head coach: Kevin Hitchcock

roster: C - Mike Modano*, Todd Harvey, Guy Carbonneau, Joe Nieuwendyk, Bob Bassen. LW - Dave Reid, Greg Adams, Benoit Hogue, Chris Tancill. RW - Pat Verbeek, Jamie Langenbrunner, Jere Lehtinen, Grant Marshall, Bob Errey. D - Derian Hatcher*, Craig Ludwig, Darryl Sydor, Richard Matvichuk, Sergei Zubov, Shawn Chambers. G - Ed Belfour, Roman Turek.
*-Unsigned free agent.

injuries: None.

transactions: XX/XX - Announced the retirement of Neal Broten; signed free agent defenseman Darryl Sydor, center Guy Carbonneau, and defensemen Dan Keczmer and Craig Ludwig; released defenseman Mike Lalor. 07/02 - Signed free agent goaltender Ed Belfour (San Jose) to a three-year contract. 07/03 - Signed unrestricted free-agent defenseman Shawn Chambers (New Jersey) to a three-year contract with an option for a fourth. 07/17 - Signed free-agent winger Bob Errey (San Jose) to a three-year contract. 07/25 - Re-signed free-agent left wing Benoit Hogue to a one-year contract; signed free-agent forward Tony Hrkac to a two-year contract and forwards Chris Tancill and Kevin Sawyer to one-year contracts. 08/14 - Signed left wing Jason Botterill and defenseman Frederic Bouchard to three-year contracts. 09/02 - Agreed to terms on a three-year contract with free-agent right wing Jere Lehtinen. 09/05 - Signed right wing Grant Marshall to a two-year contract.

standings:

1996-97 FINAL RESULTS
RECORD:     
 OVERALL      48-26-8 
 HOME         25-13-3
 ROAD         23-13-5        
POINTS:            104  (2nd)
GOALS SCORED:      252  (8th)   
GOALS AGAINST:     198  (3rd)
POWER PLAY:      14.6% (18th)
PENALTY KILLING: 83.4% (14th) 

game results:

PRE-SEASON RESULTS
9/13 at Chicago         W 5-2
9/14 at St. Louis       W 4-1

team news:

by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

STARS STILL ON THE RISE

1996-97 saw the Dallas Stars emerge as one of the NHL's elite teams. The club's 48-26-8 record was second to only the mighty Colorado Avalanche. However, all the regular season success rang hollow when the team got bounced in the first round by the upstart Edmonton Oilers. Now the Stars are back with something to prove. And thanks to some off-season moves by GM Bob Gainey, they're better than ever.

OFFENSE: Modano the Man

The Stars finished tied for sixth in scoring last season with 252 goals. Yet most of the scoring was done by committee, with 10 different players recording at least 10 goals. While balanced scoring is nice and all, every great team leads a go-to guy up front. For Dallas, that man is Mike Modano.

Mikey Mo is a special talent. He led the Stars with 35 goals and 83 points last season, a full 30 points ahead of his next closest teammate. But everyone knew Modano could put on a clinic with the puck. The big news was how he tightened up his game on defense, finishing at a team high +43 and earning his first ever Selke nomination. Modano's commitment to defense and hard work away from the puck spread through the roster. His play elevated the team to new heights and made the Stars serious Cup contenders. But now the Dallas management is going to have to reward him with a hefty new contract. Modano remains an unsigned restricted free agent. They're not going to let him leave town, but the contract needs to get settled before the start of the season. A prolonged holdout would be extremely detrimental to the cause.

Joe Nieuwendyk is also a potent weapon in the Dallas attack, connecting for 30 goals and 51 points in 66 games last season. Nieuwendyk is still one of the best in the league when it comes to working the front of the net. There aren't many better at getting deflections or finding rebounds. He can also bring it from the outside with a heavy wrister, lemme tell ya.

Veterans Pat Verbeek, Greg Adams, and Benoit Hogue were disappointing last year, but still give the Stars three experienced veterans up front. Verbeek was brought in before last season to bolster the offense, but responded with a disappointing 17 goals and 53 points. The Stars are going to need more from him if they expect to go deep into the playoffs. Adams was a consistent scorer when he was in the lineup, often skating the left side for Modano. But a variety of injuries held him to just 50 games. That's really the same old story for Adams. He hasn't played a full season in the league since 1987- 88. Counting on him to be in the lineup each night would be a mistake. Hogue is a three-time 30-goal scorer that seems to have lost his scoring touch. He hasn't been able to reach the 20-goal plateau in any of the past three seasons. He still has great wheels, tho', and keeps the defense honest with his speed.

Jere Lehtinen could be on the verge of stardom. The Finnish winger teamed with Modano most of last season and followed in his defensive footsteps, even joining him as a Selke nominee. Lehtinen will be entering his third season and has the look of a player who is ready to break through. His 16 goals and 43 points last season don't tell the whole story. He has the talent to be a 30-goal scorer. Lehtinen is one to watch.

The Stars will also be looking for more production out of second- year man Jamie Langenbrunner. The 22-year-old product of Duluth, Minnesota, posted 13 goals and 39 points in his rookie season a year ago. He should see more ice this time around.

Dallas lost a key defensive member of the squad to free agency when Brent Gilchrist bolted for Detroit. Gilchrist's grit and tenacity will definitely be missed. The club signed Bob Errey to try and fill some of the void, but the Stars should still be okay in the checking department with Guy Carbonneau and Bob Bassen returning. Todd Harvey is also coming back to provide some spunk. Neal Broten won't be returning, as he finally decided to hang up the skates. Bill Huard and Mike Kennedy were also free agent casualties, signing with Edmonton and Toronto, respectively.

Looking at the Dallas roster, there really isn't a whole lot of talent up front. But this club doesn't rely on its offense to win games. As long as Modano and Nieuwendyk are around to provide the timely goals, the Stars will be okay.

DEFENSE: Hatcher's House

The same excellent Dallas defense from a year ago will remain intact, save for one exception. Grant Ledyard was an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Canucks. He'll hardly be missed, tho', as Gainey went out and signed Shawn Chambers from the New Jersey Devils. Chambers isn't the physical presence Ledyard is, but he's a far superior skater and puckhandler. He really has top notch offensive skills. He'll be able to step right in and help jump start the counterattack or anchor one of the points on the power play. Plus he's won a Stanley Cup. Anyone with a ring is a welcome addition to a team close to contention.

However, the Dallas blue line still belongs to Derian Hatcher. The 25-year-old has established himself as one of the league's elite defensemen, even earning a spot on our list of top rated defensemen last issue. Hatcher is a dominant force in his own zone and the leader of this club. But like Modano, he still needs to be signed to a new contract. That's not a good situation to be in, having to sign your top forward and top defenseman.

While Hatcher is a bright young defensive defenseman, Craig Ludwig has pretty much defined the term over his 15-year career. The 36-year-old veteran will be back for another go, oversized shin pads and all. Maturing in the shadows of Hatcher and Ludwig, Richard Matvichuk is quietly developing into a steady, dependable blueliner in his own right. He is somewhat injury prone, having missed 25 games last season and 68 over the past three years, but is a valuable member of the team when healthy. Veterans Dan Keczmer and Mike Lalor are also around to add to the defensive depth.

When more than safe defensive plays are needed, the Stars also have guys capable of creating offense from the line. Along with Chambers, who was mentioned earlier, Sergei Zubov and Darryl Sydor are also superb at headmanning the puck or carrying the play themselves. Zubov is one of the game's best skaters and owns a bomb from the point. Now he just has to learn to use it more. He was seventh on the team with 133 shots. That's the lowest total of any of the league's top scoring defensemen. Zubov finished with 13 goals and 43 points last season, but he has the potential to be a 20-goal scorer every year if he'd just shoot the puck more. Surprisingly, Sydor actually scored more points than Zubov last season, recording a career high 48. He's always had the talent to be a decent point producer and is finally starting to deliver.

The Dallas blue line just has everything. It's got a standout leader in Hatcher, offensive talent in Zubov, Chambers, and Sydor, and guys that do all the dirty work in Ludwig and Matvichuk. Hard to get better than that.

GOALTENDING: Eagle Takes Up Nest

The reason the Dallas Stars weren't serious Cup contenders last season, even though they had the great record, was goaltending. Andy Moog just wasn't going to lead this team to the promised land. Gainey realized it a little late, but he addressed the problem this off-season when he signed the great Eddie Belfour.

Belfour is coming off a subpar season that saw him get bounced around from Chicago to San Jose while also suffering through knee and back injuries. But don't worry, the guy is still one of the best in the game. He's the superstar goaltender this team needs to challenge Colorado in the West. Belfour took less money to sign with the Stars because he wanted a chance to get back to the Finals. The only reason he's coming to Dallas is to win, and win now.

Both members of last year's goaltending tandem, Moog and Arturs Irbe, find themselves on new teams. Moog signed with the Canadiens and Irbe caught on with the Canucks. That leaves rookie Roman Turek to back up Belfour. Turek isn't some naive kid just off the turnip truck, tho'. He's a 27-year-old veteran of international competition and the Czech elite league. He got his feet wet with Dallas last season, earning a 3-1-0 record and posting a 2.05 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. Turek has great size (6'3", 200) and looms large in net. He plays a standup style and looks a bit like Sean Burke between the pipes. As long as he keeps his game simple, he should be able to handle the backup gig. There won't be much pressure on Turek. This team is Belfour's.

GEE, THAT'S SWELL

* Modano is a true superstar up front.

* Hatcher is the cornerstone of a deep and talented blue line.

* Belfour gives the team the goaltending it's lacked in the past.

TROUBLE

* Scoring pool is still a bit shallow on offense.

* Losing Gilchrist could hurt.

* Modano and Hatcher's contract disputes could be a distraction.

1997-98 OUTLOOK: As long as Modano and Hatcher get signed, Dallas will run away with the Central Division. Belfour is the final piece of the puzzle. You can reserve the Stars' place in the Western Conference Finals right now.

PREDICTION: First in the Central.

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