Five for Fighting

Player profiles: Mike Modano

Let's start out the summer player profiles with the star of Stars, Mike Modano

Not surprisingly, this year's entry is going to read a lot like last year's entry. The key to getting the most out of Mike Modano is controlling his mental energy level and finding ways to tweak his motivation level. I know a lot of you don't like to hear that, but it's really been the case throughout his career. And, as I said last year, that's just a part of who he is.

You can get frustrated with it and say he should be able to motivate himself, but as I said last summer, I just think that's not his strength. Some people are physically stronger than others. Some people are mentally stronger than others. Modano is a wonderful athlete who simply needs someone to help him keep him focus.

As a reminder of the athlete part of Modano, just look at last week's Lake Tahoe Celebrity Golf Tournament. Modano finished seventh overall (Brett Hull tied for 11th, by the way). Even at 39, Modano stuns trainers and teammates with his skill and the fact he has not broken down as much as other athlete's have at his age. He has missed just two games the past two seasons, and the bottom line is he is a guy who can pretty much get you 50 points as a third line center.

There aren't a whole lot of third line centers out there who can do that.

But as much as Modano still is the face of the franchise and can help sell tickets, he can't be the driving force of the franchise. So if you are going to ask him to play on a checking line, you can't also demand that he be one of the better offensive players.

But I think new coach Marc Crawford is walking into a good situation with Modano. My guess is this is the final year for him, so there is that motivating factor. I believe he will be a part of Team USA at the Olympics in February (he is a favorite of coach Ron Wilson), so you have that motivation. And, I believe Modano is one of the players who really feeds off of the energy provided by captain Brenden Morrow, so the healthy return of Morrow should have a positive effect on Modano.

So what should our expectations be? A lot will depend on how the chemistry falls. If Modano plays with kids like James Neal and Fabian Brunnstrom, I think we'll see him play with jump and excitement. If he plays on a line with Steve Ott and someone like Ray Sawada, he will be more reserved.

I think what the Stars would like to see from Modano is a season like Neal Broten had in his first year in Dallas (1993-94). Broten was younger at the time (34), but he was an offensive star who had been pushed down the lineup by Modano and Dave Gagner. Broten played 79 games, had 17 goals and 35 assists, and provided a nice steadying force for a team that was still in development.

My guess is Modano will see his power play time decrease this season. He still can work the half wall pretty well and is always a candidate to play the point, but the No. 1 unit will probably feature Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow at its core, and probably needs Jere Lehtinen to hunt the puck. That would leave Brad Richards at the point running the show and either Stephane Robidas, Trevor Daley or Matt Niskanen at the other point. Modano would probably be used on the second unit, depending on what the vision is for Crawford and how the power play will attack the net.

Remember, with that first unit, you're still leaving Loui Eriksson, James Neal, Steve Ott and Fabian Brunnstrom out of the picture, and those players need to slip in there somewhere. If Eriksson supplants Lehtinen on the first unit, then maybe Modano and Lehtinen could try to strike some old chemistry on the second unit. Either that, or Modano will play the point on the second unit.

Personally, I prefer to see him on the half wall, but he has to be out there with some guys who will go to the net (Ott, Lehtinen or Neal?)

The bottom line is Modano needs to play fewer minutes, and his energy needs to be monitored closely. If he indeed plays in the Olympics, he will probably need a break afterward. As I have said before, I think just scratching him for a few games here and there would help. If the injury situation is like last season, that won't be possible, but I can't stress enough that they need to be able to keep Modano hungry throughout a long season.

So what's your take on Modano and what he can add to the team next season? While many will say he needs to be pushed, Ken Hitchcock used to subtly ``pull'' him into competitive situations. That may be something Marc Crawford will be able to do, as well.

_Mike Heika

Can Stars get off to a fast start?

The Stars have said over and over that they need to get off to a fast start next season after stumbling early last season.

So will the schedule help or hinder that process?

Here's October:

Sat. Oct. 3 Nashville 7:00 p.m. Tue. Oct. 6 @ Edmonton 8:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 9 @ Calgary 8:00 p.m. Sun. Oct. 11 @ Vancouver 9:00 p.m. Wed. Oct. 14 Nashville 7:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 16 Boston 7:30 p.m. Sat. Oct. 17 @ Chicago 7:30 p.m. Mon. Oct. 19 Los Angeles 7:30 p.m. Wed. Oct. 21 @ Anaheim 9:00 p.m. Thu. Oct. 22 @ Los Angeles 9:30 p.m. Sat. Oct. 24 @ St. Louis 7:00 p.m. Wed. Oct. 28 Toronto 7:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 30 Florida 7:30 p.m. Sat. Oct. 31 @ Nashville 7:00 p.m

The Stars have a pretty good balance with 14 games in October. They have 16 in March, so that's their heaviest month.

The have seven of the first 11 on the road, which is bad, because it's tougher to win on the road.

They have 8 of their 14 October games against non-playoff teams, which is good, and play only two real powerhouses in Boston and Chicago.

They have two back-to-back situations, which should not stress their need for new backup goalie Alex Auld too much (unless Marty Turco gets in another slump).

So do you think the schedule will help the Stars get off to a fast start? _Mike Heika

Stars release schedule

Here's the Stars schedule (released by the Stars and NHL)

DALLAS STARS 2009-2010 SCHEDULE

Pre-Season Day Date Opponent Time Wed. Sept. 16 Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m. Thu. Sept. 17 @ Colorado 8:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 19 @ St. Louis 7:00 p.m. Tue. Sept. 22 Florida 7:30 p.m. Wed. Sept. 23 @ Florida 6:30 p.m. Sat. Sept. 26 St. Louis 7:00 p.m. Wed. Sept. 30 @ Texas (AHL) 7:00 p.m.

Regular Season Sat. Oct. 3 Nashville 7:00 p.m. Tue. Oct. 6 @ Edmonton 8:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 9 @ Calgary 8:00 p.m. Sun. Oct. 11 @ Vancouver 9:00 p.m. Wed. Oct. 14 Nashville 7:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 16 Boston 7:30 p.m. Sat. Oct. 17 @ Chicago 7:30 p.m. Mon. Oct. 19 Los Angeles 7:30 p.m. Wed. Oct. 21 @ Anaheim 9:00 p.m. Thu. Oct. 22 @ Los Angeles 9:30 p.m. Sat. Oct. 24 @ St. Louis 7:00 p.m. Wed. Oct. 28 Toronto 7:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 30 Florida 7:30 p.m. Sat. Oct. 31 @ Nashville 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Nov. 4 Calgary 7:30 p.m. Fri. Nov. 6 Vancouver 7:30 p.m. Sat. Nov. 7 @ Minnesota 7:00 p.m. Thu. Nov. 12 @ San Jose 9:30 p.m. Sat. Nov. 14 @ Phoenix 8:00 p.m. Wed. Nov. 18 @ Detroit 6:30 p.m. Thu. Nov. 19 Columbus 7:30 p.m. Sat. Nov. 21 New Jersey 7:00 p.m. Mon. Nov. 23 Carolina 7:30 p.m. Wed. Nov. 25 St. Louis 7:30 p.m. Fri. Nov. 27 @ Phoenix 9:00 p.m. Sat. Nov. 28 Tampa Bay 7:00 p.m. Mon. Nov. 30 @ Detroit 6:30 p.m.

Thu. Dec. 3 Anaheim 7:30 p.m. Sat. Dec. 5 Edmonton 1:00 p.m. Tue. Dec. 8 @ Anaheim 9:00 p.m. Fri. Dec. 11 @ San Jose 9:30 p.m. Sat. Dec. 12 @ Los Angeles 9:30 p.m. Wed. Dec. 16 @ Carolina 6:00 p.m. Thu. Dec. 17 @ Atlanta 6:00 p.m. Sat. Dec. 19 Detroit 2:00 p.m. Mon. Dec. 21 San Jose 7:30 p.m. Wed. Dec. 23 Columbus 7:30 p.m. Sat. Dec. 26 @ Colorado 8:00 p.m. Tue. Dec. 29 Chicago 7:30 p.m. Thu. Dec. 31 Anaheim 7:00 p.m.

*All times are Central.

Day Date Opponent Time Sat. Jan. 2 Vancouver 1:00 p.m. Tue. Jan. 5 @ New Jersey 6:00 p.m. Wed. Jan. 6 @ NY Rangers 6:00 p.m. Fri. Jan. 8 NY Islanders 7:30 p.m. Sun. Jan. 10 @ Columbus 6:00 p.m. Tue. Jan. 12 @ Philadelphia 6:00 p.m. Thu. Jan. 14 @ Montreal 6:30 p.m. Sat. Jan. 16 Detroit 1:00 p.m. Mon. Jan. 18 Minnesota 7:00 p.m. Thu. Jan. 21 @ Vancouver 9:00 p.m. Fri. Jan. 22 @ Edmonton 8:00 p.m. Sun. Jan. 24 @ Colorado 7:00 p.m. Wed. Jan. 27 Calgary 7:30 p.m. Fri. Jan. 29 Colorado 7:30 p.m. Sun. Jan. 31 Phoenix 5:00 p.m.

Tue. Feb. 2 Minnesota 7:30 p.m. Thu. Feb. 4 @ Columbus 6:00 p.m. Sat. Feb. 6 Phoenix 5:00 p.m. Tue. Feb. 9 @ Chicago 7:30 p.m. Thu. Feb. 11 @ Calgary 8:30 p.m. Sat. Feb. 13 @ Phoenix 8:00 p.m.

Feb. 14-28 Winter Olympics, Vancouver

Tue. Mar. 2 Los Angeles 7:30 p.m. Thu. Mar. 4 St. Louis 7:30 p.m. Sat. Mar. 6 @ Pittsburgh 12:00 p.m. Mon. Mar. 8 @ Washington 6:00 p.m. Wed. Mar. 10 @ Buffalo 6:00 p.m. Fri. Mar. 12 Los Angeles 7:30 p.m. Sun. Mar. 14 Colorado 2:00 p.m. Tue. Mar. 16 San Jose 7:30 p.m. Thu. Mar. 18 Philadelphia 7:30 p.m. Sat. Mar. 20 Ottawa 1:00 p.m. Sun. Mar. 21 Phoenix 6:00 p.m. Tue. Mar. 23 @ Nashville 7:00 p.m. Thu. Mar. 25 @ San Jose 9:30 p.m. Sat. Mar. 27 @ Los Angeles 9:30 p.m. Mon. Mar. 29 @ Anaheim 9:00 p.m. Wed. Mar. 31 San Jose 7:30 p.m.

Fri. Apr. 2 Edmonton 7:30 p.m. Sat. Apr. 3 @ St. Louis 7:00 p.m. Tue. Apr. 6 Chicago 7:30 p.m. Thu. Apr. 8 Anaheim 7:30 p.m. Sat. Apr. 10 @ Minnesota 7:00 p.m.

Assistant coach search still on

Marc Crawford said yesterday he's still conducting interviews for the assistant coach to run the Stars defense.

It's an important position, so I think he wants to make sure to find the right fit.

Meanwhile, former Stars associate coach Rick Wilson is reported to be talking with Tampa Bay and could be considered as a new assistant coach there.

And former assistant coach Mark Lamb is rumored to be speaking with Swift Current about the open head coaching position with the Broncos.

I'm starting vacation today, so I won't be around for a while, but I'll try to check in here every now and then.

_Mike Heika

Alex Auld excited about trade

I talked to Alex Auld tonight, and he was very excited about the move to Dallas.

He had fun in Ottawa, but he knows Marc Crawford, Andy Moog and Joe Nieuwendyk, and he likes what he sees in Dallas.

``I know my role, and I'm confident I can help out,'' he said. ``I think it makes it a lot easier when I know who I'll be working with. I don't know Marty (Turco) well, but I know a lot about him, and I think we'll get along well.''

Auld has had some solid seasons, including taking over in Vancouver when Dan Cloutier was injured and helping the Canucks out with a 33-26-6 record.

He was included in the trade to Florida that brought the Canucks Roberto Luongo, and he was expected to be the Panthers' No. 1 goalie. However, he lost out on that job to Ed Belfour and left as a free agent afterward. He said the Florida experience really was a slap in the face.

``It was hard, and there were times I wondered if I was going to be able to stay in the league,'' he said. ``But you learn from it, you dig in, and you make yourself better. That's what I think I did.''

Auld was pushed out of Phoenix by Ilya Bryzgalov and then was traded to Boston, where he did a solid job backing up Tim Thomas in 2007-08. He went 9-7-5 with a 2.32 GAA and .919 save percentage.

That created interest from Ottawa, and the Senators signed him to a two-year deal at $1 million a season to be their backup.

He played 43 games because of injuries to other goalies and went 16-18-7 with a 2.47 GAA and a .911 save percentage.

The Senators acquired Pascal Leclaire late last season, and that made Auld expendable.

``These least two years, I think I learned a lot about being a backup, about supporting the top guy and pushing the top guy,'' he said. ``It's been a great learning experience, playing with all of these teams. You realize that it's your job to stop the puck, and that's all you can worry about. That's how you help the team the most.''

Nieuwendyk, who moved a sixth round draft pick in 2010 to get Auld, said he liked the fact that everyone was familiar with one another.

``It's an important position for us, and I think it's very important that the coach has confidence in this player,'' Nieuwendyk said. ``I know this coach has confidence in this player.''

And while he wouldn't say it, he knew that wasn't the case last season.

_Mike Heika

Stars acquire Auld, sign Fistric

The Stars went with familiarity Wednesday in their search for a backup goalie. A day after losing their pursuit of free agent Jonas Gustavsson to Toronto, they acquired Alex Auld from Ottawa in a trade for a sixth round draft pick in 2010. Auld, 28, played for new Stars head coach Marc Crawford and Stars goalie consultant Andy Moog when the three were with the Vancouver Canucks in the early 2000s and also was a teammate of new Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk on the Florida Panthers in 2006-07. ``I definitely think it makes a difference that you really know what you're getting with Alex,'' said Nieuwendyk. ``We know what he's capable of.'' Auld is a big goalie (6-4) who was taken 40th overall in the 1999 entry draft. He has mixed great seasons with mediocre campaigns, and Crawford said he thinks the goalie has learned a lot. ``I think the year in Vancouver with us when Dan Cloutier was hurt is a great example,'' Crawford said of the 2005-06 season. ``Alex stepped in and played extremely well, but then kind of slumped near the end. We know the ability is there, but it's just a matter of getting the consistency.'' Auld went 33-26-6 that season with a 2.84 GAA and .902 save percentage. He went 7-13-5 and lost at battle for the No. 1 goaltender spot to Ed Belfour after getting traded to Florida the next season. But in his past two seasons as a backup in Boston and Ottawa, he has posted GAAs of 2.32 and 2.47 and save percentages of .919 and .911. Auld said the disappointment in Florida was a career-changing experience. ``It was hard, and there were times I wondered if I was going to be able to stay in the league,'' he said. ``But you learn from it, you dig in, and you make yourself better. That's what I think I did.'' Auld said he hopes to bond with No. 1 goalie Marty Turco and push him, as well. And Nieuwendyk said that's exactly what's he's looking for. ``We all know that Marty Turco is our No. 1 goalies, but we need someone to push him, as well as support him,'' Nieuwendyk said. ``And that's what we hope Alex can do.'' Auld's career NHL record is 74-75-25 with a 2.76 GAA and .905 save percentage. Auld has one year left on his contract at $1 million. In addition, Stars defenseman Mark Fistric signed a three-year contract extension for $3 million Wednesday. Fistric, who was a restricted free agent who made $650,000 last season, will make $750,000 next season, $1 million for 2010-11 and $1.25 million for 2011-12. Fistric, 23, has played 73 career games for the Stars, with no goals and six assists. At 6-2, 232, he is a physical defenseman who can help clear the front of the net. ``He's gone through the proper steps, and he's ready to take the next step,'' Nieuwendyk said. ``I think the playoff run (with Manitoba) did a lot for him.'' Fistric played 22 playoffs game with Manitoba in the spring, scoring two goals and five assists. He helped the Moose to the Calder Cup Finals. The moves give Nieuwendyk 22 players (the maximum NHL roster is 23) at about $46.7 million in cap space (the salary cap is $56.8 million) and about $44.5 million in real money (the budget is somewhere around $45 million). He said this will probably end his work with the free agent market for now. ``There are things we will continue to look at, but I think we're in good shape,'' he said.

Stars sign Warren Peters

On a one-year, two-way contract.

He's mostly help for Cedar Park.

Here's the press release:

Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk announced today that the club has signed free agent center Warren Peters to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2009-10 season.

"Warren is a gritty center ice-man with underrated skill, and he will bring quality depth to our organization," said Nieuwendyk. "We look forward to his continued development in our system."

Peters, 26, skated in 16 games with Calgary last season, collecting a goal and 12 penalty minutes. Peters made his NHL debut on Dec. 7, 2008 at NY Rangers, and scored his first NHL goal on Mar. 3, 2009 at Ottawa. He skated in four Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Flames this spring, going scoreless.

The 6-0, 198-pound center also appeared in 62 games with the AHL Quad City Flames last season, recording 17 points (11 goals, 6 assists) and 51 penalty minutes. His most prolific season at the AHL level came in 2006-07 with Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben, when he posted 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points in 79 games, all AHL career bests.

The native of Saskatoon, Sask., skated in 330 games for his hometown Blades in the Western Hockey League from 1997-2003, recording 218 points (111 goals, 107 assists) and 542 penalty minutes. He led Saskatoon in assists (44), and was second in goals (31) and points (75) in 2002-03, his final year of junior hockey. _Mike Heika

No, camp, but there will be some key names

To cut costs, the Stars have eliminated their prospect camp this summer.

However, several key players will come in to do a week's worth of training starting Monday with strength and conditioning coach J.J. McQueen.

Those players are: James Neal, Matt Niskanen, Jamie Benn, Scott Glennie, Philip Larsen and Austin Smith.

There are no on-ice activities planned, but my guess is they will be on the ice at some point or another.

_Mike Heika

So...looking for a defenseman or something

Many of you have asked what defenseman are out there and available to be traded, and I have a few targets.

But I think patience is the key word here.

If you look at some of the great trades, they happen when a team gets frustrated, when a player somehow gets crossways with a club, when a team finds it needs cap space to make another move. Thus the term, ``keeping your powder dry.''

You never know when a great player might become available, so the Stars might have to ride this roster into next season, let the young D get some experience, and then reassess what they have.

But, here are a few persons of interest:

Tomas Kaberle _ The Maple Leafs are looking to get tougher and create cap space, and Kaberle is on the market. He is 31, he can play 25 minutes a game, and he has two years left on his contract at $4.25 million. He is pretty much a 50-point guy minimum right now, and he had a breakout year in 2005-06 when he had nine goals and 58 assists for 67 points while logging 28 minutes a night. All in all, the guy is a pretty good skilled defenseman who would fit what the Stars need in terms of budget.

Mark Streit _ The Stars love this guy. He's 31, but has played in the NHL for only four seasons (he's from Sweden). He was such a power play specialist that he was used as a forward part-time when he played in Montreal two seasons ago. The Islanders signed him as a free agent last summer to a five year deal that averages $4.1 million a year, and he excelled. He had 16 goals and 40 assists (10 and 19 on the power play) in 74 games while logging 25 minutes a game. He was plus-6 on a team full of minuses. The problem is the Islanders like him, and need a skilled defenseman. You would have to blow them away with an offer of young kids and draft picks.

Dion Phaneuf _ It's easy to speculate that since the Flames now have Jay Bouwmeester, they would be willing to trade Dion Phaneuf. That makes some sense. Phaneuf has almost the same contract as Bouwmeester (five more years at $6.5 million a year). He is a big hitter who has a mean streak and plays 26 minutes a game. He had a down year last year, but he had 17 goals and 43 assists the year before. The Flames are against the cap and could use the space (and some scoring wingers), but I don't think the Stars can work this deal unless their finances turn around or they are moving contract back the other way.

John-Michael Liles _ He's small (5-10) and overpaid ($4.2 million for the next three seasons). He is more of a power play QB (18 minutes a game) than a No. 1 defenseman. But he's probably available if you want him.

Bryan McCabe _ I think it's fair to ponder whether McCabe will still be useful when the Panthers finally get good. He's 34, and he has had injury issues the past two seasons (54 and 69 games). But he's big (6-2, 220), logs a lot of minutes (between 23-28 a game) and is pretty good on the power play (15 goals, 24 assists last season). He has two years left at $5.75 million and the Panthers are looking for kids.

Barret Jackman _ With Erik Johnson and Alex Pietrangelo needing more minutes for development, Jackman might be somebody you could snag. He has three years left on his deal at $3.625 million, he's only 28, and he's a very solid player. He logs about 22 minutes a game and last year had 4-17 _ 21 with almost no power play time. There are injury issues there, but he played 82 games last season. He's not exactly what you need, but my guess is you could get him.

So, that should get you started. Anything you like? Anything I missed?

_Mike Heika

Stars sign Karlis Skrastins?

TSN is reporting the Stars have signed Karlis Skrastins to a two-year deal at $1.375 million a year.

He was one of the guys I thought they would be targeting, and he's a steady defenseman who can eat up minutes.

I think you could say he's like Mattias Norstrom _ not as good, but offers many of the same attributes.

He was part of those Colorado teams that beat the Stars twice in the playoffs in the first round.

I like him. He's about to turn 35. He's a good, solid, experienced defenseman. He will help Stephane Robidas keep the kids calm.

_Mike Heika