the skate almost always stays on the ice. And it takes skill to directionally kick the puck.
Clearly, Daryl Reaugh is the key to this all-time series. In games in Dallas at least. The Carolina Hurricanes have never won in Dallas since moving down from Hartford. And when they were in Hartford, they only won once in Big D when Brenden Shanahan was playing for them and Razor was doing color on their' television broadcasts. Razor joined Ralph in 1997 and the the rest, as you know, is history.
Wednesday night, the Stars will hold a pre-game ceremony commemorating Brett Hull's induction into The Hockey Hall of Fame. If you're going to the game, the Stars ask that you be in your seats by 6:50 so you don't miss the ceremony.

Turco's Stonewalling of Sharks Leads to Stars' Rally ; Shootout Win

Brandon Bibb — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:58:17 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

28 days ago: San Jose Sharks' Dany Heatley, left, races to the puck in front of Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco (35) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

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It's late, so of course this recap is going to be brief.

But the number 1 star of the night was clearly Marty Turco. He kept the Stars in it having only allowed two second period goals from Dany Heatley and Ryan Clowe. He shined during the third period, particularly with the game on the line after a late Mike Modano slashing penalty put the Stars a man down.

But he saved his best stop of the game for the second round of the shootout. Dan Boyle executed a series of splendid dekes to get Turco out of position. Or so Boyle thought. When he went to backhand the puck and tuck it inside the near post and Turco, the Stars' netminder flopped onto his back and with a last minute desperation move, kept the puck out with his glove hand.

And after Ryan Vesce had made it five consecutive shooters from both teams to not dent the twine, Stephane Robidas finally notched the first shootout win of the season for the Stars with an absolutely sick snapshot over Evgeni Nabokov's left shoulder into the top corner of the net.

Other quick thoughts:

Once again, why doesn't the league use replay to correct mistakes on high sticking penalties? In the second period, they whistled Steve Ott off even though replays never conclusively showed he high sticked. Then in the third, Joe Pavelski was victimized when officials called him for high sticking James Neal, even though it was obvious that the Real Deal was the victim of some friendly fire from the stick blade of Nicklas Grossman.

The Sharks were able to take advantage of that phony call on Ott. But fortunately for the refs, the Stars weren't able to do anything with that late power play off the flat out bogus call on Joe Pavelski.
"Crankshaft" appears to be a very appropriate nickname for San Jose's Douglas Murray.
No doubt James Neal had a very strong game tonight for the Stars. And when he tries to take games by the bull horns like he did tonight, the Stars will be successful more nights than not.

But dare I suggest that if he continues to get chances in the shootout that he find another move since the one he has, while effective at beating goaltenders, keeps ringing the post?
Speaking of Neal, I thought it was somewhat fitting that his goal canceled out the fluky goal that Ryan Clowe scored. And it continued to be fitting when Mike Modano's blast canceled out Dany Heatley's snipe from close range.
Sure, San Jose deserved that 2-0 lead by virtue of their domination of the middle frame. But the first period was evenly played and the Stars dominated much of the third period and deserved to have this contest tied at 2-2 going into OT.
About that ugly 1 for 34 against San Jose's penalty kill dating back to last season. Yeah, might want to get that one sorted out at some point during the season series, Stars.

Not like they weren't getting chances. But like Razor mentioned, when they did get chances on the man advantage, those chances fizzled into nothing without Nabokov having to do much to thwart them.

At the very least, I want the Sharks' best penalty killer to actually be the best penalty killer if the Stars are to not score on the man advantage. That rarely happened last year. Or tonight for that matter.
Remember that point I made to Sevy two weeks ago about how good a job fighting does to bring closure to issues on the ice? Exhibit A from tonight's game certainly has to be Krys Barch's fight with Brad Staubitz.The Sharks' tough guy came in a little too late for the Stars' liking on Tom Wandell.

Barch challenged him to a round of fisticuffs, they settled right then and there. And you didn't hear another word about that hit for the rest of the game.
There's a part of me that actually feels sorry for San Jose. Because no matter what they accomplish during the regular season this year, nobody in the hockey world outside of San Jose will give a damn until about the Sharks until they at least advance to the Western Conference Finals. And for some, that might not even be enough.

Gameday Preview: Dallas Stars @ San Jose Sharks (9:30 CST)

Brad G — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:51:42 -0000

Next Game

Dallas Stars
@ San Jose Sharks

Thursday, Nov 12, 2009, 9:30 PM CST
HP Pavilion

Local TV: FSSW
Radio: KTCK 1310 The Ticket

Opponent's Blog: Fear the Fin

Complete Coverage >

After four days off following a mistake ridden loss in Minnesota, 3-2 to the Wild, the Stars try to get back in the win column tonight against the best the NHL currently has to offer: The San Jose Sharks. Dallas has played well on the road so far this season, recording a 4-2-3 record, but the Sharks boast the NHL's best home mark at 6-0-1. The Stars must play a mistake free game if they're to hand the Sharks their first home-regulation loss of the year. San Jose has won ten of twelve, and enter the game edging Dallas in as many statistical categories as you can think of.

Dallas dropped five of six to the Sharks last year, who took no prisoners in the regular season. The Stars managed one victory in San Jose, a 4-1 win on March 3rd. They nearly pulled points out of the HP Pavillion twice last year, but a Marty Turco give away with only 29 seconds left cost the team at least a point one year ago in November. Mike Modano says seemingly every time they go to San Jose that they enjoy playing there. Let's hope they give the fans a reason to enjoy watching them there, as this one looks to be a challenge of the highest difficulty.

[UPDATE] Jere Lehtinen is out for tonight's game.

After the jump, injuries and more notes on tonight's game...

The Dallas Stars:

The Stars have scored only two goals in four straight games. They are 3-for-19 on the power play in that stretch, two of those coming in the loss to Minnesota. The Stars will look to the return of James Neal to the lineup tonight to get that Neal-Richards-Erikssson trio jump started, but they'll likely attract the majority of the Sharks defensive attention.

What the Stars really need is for the Ribeiro/Morrow combination to return to form. The two have combined for only three points in their last four games, and have endured well documented defensive struggles in the process. The return of Jere Lehtinen helped stifle their growing pile of minuses in recent games, and Marc Crawford will reunite the pair with Jamie Benn for tonight's game, opting to play Jere Lehtinen with Mike Modano and Toby Petersen.

Meanwhile, Brian Sutherby will apparently sit tonight in favor of Krys Barch, who returned from a shoulder injury and will see fourth line minutes with Tom Wandell and Steve Ott. This is surprising to some, as the Sutherby/Wandell/Brunnstrom combination had begun to show a nice chemistry in recent games, but Fabian Brunnstrom's absence (shoulder) may have prompted a change. The presence of Steve Ott and Krys Barch on the same line could make for some interesting results.

UPDATE: Jere Lehtinen is out for tonight's game, apparently. Brian Sutherby will be in. Your guess is as good as mine on what the line's will be.

Marty Turco is in net tonight.

The Sharks:

Let's let Mike Heika's stats do the talking:

As for the Sharks, you'll see a lot of this in scouting the enemy tomorrow, but just so you know, they are the hottest team in hockey with an 8-0-1 run going. They are first in points percentage at .737, first in goal-differential at +1.06, and first in face-off winning percentage at 56.9%. They are second in goals against average (2.22), second in save percentage (.923), second in power play success (25.0%), fourth in goal scoring (3.32) and fourth in penalty kill (85.5%).

So you could say this is a bit of a challenge for the Stars.

I don't know what else to say. The Sharks are just really good (in the regular season) and it will take, as Razor says, a Herculean effort tonight by Dallas to take them down.

After being stripped of the captaincy, and a tumultuous summer, Patrick Marleau is tied for second in scoring in the NHL, and Battle of California is talking about re-signing him. He is enjoying a fantastic year so far with Clowe and Pavelski on his wings. With Setoguchi recently returned to the lineup, paired with Thornton and Heatley, the Sharks are a formidable group up front.

Fear the Fin apparently doesn't care for Dallas much.

Injuries:

Dallas: Fabian Brunnstrom is out with a shoulder injury. Day-to-day.

San Jose: Rob Blake (upper body) and Torey Mitchell (leg) are out tonight.

Stargazing: Dallas defeats Vancouver, Schneider 2-1

Brad G — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:00:26 -0000

by Tim Sharp - AP

about 1 month ago: Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco (35) is congratulated by teammates Trevor Daley (6), Karlis Skrastins (37) and Brad Richards (91) as Vancouver Canucks' Alexandre Burrows (14) skates by at the end of their NHL hockey game Friday, Nov. 6, 2009, in Dallas. Dallas won the game 2-1. (AP Photo/Tim Sharp)

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Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars and Texas Stars news, and whatever other random ramblings are bouncing around inside our heads.

A Western Canadian team, with a backup net minder comes to the American Airlines Center. Dallas carries the vast majority of the play, pummeling the aforementioned goaltender with 40 or more shots, but only manages two pucks behind him. Late in the game, a penalty for delay of game is called and the visitors go on the power play. Stop me if you've heard this one before. The Stars have. Only this time, the end was more to their liking.

This time, the defense stood tall on the penalty kill. This time, the Stars struck first, and were able to push it to a two goal lead. This time, Marty Turco was even better than he was on Wednesday, and we get to enjoy a win, rather than try to find the elusive answers to questions we just finished asking the other day.

Cory Schneider stopped 45 of 47 pucks in a valiant effort. His only other appearance this season was a third period last week against Anaheim, where he allowed three goals on twelve shots. There were some reservations from Canucks faithful and media, but the young man frustrated Dallas for much of the night. Give him a ton of credit.

That the Stars managed only two goals again at home does not strike me as a huge concern right now. The club was tenacious, energetic, and focused. The scoring chances were abundant. It's frustrating to run into hot goaltending in consecutive games when you pummel the net with so many shots, but after talk early in the season of slow starts at home, these last two contests are an encouraging sign.

Let's take a look at quotes, and reaction to the 2-1 victory.

The Vancouver Sun, telling it like is:

Minor-league Canuck callup Cory Schneider, a surprise starter instead of sizzling Andrew Raycroft, conjured a 45-save performance so brilliant the Canucks had a chance to beat the Dallas Stars when they could have lost by a touchdown.

Outshot 42-18 and outrun for 45 minutes by a fresher, faster Dallas team, Vancouver lost 2-1 when its power play failed on two late chances during a third-period surge.

Nearly all Canuck players said the game wasn’t as lopsided as it seemed, that they survived all the Stars’ pressure and played an inspired third. But really, Vancouver got what it deserved and only Schneider kept it from being worse.

Follow the jump for more news and notes on the Stars win at home on Friday night...

Mike Heika had some good notes from the game:

Good points included Turco (who had to be big right out of the gate and then very late), Brad Richards, who is looking more like the leader of this team every game, and really the whole roster. Karlis Skrastins had four blocked shots and was huge on the late penalty kill. Mike Modano won some key faceoffs, including going 4-for-5 in the third period. Brenden Morrow had a career-high eight shots on goal, and the game-winning goal. Loui Eriksson had three takeaways, set up Richards' goal and drew the penalty for the game-winning goal. Brian Sutherby, Tom Wandell and Fabian Brunnstrom continue to improve.

I couldn't agree more about Brad Richards. (Who didn't even have an "A" on his chest last night, I don't think). I know they've got a lot of "A's" in that locker room, but Brad Richards is really playing the part this week. He was vocal after the game on Wednesday, and came up with yet another huge play last night to open the scoring.

Dallas won, despite of the loss of their top goal scorer, James Neal. Says ESPN Dallas...

Dallas Stars coach Marc Crawford said forward James Neal will not make the trip to Minnesota for Saturday's game. Neal missed Friday's game with a pulled groin and the club wants to give him another game to rest things. Forward Krys Barch is also not going to Minnesota. He hurt his back while reaching for a puck in Thursday's practice. He was a healthy scratch on Friday.

Dallas has four days off after Saturday's game, so Neal could skate next week and possibly play Thursday in San Jose.

Vancouver was the more injured of the two parties last night, missing Sedin and Demitra. Schneider made sure they didn't exactly miss the injured Luongo.

Alain Vigneault gave credit where credit was due:

"They were the quicker and more effective team in the first two periods," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "We had one player fresh and that was our goaltender. He had a great outing and gave us a chance to stay in it."

Dallas enjoyed a 40-16 advantage in shots after two periods, but instead of cruising to a blowout win, the Stars led by a single goal.

They finally got the insurance they needed when Mikael Samuelsson took a tripping penalty early in the third and Morrow struck from close-in at 3:50 for a power-play goal.

Brenden Morrow's game high 8 shots on goal resulted in the game winner, but he and Jamie Benn could have 3 or 4 more between the two of them if not for the brilliance of Schneider. By the way, every single Dallas Star registered at least one shot on goal.

Both teams had apparent goals disallowed, including this one in the third period that confused many when it got a lengthy review:

Once again, the Canucks came storming back right away and nearly cut the deficit in half just 29 seconds later. On a similar play to the disallowed Stars goal in the second period, Alex Burrows stepped out from behind the net at the right post and jammed the puck under a diving Turco. The whistle appeared to blow just as the puck emerged from under Turco’s pads at the left post and Sedin quickly popped it in. A video review upheld the call.

"I’m confused but I didn’t really get an explanation," Turco said. "They blew the whistle, but to my understanding, if the intent to blow the whistle is there, it’s not even reviewable. It was underneath me, squirted all the way through my pads and their guy pushing my leg in the net forced the puck to go in and that’s where the whistle comes in. The right call was certainly made."

The Stars broadcast crew seemed to agree with Marty on that one. There are many who would like to see more explanation from the league on some of these calls, either by the referee immediately following the review, or something released by the league after the game; But the NHL, as with the punishments for hip checks last month, sometimes prefers to keep its reasoning to itself. Oh well.

Richard Durrett says the name of the game was special teams last night:

"It was nice for a power play goal to go in," Stars coach Marc Crawford said. "We looked more comfortable on the power play. Still, I think there's another level of execution we've got to get too. When the pinpoint, cross-ice passes connect for goals, it will get even better."

The penalty kill wasn't even needed until midway through the third period. The Stars took their only two penalties of the game back-to-back. In fact, there was a slight overlap as the Canucks got 18 seconds of two-man advantage time. Still, the Stars did a nice job, starting with the goalie.

"The most important penalty killer was our best guy tonight -- Marty Turco," Crawford said.

Dallas is 3 for their last 18 power play opportunities. The man advantage, and the faceoffs (41% against Vancouver) are still...areas of interest, we'll say. As is the "prevent defense" the Stars have employed to milk home their one goal leads. What happened to "safe is death"?

No time to rest. Minnesota tonight at 7:00pm.

Highlights:

Stargazing: Dallas Stars React to Win Over Toronto; No One Likes Mike Ribeiro

Brandon Worley — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:01:46 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

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Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars and Texas Stars news, and whatever other random ramblings are bouncing around inside our heads.

After taking some time to reflect on the game last night, I'm not as upset as I thought I would be about the Stars' effort against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sure, it's frustrating to have the Stars come out flat in the first period yet again, and limp through another uninspired effort in front of the home crowd. We find it hard to deal with as fans because we've seen how good this Stars team can be when they put their mind to it, and watching the Stars just sort of drift through the first 25 minutes of the game makes fans crazy.

In the end however, Marty Turco kept the Stars in the game just long enough to allow the Stars to wake and play what would turn out to be an inspired and energetic third period and overtime. Dallas generated numerous scoring chances and were squandered by an exceptionally large and nimble goaltender and plain old bad luck. The Stars peppered Jonas Gustavsson in the final 34 minutes of play, and walked away with an improbable win.

Credit must go to the Toronto Maple Leafs as well, who certainly did not play like a team with just one win on the season. They were confident, fast and explosive and were riding the momentum of a big 6-3 win over Anaheim just a few nights prior. This was a game that past Stars teams might have choked away, but they worked hard and came away with their first winning streak since March.

In then end, the Stars got two big points against an Eastern Conference team so that extra point hardly matters to Dallas in the end. The win puts the Stars one point behind San Jose and Los Angeles in the Pacific and sets them up perfectly for the weekend as they take on Florida and Nashville in back to back home games.

A couple of quick notes before we get Stargazing:

Don't forget, Brent Severyn will be joining us tonight on Defending Big D LIVE. We go on air at 8pm Central.
Next week, SB Nation will be undergoing a bit of an aesthetic facelift. It won't be a complete overhaul, but there will be a noticeable difference in the look of our websites here.

Today in Stargazing: We have a lengthy report for you today as players react to the slow start from last night, Marc Crawford hits a milestone, and Mike Ribeiro becomes yet another Stars player that everyone loves to hate.

Despite not being named one of the stars of the game by Bob Sturm last night, James Neal had one heck of a game. He had to step up and provide energy from a team that was perhaps missing Steve Ott a bit too much, along with Brenden Morrow (who looked a bit off last night):

"He’s probably one of those guys who didn’t have his best stuff tonight," Crawford said. "Yet that’s the veteran quality of a Brenden Morrow; he recognized the team doesn’t have much, and he went out and played with a physical edge. He had a couple of huge hits. I think that allowed our guys to take notice. And that’s a lot of what Steve Ott brings.

"There were [other] people that tried, but they just couldn’t get there. Some of the guys on the fourth line [which was Brian Sutherby, call-up Francis Wathier and Krys Barch]. Some of the guys on the third line [which was Tom Wandell centering for Toby Petersen and Fabian Brunnstrom]. They had trouble getting there tonight."

Not Neal. The 22-year-old sophomore played a season-high 21:38 and now has goals in the last three games (to take the team lead with seven), points in the last four. Crawford said of him: "You get a little payback when you block a shot, when you battle for loose pucks, when you get in on the forecheck."

Game Highlights:

Pacific Standings

	GP	W	L	OTL	PT
San Jose	13	8	4	1	17
Los Angeles	13	8	4	1	17
Dallas	12	6	2	4	16
Phoenix	11	7	4	0	14
Anaheim	10	3	6	1	7

(updated 10.29.2009 at 10:01 AM EDT)

Mike Heika shares his observations:

What also speaks volumes is the fact Crawford kept throwing out his most effective players in the third period when his team needed a comeback. The Wathier-Sutherby-Barch line took a seat (after trying to create energy early) and the Ribeiro and Richards lines were rolled out. Ribeiro came through with an amazing redirection goal to tie the game, and then Richards and James Neal finished things off with the OT winner.

Inbetween, Marty Turco came up with some big saves when he had to have them and Stephane Robidas played 26:15, had four shots on goal, four hits and four blocked shots. He added an assist on the game-winning goal..

So did we learn anything from their lessons? I think we learned that this team is far from perfect, like most teams in the NHL. I think we learned that this team is better than it was a couple of weeks ago, when it couldn't raise its game in OT situations.

And that is a positive sign.

Mark Stepneski:

In the grand scheme of things, it’s a win. Give them credit for not playing particularly well, but finding a way get two points. Over the course of a season a good team, a playoff team is going to have to do that now and then.

On Jonas Gustavsson, I thought he was OK. He made some good saves, but he gave up some big rebounds too. He had that playing the puck gaffe that led to a penalty, but that’s just instinct taking over and not being quite used to that strange NHL rule. He’s had the heart issue and the groin injury, which has limited his playing time, so he’s still on a big time learning curve. He’ll continue to improve with time.

Bottom line it wasn’t pretty, but it was two points for the Stars. They’ve got 16 of 24 possible points so far this season. Those are important points in the bank, doesn’t matter whether they are pretty points or ugly points. Plus, they finally won consecutive games and they won one that went beyond regulation.

Don't look now, but Brad Richards and James Neal are on a roll:

- With his two points, Neal set a new career-high by extending his scoring streak to four games, during which he’s registered seven points (four goals, three assists). He also made a diving shot block at the final buzzer in regulation to help send the contest into overtime.

- With his two goals, Richards now has six points (two goals, four assists) in his last three outings. Despite missing two games due to injury, he leads the club in scoring with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists). He also led the squad with five shots on goal.

Some news from the morning skate today:

Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen both went through a full practice in Frisco and looked pretty good. Coach Marc Crawford said a decision will be made on them tomorrow, and listed them as questionable. Crawford said he doesn’t expect either Modano or Lehtinen to be ready to play both games of the back-to-back set this Friday and Saturday.

Brad Richards (groin), James Neal (groin) and Brenden Morrow (hip flexor) did not practice today so they could rest their injuries, but Crawford said they were all expected to play tomorrow.

Marc Crawford will coach in his 1,000 game tomorrow night.

Dallas Stars Head Coach Marc Crawford will reach 1,000 NHL games as an NHL head coach this Friday, October 30, when the Stars host the Florida Panthers at American Airlines Center. Crawford will become just the 15th coach in NHL history to serve behind the bench for 1,000 games.

"It is an honor and a privilege to be a head coach in the National Hockey League," said Crawford. "Reaching 1,000 games as a head coach is something I am very proud of. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each of the five great cities that I have coached in and I have a lot of good memories. I’d like to thank the general managers that I have worked for, that gave me the opportunity to work in this league – Cliff Fletcher in Toronto, Pierre Lacriox in Quebec & Colorado, Brian Burke & Dave Nonis in Vancouver, Dean Lombardi in Los Angeles, and Joe Nieuwendyk in Dallas.

"I’d also like to thank all of the people who have been a big part of everything over the years – the equipment guys, the trainers, the hockey staff, the assistant coaches – these are the people who do a lion’s share of the work behind the scenes. Without their dedication and commitment, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And of course I’d like to thank my wonderful wife Helene and my family for their love and support over the years."

There will be a Brett Hull special on FSSW next week:

FOX Sports Southwest will televise a 30-minute special chronicling the Hall of Fame career of former Dallas Star Brett Hull on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7:00 PM CT as part of the network's SPOTLIGHT original programming series. The show premieres prior to Hull's Nov. 9 induction to the Hockey Hall of Fame and will be replayed several times throughout the season.

SPOTLIGHT: BRETT HULL HALL OF FAME will feature highlights from the two-time Stanly Cup Champion's 19-year NHL career and interviews with Hull and former Stars players and coaches, including Ken Hitchcock, Mike Modano, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Craig Ludwig.

Quotes from last night:

"I think it showed they can be resilient. I think it also shows you can stay with the game. Not every game is going to be a masterpiece. Even though they didn't have their best stuff, they had enough to find a push. I think that speaks volumes to the group."

"You get through the first period where you haven't played well, it's the first game back after a long road trip, and it's been a bit of a layoff. Those are periods where you want to make sure you get through, and we did."

"We talked in the room after that there are lessons to be learned from games like this. It shows me that even though they didn't have their best stuff, they had enough to find a push. I think that speaks volumes to the group."

(On James Neal) "It’s a huge goal for him. We had talked all game long of the play of young Gustavsson, the goaltender. He does challenge, but there are rebounds that spray out, especially if you stay off to the side. It took us all that time to get one, and James was the benefactor of having a good habit and being in the right spot. You go to the right spot, good things happen."

"It was a great performance from Marty, he held us in it."

--Stars coach Marc Crawford

"It was a little bit of a lucky goal. I just put my stick there, it deflected and went in. The most important thing is to get those two points even though we didn't play well."

"I think we played really well through the third period and overtime, I think we dominated. Richie's [Brad Richards] line played a great game and Marty made the big saves at the right time, so it was a big team win."

"It’s hard to play against teams like that. They’re a quick team, they pass the puck real good, and I think mentally, you need to prepare yourself better for those games. You look at their standing and mentally, sometimes, you get off what you need to do and Friday’s going to be the same thing, so we need to be ready for that and have better starts."

"Benn came up, he didn’t have much, he couldn’t cycle the puck back, I decided to stay in the middle. With two or three minutes left, it’s a good play from him to just throw it at the net and I was just at the right place to tip that puck and it went right in the corner. It was a big goal."

--Mike Ribeiro

"I think our feet were stuck in quicksand a little bit. You know how it is when, overall, your team is not moving their feet and things snowball. Marty [Turco] did a good job in their. I think this game had a little bit of everything and we eventually had to show a little bit of composure and stay with it right to the end. We found a way."

--Brad Richards

"It shows the character of this team to come back. They score with six minutes left, kind of takes the energy out of our sails, but we managed to come back on a big goal by Ribs and we won it in OT, so it’s a big win for our team."

"I was right there for the rebound and put it in. It crossed the line pretty slow but I'll take it."

--James Neal

Finally, it appears that Steve Ott is not the only member of the Stars that everyone hates:

Finally, so that I remember in the future, I want to once again formally express my disgust with Mike Ribeiro. I don't know if it's the fact that his name ends in a vowel or because his father taught him that 'gamesmanship' was acceptable in one sport so it can carry over to the good ol' Canadian game but his fake high stick schtick was sad to watch. It's bad enough when guys like Sidney Crosby, Bryan McCabe, Sean Avery, Derek Roy, and on and on dive but Ribeiro wasn't even touched. The league's crackdown on offences since the lockout has led to an increase in guys diving or clamping down on a player's stick to get a hooking call. Unfortunately, the speed of the game is too much for referees to be able to pick out every embellishment but they should be doing a better job when faced with known fakers. Not to mention that there should be a mechanism to punish these plays retroactively. Soccer still hasn't found a way to deal with it and it's the single-most frustrating thing to deal with. Basketball continues to encourage it and the games are increasingly unwatchable. Hockey's still facing a nascent problem but there will be an increase in the prevalence of these kinds of plays as power plays remain so important to creating offence.

We had a fun little back and forth last night on Twitter about Mike Ribeiro, which resulted in what I believe is a genius retort by Stanley Cup of Chowder.

@DefendingBigD Yeah, you should probably just change the name of your site to Defending Big D-Bags

Dallas Stars Training Camp: Roster Review

Brad G — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 09:00:32 -0000

With few roster spots open, discussion looked pretty moot just a couple of weeks ago when we spoke of competition and prospects looking to make their mark. But as they always do in the NHL, injuries created opportunities for young men to show what they could do. It is as they say, a young mans game.

Jamie Benn was the talk of the camp coming in, and after his performance at the Traverse City Tournament, I personally thought that the hype was a little much. Boy was I wrong. Meanwhile Scott Glennie got hurt and couldn't participate, and eyes that weren't turned Benn's way were watching Ivan Vishnevskiy. Unfortunately the young Russians name didn't make the list today, so allow me to comment on him here: He is going to get here. He is almost ready. I thought he looked ready in the scrimmages in Frisco, playing with Stephane Robidas, but he failed to show that composure in his preseason contests. In one game he tallied a -4. Ouch. Some time as the top dog in Cedar Park will do him good, and we'll be seeing him. Not to worry.

I was blessed with the opportunity to watch these guys at many practices, scrimmages and games in the last two weeks, and here are my quick hits on those that remain after the roster was cut down yesterday:

Forwards:

13 - Krys Barch - A wholly unremarkable camp and pre-season. I think we've seen who Krys Barch is and I think that's who he'll continue to be. Someone who won't necessarily kill you on a 4th line and will go pick a fight if it needs picking.

14 - Jamie Benn - The talk of the camp. We've seen him excel with Modano in the scrimamges, and due to lack of Modano in the games, excel with Ribeiro and Morrow. After a quiet Traverse City tournament he showed up big time in the pre-season and you'll undoubtedly see him in a Stars uniform sometime soon we think.

96 - Fabian Brunnstrom - People are talking about him for different reasons. He seems to have played himself out of top 6 status. He looked to me in the games I saw and the practices I watched to be lacking in confidence. He still shies from the hard places on the ice a little. He improved this last week in the pre-season and could have scored a couple of goals if not for the brilliance of Clemmensen the other night, but it seems too little too late.

...

After the jump, my preseason observations on Eriksson, Modano, Ott, Turco, Neal...everyone!

21 - Loui Eriksson - If Thursday night was any indication, last year was definitely not a fluke. The young man has confidence and skill coming out the wazoo. The only thing you should worry about here is how expensive that will make him next summer.

52 - Luke Gazdic - Out-Barched Krys Barch in pre-season from where I was sitting in the upper bowl. Nice fights on Thursday (and Tuesday as well, if I recall) but his presence on the NHL roster is a bit of a mystery.

26 - Jere Lehtinen - The number you have dialed is busy. Please try again later.

9 - Mike Modano - Looking every bit as good as he did last year, anyway. The up-tempo stuff suited him just fine in the scrimmages, but we didn't get to see him in many games because of his hip. I think it's going to be a fine year for the elder Stars statesman. He certainly looked happy to me at camp.

10 - Brenden Morrow - He's back, and I'm happy. A little leg soreness this week, but chalk that up to the increased work load and intense practices. The knee seems fine, and his timing is almost where it needs to be. He's been focused and intense in scrimmages. That guy doesn't like to lose.

18 - James Neal - Looks poised to pick up right where he left off last year without skipping a beat. The Eriksson, Neal, and Richards trio has been a lovely sight to behold in the preseason games I've attended. Let's hope it translates to the real thing.

29 - Steve Ott - Here's an interesting guy. I feel like he's a little bipolar this camp, trying to figure out which Ott he wants to be from night to night. I've seen him handle the puck well and play like he did last February and March, and I've seen him revert to the old Otter that just wants to piss you off. I think a lot of it has to do with his line mates. He didn't look like he was trying to score goals the other night when paired with Wandell and Brunnstrom. Expect more from him if he plays on Modano's line with Lehtinen.

25 - Warren Peters - Injured and rather vanilla. Just a guy.

17 - Toby Petersen - Had a lingering issue with his foot still after all that time, but has since come back and been "fine" for a fourth line center. Not much to say about that.

63 - Mike Ribeiro - Has openly rooted for a right handed shot on his line, but it appears he likely won't get one. I have a hard time gauging Ribeiro from camp and preseason, as he sometimes seems uninterested, and other times wants a goal so bad he doesn't leave the ice until he's got a good shot at one. I expect another 80 points from him.

91 - Brad Richards - No one looks happier at the prospect of "up-tempo" than this man. He's looked as good as he ever has in a Stars uniform in the last two weeks and that line of his should be set to do some damage. I'd like to see him shoot the puck more. He passes up one great look per game to dump it off to a team mate. He's the Jason Kidd of the Dallas Stars.

20 - Brian Sutherby - Plays wherever they ask him to, doesn't ask questions. I like his worth ethic and his hustle. It's a shame that he'll likely see reduced minutes on the 4th line. He was the spark in a few games last year when Dallas was still in the race. He's capable when the injuries come.

Defense:

6 - Trevor Daley - It was said as camp started that the new coaching staff might benefit Trevor the most. I have yet to see that. Stay tuned.

28 - Mark Fistric - Noticeable the most this preseason when clearing the bodies from the crease. His puck handling has looked perhaps less shaky thus far, but my confidence in the part of his game is still not very high. He knows what his uses are so expect to see him get physical.

2 - Nicklas Grossman - A quiet camp, but then, it's the defensemen you DON'T notice that are the steady ones. Big thumbs up for big Grossman.

27 - Andrew Hutchinson - Looks like he's the odd man out. Put on waivers, could play in Austin to start the season. In a system where the D is handling the puck a little more, he has looked out of place.

5 - Matt Niskanen - They've used him on the power play some, having him sneak down the left side and take one timers from the circle, Brett Hull style. He should connect on a few of those this year if given the opportunity, but he's still apt to be caught cheating up ice and the occasional head-on-a-swivel-mad-scramble. He didn't look good with Sydor last year, maybe with Fistric or Grossman he can find a home.

3 - Stephane Robidas - He's Robi. He's awesome. He has not exactly dialed down the physicality for preseason either, which occasionally makes me nervous, but he's fine. The bummer is that he's still your #1 defenseman. Tom Hick's fault, not his.

37 - Karlis Skrastins - A pleasant surprise. I have been delighted with his speed and mobility after he was introduced to us as a steady veteran "Norstrum" like presence. He has defended well in space, but is not immune to the turnover when handling the puck through neutral ice. I can't wait to see who he'll play with. (Daley?)

44 - Jeff Woywitka - Likely the #7 defenseman to start the season. He tries hard, but gets turned around every now and then. I don't have much to say about him really, to be honest.

Goaltenders:

31 - Alex Auld - Was freaking great on Thursday (unfortunately the Stars defense gave him plenty of reason to be so) and should be someone to whom Crawford can turn with little hesitation. Unlike the backup last year. This is one off-season need that was taken care of nicely after the Gustavsson stuff. Plus his new helmet is Stars-a-rific....and stuff.

35 - Marty Turco - Has been working hard. The haters should know he's been putting in the time, and he's got an axe to grind this year, and a contract to earn. He's been intense in practice, but he's still gotta put up or shutup come October. I think he bounces back nicely, as much as the defense will let him.

Gameday Preview: Colorado Avalanche @ Dallas Stars (7:30p CDT)

Brandon Worley — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:51:28 -0000

What: Colorado @ Dallas
When: 7:30 p.m. CDT
Where: American Airlines Center
Radio: Mile High Sports 1510 AM

It's going to be another mixed lineup tonight for the Stars as the players who were on the ice last night will get tonight off, for the most part. Since today was an optional skate, there were no set lines for the game on display but we do have a good guess at the lineup:

Alex Auld and Marty Turco

Stephane Robidas, Doug Jancevski, Trevor Daley, Karlis Skrastins, Maxime Fortunas, Jeff Woywitka, Garrett Stafford, Ivan Vishnevskiy.

Brenden Morrow, Aaron Gagnon, Ray Sawada, Krys Barch, Toby Petersen, James Neal, Loui Eriksson, Tom Wandell, Steve Ott, Francis Wathier, Brad Richards, Fabian Brunnstrom.

Auld is scheduled to go the full game tonight. The big round of cuts will come tomorrow, as the Stars are set to play Saturday night with as close to the final NHL roster as possible. Mike Modano is hoping to play Saturday, along with Jere Lehtinen.

The news that most of the final cuts will come tomorrow is interesting, especially with Jamie Benn not playing tonight. I suspect however that Benn won't cut until after the final preseason game, and will get one final shot to show his stuff with the NHLers.

The game is on the radio tonight, and Brad will be in attendance to once again provide us with an in-person breakdown.

Dallas Stars Training Camp: Roster Trimmed to 36

Brandon Worley — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:36:33 -0000

The Dallas Stars have announced the roster has been reduced to 36, with ten players assigned to the AHL or elsewhere. Marc Crawford has stated he wanted to get down to 30 by today, so stay tuned for more news this evening. From the Dallas Stars press release:

ASSIGNED TO AHL TEXAS STARS TRAINING CAMP (which begins this evening at Cedar Park Center):
Goaltender Richard Bachman
Right Wing Sergei Korostin
Defenseman Guillaume Monast
Left Wing Michael Neal
Center Perttu Lindgren
Defenseman Trevor Ludwig
Right Wing Colton Sceviour
Right Wing Tyler Shelast
Defenseman Matt Stephenson

ASSIGNED TO JUNIOR TEAM:
Center Scott Glennie (Brandon Wheat Kings)

No surprises here, although I'm skeptical Bachman will make the AHL team. I assume he'll participate in the Texas Stars camp before being reassigned to the ECHL.

After the jump, the updated Dallas Stars roster.

Total players on roster: 36

Forwards		Defense		Goaltenders
Krys Barch	~~Michael Neal~~	Trevor Daley	~~Guillaume Monast~~	Alex Auld
Mathieu Beaudoin	Steve Ott	Mark Fistric	Matt Niskanen	~~Richard Bachman~~
Jamie Benn	Warren Peters	Maxime Fortunus	Stephane Robidas	~~Tyler Beskorowany~~
Fabian Brunnstrom	Toby Petersen	Nicklas Grossman	Karlis Skrastins	Matt Climie
Loui Eriksson	Mike Ribeiro	Andrew Hutchinson	Garrett Stafford	Brent Krahn
Aaron Gagnon	Brad Richards	Dan Jancevski	~~Matt Stephenson~~	Marty Turco
Luke Gazdic	Raymond Sawada	~~Philip Larsen~~	Jeff Woywitka
~~Scott Glennie~~	~~Colton Sceviour~~	~~Trevor Ludwig~~	Ivan Vishnevskiy
~~Sergei Korostin~~	~~Tyler Shelast~~
Jere Lehtinen	Brian Sutherby
~~Perttu Lindgren~~	~~Tomas Vincour~~
Mike Modano	Tom Wandell
Brenden Morrow	Francis Wathier
James Neal

Dallas Stars 2009 Training Camp: Preseason Preview and Roster Details

Brandon Worley — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:31:49 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Mike Modano could be entering the final season of his storied NHL career.

Browse more photos »

The day is finally here. After the longest summer a Dallas Stars fan has had to endure in a very long time, training camp is finally kicking off today with the first practice starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Frisco Dr Pepper Starcenter. Brad will be on the scene to give us a first-hand account of the practices and how things have changed under Crawford, so be sure to check back here for in-depth coverage and analysis of Stars training camp.

It's been a long offseason for the Dallas Stars and it's fans and now we are faced with an uncertain future. The team is talented and relatively deep at forward, but changes in the front office and a lack of any big offseason additions has many doubting the Stars are true playoff contenders. Yet with the return of Brenden Morrow, perhaps the most inspiring captain in the NHL, and the team hungry for retribution after missing the postseason look for the Stars to regain that hunger we know they can have and embrace their underdog status.

After the jump, we'll have all of the information you'll need for the preseason including full roster details, storylines for the preseason and a 23-man roster projection.

Training Camp Roster:

We'll be updating this roster as cuts are made. Crawford has said that the team will cut down to around 30 by Monday, September 21, and a number closer to the final roster soon after that. [Andrew's Dallas Stars Page]

Forwards		Defense		Goaltenders
Krys Barch	Michael Neal	Trevor Daley	Guillaume Monast	Alex Auld
Mathieu Beaudoin	Steve Ott	Mark Fistric	Matt Niskanen	Richard Bachman
Jamie Benn	Warren Peters	Maxime Fortunus	Stephane Robidas	Tyler Beskorowany
Fabian Brunnstrom	Toby Petersen	Nicklas Grossman	Karlis Skrastins	Matt Climie
Loui Eriksson	Mike Ribeiro	Andrew Hutchinson	Garrett Stafford	Brent Krahn
Aaron Gagnon	Brad Richards	Dan Jancevski	Matt Stephenson	Marty Turco
Luke Gazdic	Raymond Sawada	Philip Larsen	Jeff Woywitka
Scott Glennie	Colton Sceviour		Ivan Vishnevskiy
Sergei Korostin	Tyler Shelast
Jere Lehtinen	Brian Sutherby
Perttu Lindgren	Tomas Vincour
Mike Modano	Tom Wandell
Brenden Morrow	Francis Wathier
James Neal

Projected 23-man roster

Mark Stepneski hints that the Stars could go with just a 22-man roster, but unless a defensemen is moved that won't happen. Mike Heika has also hinted that despite all of our debates, the Stars might stick with eight defensemen.

Defensemen:
Daley | Robidas
Niskanen | Skrastins
Fistric | Grossman
Hutchinson | Woywitka

Goaltenders:
Turco
Auld

Training Camp and Preseason Schedule:

All practices will be held at the Dr Pepper Starcenter in Frisco, and are open to the public. If you live in the Dallas area, try and head out to one or two and show your support for the team. It's also a great opportunity for autographs and it's a great setting to really be close to the team during training camp. It's an atmosphere you can't find anywhere else in sports.

Saturday, September 12
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Group A Practice (Stars Rink) | Group B Practice (Dr Pepper Arena)

Sunday, September 13
9:10 am - 10:00 am Group A Practice (Stars Rink) | Group B Practice (Dr Pepper Arena)
10:10 am - 11:10 am Scrimmage (Dr Pepper Arena)

Monday, September 14
9:10 am - 10:00 am Group A Practice (Stars Rink) | Group B Practice (Dr Pepper Arena)
10:10 am - 11:10 pm Scrimmage (Dr Pepper Arena)

Tuesday, September 15
9:10 am - 10:00 am Group A Practice (Stars Rink) | Group B Practice (Dr Pepper Arena)
10:10 am - 11:10 pm Scrimmage (Dr Pepper Arena)

Wednesday, September 16
9:00 am - 10:30 am Non-Game Squad (Stars Rink)
10:45 am - 11:45 am Game Squad (Stars Rink)
Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars - 7:30 pm

Thursday, September 17
10:00 am - 11:00 am Game Squad (Stars Rink)
11:15 am - 12:45 pm Non-Game Squad (Stars Rink)
Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche - 8:00 pm

Friday, September 18
11:00 am - Noon Group B Practice (Stars Rink)
Noon - 2:00 pm Group A Practice (Stars Rink)

Full schedule for training camp can be found here.

Preseason Storylines:

With the depth this team has at forward, is there any chance Jamie Benn can force his way onto the roster?
Will the Stars lack of an addition of a big-name defensemen be this team's biggest mistake?
Can Charlie Huddy do what Rick Wilson could not?
Just how different will this team play under Marc Crawford?
Is Crawford's offensive system good for the Stars, and will it compromise our defensive intregrity?
Can James Neal continue his growth into becoming one of the most dangerous wingers in the Western Conference?
Can Loui Eriksson be a top-15 scorer again?
Will Brad Richards finally prove that the trade was worth it?

And finally:

Will Mike Modano go out in a blaze of glory?

Will Dallas Stars be able to keep their young talent?

Brad G — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:17:53 -0000

A look beyond the upcoming season at Tom Hicks' financial troubles and the effects on the Dallas Stars in 2010-2011 and beyond.

When I look at the Stars forwards and ask myself where that warm, fuzzy feeling comes from I find, improbably, that the answer lies in the events of last season. Loui Eriksson, Steve Ott, and James Neal all made monumental leaps in 2008-2009. Though things fell apart in the end, the three of them were in large part responsible for bringing the team from 15th place to 5th place (for a time) last winter. If you add repeat performances from that trio to known quantities in Mike Ribeiro, Brenden Morrow, and Brad Richards, you get the sense that this is a very dangerous group of players if they stay healthy. Not to mention Mike Modano, Jere Lehtinen, or any potential improvement from Fabian Brunnstrom. I'm excited just thinking about it.

But recently on Defending Big D, Brandon wrote the following:

Currently the company line is that the Stars are operating with a budget that is based on the revenue generated by the team. If this line holds true and we see about the same payroll next summer that we have now ($8-$10 million under the salary cap), then the Stars will have a tough time holding onto the talented young players currently on the team.

The good news is that aside from a tighter budget and lower operating costs, the Stars should not be affected much short term. But it's what could happen next year that has fans worried, and despite what officials say, perhaps they should be.

And I couldn't help but wonder how bad the situation really could be for 2010-2011.

There are only 5 teams in the NHL spending less money on payroll this year than the Dallas Stars, and the Sharks, Ducks and Kings are actually spending more. In spite of all of this, there is a great optimism about the upcoming season, and the Stars consider their team one that will contend for a playoff spot. So do I, for what it's worth.

The point is that the reason the Stars are so dangerous this year on a budget, is the same reason they could be just as anemic for many years to come: Their production is coming from players performing beyond their pay grade; players that will need deals soon.

Consider the following from last season:

Player	Age	Goals	Points	Base Salary
Loui Eriksson	24	36	63	$1.7 million
James Neal	21	24	37	$720k
Steve Ott	27	19	46	$1.5 million
Fabian Brunnstrom	24	17	29	$875k

These are FOUR of the Stars TOP FIVE goal scorers last year. Dallas got 96 goals and 79 assists for LESS than 5 million dollars. That's a steal. And while it may get even better this coming season, it is of course unsustainable.

Let's optimistically assume for the sake of this post that they'll spend another $45 million in actual payroll dollars next year. Here are the known contracts for 2010-2011, with Benn and Vishnevskiy thrown in for fun:

Player	Age	2010-2011 Salary (not cap hit)
Brad Richards	29	$7.8 million
Mike Ribeiro	29	$5 million
Brenden Morrow	30	$4.1 million
Brian Sutherby	27	$812,500
Jamie Benn	20	$755k
Trevor Daley	25	$2.5 million
Karlis Skrastins	34	$1.65 million
Mark Fistric	23	$1 million
Jeff Woywitka	25	$700k
Ivan Vishnevskiy	21	$765k
Sean Avery*	29	$2 million
Total:		$27.025 million

By my count they'd be in need of around 7 forwards, 2 defensemen, and 2 goaltenders for 17.92 million dollars. That's an average of 1.628 million per.

And you want to keep Loui Eriksson, right? And Steve Ott? Do you want to see Neal go? Nor do I.

How much is Loui Eriksson going to be looking for? Here are some other restricted free agents that signed this off-season to use as a jumping off point:

Players	Age	Goals	Points	Contract
Kris Versteeg	23	22	53	$3.1 million per from Chicago
David Krejci	23	22	73	$3.75 million per from Boston
Tuomo Ruutu	26	26	54	$3.8 million per from Carolina
David Booth	24	31	60	$4.25 million per from Florida
Ryane Clowe	26	22	52	$3.5 million per from San Jose

I see Loui (RFA) more likely to get a deal like that rather than say...Thomas Vanek (40 goals, 64 points, 25 years old, $8 million last year) or Anze Kopitar (27 goals, 66 points, 21 years old, $6 million last year).

The David Booth deal seems like a good blueprint. If you look at their career paths and stats, they match up almost exactly (Booth, Eriksson). But they gave Booth 6 years. Would you pay Loui $4.25 million? If he pots 40 next year, are you willing to go 5 million? There's no money for that, as things currently stand.

Don't Steve Ott's numbers last year match up pretty well with Ryan Clowe's? Is Steve Ott worth $3.5 million? Does he want to test that UFA market finally? I feel very strongly that the team cannot afford to lose Steve Ott any more than it can afford to lose Brenden Morrow. Plain and simple, the Stars play better hockey with Ott in the lineup. (They play better when his hand's broken and he can't fight, apparently as well). He is one of a kind.

What about James Neal? Mike Heika says Neal could be a replacement for Brenden Morrow or even more. What if he goes for 20+ goals again? Is he worth, say, 2 million on the open market? And with more ice time, Brunnstrom can push it over 20 goals, right? You start to see the problem. The numbers add up far too quickly, and we haven't even talked about the goaltending situation yet, and haven't mentioned the fact that they're likely losing Modano and Lehtinen in the process.

Adding up potential, extremely speculative numbers for Eriksson, Neal and Ott, filling in the rest of the roster with fodder and adding goaltenders, you start to see the 2010-2011 number rise to near $50 million. $5 million over our current budget of $45.

This is the situation in full below. Note that Eriksson, Neal, Brunnstrom, Niskanen and Grossman are all RFA's.

	2009-2010	2010-2011	2011-2012
FORWARDS
Brad Richards "	$7,800,000$7,800,000	$7,800,000$7,800,000	UFA
Mike Ribeiro "	$5,000,000$5,000,000	$5,000,000$5,000,000	$5,000,000$5,000,000
Brenden Morrow "	$4,100,000$4,100,000	$4,100,000$4,100,000	$4,100,000$4,100,000
Mike Modano "	$3,450,000$2,250,000	UFA
Jere Lehtinen "	+$1,000,000 $2,500,000$1,500,000	UFA
Fabian Brunnstrom "	+$1,350,000 $2,225,000 $875,000	RFA
Loui Eriksson "	$1,600,000$1,700,000	RFA
Steve Ott "	$1,425,000$1,500,000	UFA
James Neal "	+$45,000 $821,666 $720,000	RFA
Brian Sutherby "	$812,500$812,500	$812,500$812,500	UFA
Krys Barch "	$575,000$575,000	UFA
Toby Petersen "	$550,000$550,000	UFA
DEFENSEMEN
Trevor Daley "	$2,300,000$2,300,000	$2,300,000$2,500,000	UFA
Stephane Robidas "	$1,500,000$1,500,000	UFA
Karlis Skrastins "	$1,375,000$1,100,000	$1,375,000$1,650,000	UFA
Mark Fistric "	$1,000,000$750,000	$1,000,000$1,000,000	$1,000,000$1,250,000
Nicklas Grossman "	$975,000$1,050,000	RFA
Matt Niskanen "	+$45,000 $850,000$805,000	RFA
Jeff Woywitka "	$650,000$600,000	$650,000$700,000	UFA
Andrew Hutchinson "	$550,000$600,000	UFA
GOALTENDERS
Marty Turco "	$5,700,000$5,400,000	UFA
Alex Auld "	$1,000,000$1,000,000	UFA

Capgeek.com

If the Stars do tender all or some of those players offers, there could be draft picks as compensation if they lose them. This last off-season the compensation was as follows:

Contract Value	Compensation due
$863,156 or less	None
$863,156 - $1,307,811	3rd round pick
$1,307,811 - $2,615,623	2nd round pick
$2,615,623 - $3,923,434	1st and 3rd
$3,923,434 - $5,231,246	1st, 2nd and 3rd
$5,231,246 - $6,539,061	Two #1's, a 2nd and a 3rd
6,539,061 or more	Four first round picks

Meaning there's at least a chance that even if they are forced to let some of their young, home grown talent get away, they could get something in return and try the same trick twice: Rely on some youngsters to get it done on the cheap with the veterans you still have. But I'm no CBA expert. Don't quote me on any of that.

This might be the point in the conversation where Brad Richards contract should rear it's ugly head again(?) I don't want to re-open the Brad Richards trade talk that we slammed the door on the other day, but you can see why Tom Hicks would want to get rid of that contract if he could. (Again, he's got a no trade clause, and he's a great player. I don't want to trade him). Or you might care to pontificate on paying Sean Avery for the next couple of years? All told that's 10 million in payroll going to moves made by the previous regime.

What players would you make your top priority if you were Nieuwendyk?

Would you be willing to accept a rookie netminder next season to help keep these other talents?

I should point out that we don't know what the budget situation is going to be next year. It could get worse, it could get better. The Stars might host a few playoff games, Hicks may sell the Rangers, and Dallas might be back to spending like they used to. Who's to know? All I do know is that I'm glad I'm not Joe Nieuwendyk. These problems may seem far away to the fan merely looking forward to October 3rd, but they are very real and I'd be willing to bet they'll cause GM Joe a sleepless night or three.

Unless things fall just right for Hicks Sports Group and the Stars this year, Mike Modano may not be the only one to say goodbye at seasons end, and years of Les Jackson's hard work and scouting may disappear in the night.