Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

Lehtinen could return to Dallas Stars lineup Sunday

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October 11

Dallas Morning News

"Jere Lehtinen is as meticulous in his preparation as he is in his play, and that can mean he might take a few extra games to come back from an injury. But when he does come back, he typically plays the game perfectly. "He understands his own body, and he knows where he needs to be to play up to his standards, and those are very high standards," Dallas Stars coach Marc Crawford said. "I think anyone in the league will tell you how important he is." Lehtinen might play his first game of the season tonight against Vancouver after sitting out the first three with pain in his hip and groin. He's a three-time Selke Trophy winner as best defensive forward in the NHL, tied with Guy Carbonneau ..."

Stars sign Loui Eriksson to 6-year extension

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October 3

Dallas Morning News

"Winger Loui Eriksson has become a significant part of the Stars going forward as he signed a six-year contract extension Friday worth $25.5 million. Eriksson, 24, will be paid $1.7 million in the last year of a two-year contract and will start his new deal next season, averaging $4.25 million per year. It will take him through the 2015-16 season. "We've talked about identifying our core players and players we want to build around, and Loui certainly is one of those players," general manager Joe Nieuwendyk said. "He showed an ability to be a great defensive forward. He embodies a lot of the things we're looking for in a player.""

Dallas Stars give Robidas four-year deal

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October 2

Dallas Morning News

"The Stars made a commitment to one of their hardest working players Thursday, signing defenseman Stephane Robidas to a four-year contract extension worth $13.2 million. Robidas, who will make $1.5 million this season in the final year of his old deal, will start the extension next season, and it will run through 2013-14. Robidas will count $3.3 million per season toward the salary cap and should become the Stars' highest-paid defenseman. "It's great security for me and my family, and it's great to be with this organization," said Robidas, 32. "This is home for me, and this is a team I feel very good about. It was a very easy decision for me." Robidas has had a tough climb through the ..."

Ex-Stars coach Tippett to lead Coyotes

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September 24

Arizona Republic

"Dave Tippett, former coach of the Dallas Stars, will be named the new head coach of the Coyotes today. He replaces Wayne Gretzky, who resigned today. Tippett, 48, coached the previous six seasons in Dallas, compiling a record of 271-156-28. He took the Stars to the playoffs in his first five seasons. The official announcement will come at 3 p.m. news conference."

Zubov's career with Dallas Stars likely finished

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July 15

Dallas Morning News

"Sergei Zubov's 12-season career with the Stars probably will come to a quiet end this summer, a natural progression of age and business in the NHL. Zubov, the franchise's all-time leading scorer among defensemen, is recovering from December hip surgery and that is enough to make the Stars cautious about offering him a new contract. Zubov became an unrestricted free agent July 1 and his agent, Jay Grossman, has been shopping him around the NHL. Grossman confirmed Tuesday that nine teams have shown interest in Zubov. Grossman believes Zubov, who will turn 39 on July 22, will sign with a new team sometime in the near future. "We have made good progress in talks with several teams, and I ..."

Zubov's time with Stars likely over

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July 14

ESPN.com

"Sergei Zubov, perhaps the greatest defenseman in Dallas Stars history, appears set to bid adieu to the organization. The Stars are in a state of flux with a new coaching staff and new management team, and that almost certainly means Zubov will be playing elsewhere this fall, ending a 12-year stint with the team, his agent, Jay Grossman, told ESPN.com. "Sergei wants to be in a winning environment no matter where that might be," Grossman said. Zubov played in only 10 games last season because of a chronic hip problem, and had season-ending surgery in January 2009. He has been cleared to play and should be at 100 percent when the 2009-10 season starts, said Grossman, who has known Zubov since ..."

Free agent goalie Jonas Gustavsson picks Toronto over Dallas

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July 8

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Joe Nieuwendyk is finding out why so many general managers have gray hair — or none at all. The former Stars center returned to Dallas like a conquering hero a month ago at the tender age of 42. Just a couple of years removed from playing, he was hand-picked by owner Tom Hicks to be the team's new GM and lead a charge into a new generation of hockey. But after free agent goalie Jonas Gustavsson chose the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Stars on Tuesday, leaving Nieuwendyk to search for a backup goalie, the shine was off the apple for many Stars fans, who littered message boards with doubts about where Nieuwendyk is steering this ship. It's probably foolish to jump to such conclusions this ..."

Dallas Stars await decision by Swedish goaltender

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July 2

Dallas Morning News

"The Stars' version of Waiting for Gustavsson entered Act II on Wednesday. While they awaited free agent Swedish goaltender Jonas Gustavsson's decision, three goalies in whom the Stars were interested signed with other teams. "It's a bit frustrating, but we have confidence in the player and we want to see if he picks us," said Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk. [an error occurred while processing this directive] Gustavsson, 24, led his team to the Swedish Elite League championship in the spring and last month visited four NHL teams - Dallas, Toronto, Colorado and San Jose. He was expected to decide by Tuesday. On Wednesday, Craig Anderson signed a two-year deal with Colorado for an ..."

Monster won't decide until after July 1

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June 30

Sportsnet.ca

"Jonas Gustavsson, the free-agent goalie from Sweden is going to wait until after July 1 to announce his decision. Gustavsson's agent Joe Resnick told Hockeycentral "It's highly unlikely we'll commit before 12 noon Wednesday. With so many teams potentially making major changes to their rosters, maybe it's best to wait and watch it unfold first." The 24-year-old was Sweden's national goalie at the world hockey championship and is considered the best goalie not playing in the NHL."

Dallas Stars make offers to Fistric, Gagnon

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June 30

Dallas Morning News

"The Stars made restricted free agent qualifying offers to defenseman Mark Fistric ($715,000) and center Aaron Gagnon ($522,500) to retain their rights under the collective bargaining agreement of the NHL. The players can sign an offer sheet from another team, but the Stars would maintain the ability to match and would receive compensation if they did not match."

Maple Leafs try to lure Monster between pipes

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June 20

Toronto Star

"Free agent goalie Jonas Gustavsson jetted into town yesterday, surrounded, apparently, by a cone of silence. It was all quiet from Gustavsson's agent, Joe Resnick, while the only comment Leafs GM Brian Burke was: "Radio silence." Gustavsson – nicknamed The Monster because of his 6-foot-3 frame – blossomed last season in leading Farjestad to the Swedish Elite League championship to become this off-season's most sought-after undrafted player. The 24-year-old was also Sweden's goalie at the world championship. Toronto was the last stop on his tour of the four NHL teams he's interested in, which included Dallas, San Jose and Colorado."

Stars court free agent Gustavsson

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June 19

Dallas Morning News

"Ironically, it was Jonas Gustavsson who made the pitch Thursday. The free agent goalie, who is touring four NHL cities in hopes of selecting a new team for next season, threw out the first pitch at the Texas Rangers game. The Dallas Stars spent the day making their pitch to sign him. Gustavsson and new Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk each lobbed a pitch before the game against Houston. In addition, Gustavsson met former President George W. Bush, in whose name a suite at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington was dedicated. Gustavsson, 24, is an undrafted free agent who led Farjestad to the Swedish Elite League championship this spring. He has decided to move to the NHL next season, and because of his ..."

Stars make pitch to Swedish goalie

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June 18

Dallas Morning News

"Jonas Gustavsson will get a bit of the soft sell from the Dallas Stars. The free-agent goalie who is visiting four NHL teams before making a decision where he will play next season, will tour the Stars' facilities today. Much of the work in convincing the 24-year-old from Sweden has already been done, though. "I think our organization really sells itself, and that's pretty much how we've gone about this," said Les Jackson, the Stars director of player development who has been engineering the pursuit of Gustavsson. "What we believe is that the people who have played here and are playing here are our best representatives, and we think that's where Jonas will get his best information." ..."

Heatley still a hot ticket, NHL exec says

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June 15

Ottawa Citizen

"At least one National Hockey League executive says Ottawa Senators left-winger Dany Heatley remains an extremely marketable commodity, believing the two-time 50-goal scorer can turn the trick a third time. "He still had some pretty good numbers last season (39 goals and 34 assists), and he played pretty well," said the executive, who agreed Sunday to discuss the options facing Senators general manager Bryan Murray on condition of anonymity. "Logic would tell you that he can perform better if he's happy. If he was unhappy in Ottawa, he might do a lot better somewhere else. He's a major asset. Of course there's the uncertainty of the salary cap going forward (the current team limit of $56.7 ..."

Heatley camp calls its shot

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June 15

Ottawa Citizen

"Ordinarily, it would be an easy matter to trade a superstar sniper like Dany Heatley. Slap a "For Sale" sign on him, wait for the bids to roll in, and take the highest offer. It doesn't appear, however, as if Senators general manager Bryan Murray is going to have it this easy. The growing suspicion among league executives and agents contacted by the Citizen is that Heatley's agents have not only given Murray a list of preferred teams, they've also named one or two as their top choices. While there's colossal gall in this -- demanding a trade and then demanding where to go takes a lot of nerve -- there's also obvious self-interest. Who, after all, would want to be sent to the gulag known as ..."

Lidstrom, Datsyuk could return, but Draper's out for Game 5

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May 25

Detroit Free Press

"Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said today that Kris Draper won't play Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Wings have a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals. Meanwhile, forward Pavel Datsyuk (foot) and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom (lower body) are "day-to-day," said Babcock."

Hockey's bonfire of the bankruptcies

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May 12

Toronto Star

"While the Phoenix Coyotes turned up the heat on the NHL yesterday, the owner of the Dallas Stars appears to be laying enough kindling and timber to start another bankruptcy bonfire. The Coyotes won a court ruling that will force the NHL to tell all it knows about White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf's mysterious bid to purchase the Coyotes to a Phoenix bankruptcy court judge. The NHL must produce all documents related to Reinsdorf's bid today, ruled judge Redfield Baum. The league has said it was close to announcing Reinsdorf as a white knight who would keep the team in Glendale, Ariz., when Jerry Moyes thrust the Coyotes into bankruptcy. The Moyes camp wants to see how good the offer was."

Modano Coming Back For His 20th NHL Season

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May 11

TSN.ca

"Mike Modano made it offical on Monday, announcing he's coming back for his 20th NHL season. The highest-scoring U.S. born player in NHL history made his decision official over the last few weeks, leaning towards a return since the season ended in early April. ''I've made my decision and I'm coming back to play,'' Modano said on the Dallas Stars' website. ''I think everyone eventually knew I was going to come back, but I still wanted to take some time and think about things. Watching everyone else playing in the playoffs helped push me to make the decision. This is the best time of year and we want to get back to playing post-season hockey next season.''"

Burke in pursuit of Swedish goalie

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April 12

Globe and Mail

"Brian Burke took a pass on the Toronto Maple Leafs' final game of the 2008-09 season on Saturday night and headed for the decidedly non-NHL city of Copenhagen. The Maple Leafs president and general manager is in pursuit of a Swedish goaltender nicknamed The Monster and planned to meet with him and his agent on Sunday in Copenhagen. The Monster is 24-year-old Jonas Gustavsson, who was the talk of the Swedish Elite League playoffs. The 6-foot-4 Gustavsson registered five shutouts in 13 playoff games to lead Farjestad to the championship with a .961 save percentage. Aftonbladet, a Stockholm newspaper, reported that Gustavsson, who is a free agent, has narrowed his NHL choices to the Leafs and ..."

Hicks says creditors won't get Rangers, Stars after reported default

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April 4

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Hicks Sports Group, which owns the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars, has failed to make an interest payment on $525 million in loans, according to a report Friday morning. A financial website, FINalternatives, cited a source who said Hicks defaulted on a $350 million bank term loan, a $100 million second-lien loan and a $75 million revolving credit facility. Dallas investor Tom Hicks, who runs the professional baseball and hockey teams through Hicks Sports Group, announced earlier this week that he's looking to sell up to 46 percent of his 95 percent stake. In an e-mail Friday morning to the Star-Telegram, he responded to the published report that the teams were in default. "There is no ..."

Stars' Richards hoping for speedy return

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March 15

Dallas Morning News

"Brad Richards doesn't want to put a date on his potential return to the Dallas Stars' lineup, but said, "What I'm thinking has nothing to do with eight weeks." Richards suffered a fractured right wrist Feb. 16 and was given a window of six to eight weeks for recovery. An eight-week layoff would extend to April 13, after the regular season's end. The six-week side of recovery is March 30, when seven games will remain in the regular season. "I have an idea in my head of what I want to do and how I want to feel," Richards said. "But I didn't think I would get the cast off as early as I did, and I didn't think I would be out skating as early as I am, so those are good signs." Richards skated ..."

Deadline sellers unlikely to see big returns

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March 4

Toronto Star

"More and more, today's trade deadline appears to be a prelude to that which lies ahead. To a significant degree, much of what we'll see today – or don't see today – is the direct result of 30 clubs trying to forecast the future in terms of where the industry is heading and, in particular, where the salary cap may be headed. In fact, there were moves yesterday that were indicators of what teams are thinking. Nicklas Backstrom signed a new contract to be the starting goaltender with the Minnesota Wild, and the salary was significant, an average of $6 million per season."

GMs go down to the wire

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March 4

Toronto Star

"Coffee brewed, scouting charts laid out, and lists of wants and needs neatly organized, the general managers of the NHL's 30 teams will meet in boardrooms across North America this morning prior to the trade deadline. Around them will be their confidantes, assistants and scouting directors ready to dial phones, buzz the BlackBerrys, text the messages and e the mail. Reputations will be carved, saviours will be anointed, nerves will be frayed, and regrets – there'll be a few. If things begin as normal, the morning will go slowly from a public perspective: Perhaps a few fourth liners, or fifth defender for some low-round picks as selling GMs try to talk up the price to the buyers. Behind ..."

GM Lawton Expects A Busy Day

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March 4

Tampa Tribune

"Lightning general manager Brian Lawton planned to head home at some point Tuesday night, but he didn't plan to get much sleep. Tampa Bay's rookie GM plans to walk back through his office door sometime before sunrise this morning in preparation for today's 3 p.m. trade deadline. Judging from how busy Lawton said his phone has been the past few days, he expects to be active in his first trade deadline experience. "I think we've got the potential to be very active," Lawton said before Tuesday's game. "We had the potential to be active Tuesday but we are tight on our guys, we are not looking to give them away. If people want to make an offer that is going to move our organization forward, then ..."

Deadline approaching for Hawks

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March 3

Chicago Tribune

(scroll down)

"The trade deadline is Wednesday afternoon, and coach Joel Quenneville reiterated he wouldn't mind adding a second- or third-line center if general manager Dale Tallon can pull off a deal. "The one area that if we could ... it would be nice to add some help down the middle, be it for faceoffs or for some experience," Quenneville said. Players who could fill the bill include Anaheim's Samuel Pahlsson, although he's currently sidelined with mononucleosis; Nashville's Radek Bonk, out at least another week with a wrist injury; Toronto's Dominic Moore; Colorado's Ian Laperriere, or Tampa Bay's Jeff Halpern. Other centers rumored to be on the market include Phoenix's Olli Jokinen and Dallas' ..."

Avery May Soon Be a Ranger Again

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March 3

New York Times

"The Rangers should know whether forward Sean Avery, their former agitator, will be headed back to their lineup by noon Tuesday. The Dallas Stars placed him on re-entry waivers at noon Monday and by that time Tuesday, the N.H.L. will announce the lowest-seeded team that put in a claim for him. The Rangers cleared room on their roster Monday by sending forward Mark Bell, whom they claimed off waivers last week from Toronto, to their American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford. Avery has been playing with Hartford since early February, when his suspension from the league ended and Dallas needed a place for him to play in the minors. The Rangers offered up Hartford, with an eye toward ..."

Stars' Avery on re-entry waivers

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March 2

Sportsnet.ca

"As Sportsnet first reported last week, Sean Avery was placed on re-entry waivers by the Dallas Stars on Monday in the expectation that the New York Rangers will pick up the controversial winger. Avery will be available until noon Tuesday by the lowest-ranked team who makes a claim, and the Rangers have indicated they will pick him up. Avery had been playing with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League as he attempts to resurrect a career that went off the rails in December following remarks he made about Calgary defenceman Dion Phaneuf's actress girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert."

Deadline provides good theatre

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March 2

Globe and Mail

columnist Eric Duhatschek

"This is how the sands can shift in the ridiculously close NHL standings, with the trading deadline less than 72 hours away: At the all-star break, during the final week of January, it looked as though the only bona fide seller in the Western Conference would be the 15th-place St. Louis Blues, a team undermined for much of the season by injuries, limited scoring and so-so goaltending. The Blues featured at least one tradable commodity - left winger/centre Keith Tkachuk - who would be of some interest to a contender. Every week, a new version of the Tkachuk to the Boston Bruins rumour made the rounds. In the meantime, the Blues quietly chipped away at the gap between them and eighth place. ..."

Ott may face suspension

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March 1

Dallas Morning News

"Dallas Stars winger Steve Ott received a match penalty in a scrum that occurred immediately after Saturday's 4-3 loss to Anaheim and has been suspended awaiting a review Monday with Colin Campbell, the NHL's chief disciplinarian. A match penalty is given for deliberately injuring an opponent. Ott gouged Anaheim's Travis Moen in the scrum. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to do it," Ott said. Moen said he was upset by the incident. "You don't like it when a guy eye-gouges you after a fight," he said. "You know, I guess he felt he had to eye-gouge me. I don't know. Maybe it wasn't intentional. Maybe he was just trying to get at me, and was pulling, and got my eye or whatever." The ..."

D-Day looms

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February 28

Edmonton Journal

"Trade deadline day, in the words of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, is a mixed bag -- "an awful day, an exciting day, a day full of magic, also a day full of very poor decision making." While we've basically had a league-wide roster freeze for the last five months because of salary cap issues with teams, the trade deadline is the one day where GMs actually try to appease (a) braying fans, (b) players who are looking for a jolt, and (c) coaches who can't transplant hands on Shean Donovan or get a heart that beats for Tyler Arnason. You always get some strange trade ideas on Internet sites -- like Edmonton Oilers unrestricted free agent Erik Cole and a fourth-round draft to ..."

NHL teams have stars in their eyes

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February 26

Buffalo News

"The NHL trade deadline is next Wednesday, and nobody is quite sure what to expect in the days ahead. Six teams were within nine points of fourth-place Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference heading into Wednesday night. Eight points separated fifth-place Vancouver and 13th-place St. Louis in the West. Buy, sell or flip a coin? So many teams, so many players, so many possibilities. Several superstars are almost certain to change addresses, and several more are capable of pushing teams into contention. Here are a few items worth watching leading into Wednesday while pondering trade rumors du jour. STAR GAZING Jay Bouwmeester, D, Florida. General Manager Jacques Martin didn't rule out trading ..."

All or nothing

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February 22

Toronto Sun

"Will the desperate Habs finally sever ties with Kovalev? Will the Panthers send big Bouwmeester packing to beef up their forward ranks? And what about Pronger, Havlat, Gaborik, Tkachuk... With the NHL trade deadline only 10 days away, Sun Media's Bruce Garrioch breaks down what each club needs -- and who's up for grabs as teams look to play let's make a deal. --- FLORIDA PANTHERS Needs: The Panthers have to decide what they're going to do with D Jay Bouwmeester, who won't be back next season. The club needs scoring up front and there's no question it would be able to fetch that in a trade. GM Jacques Martin could be the biggest player at the deadline. Who's available: D Jay Bouwmeester, D ..."

Avery 'Packs for return to Broadway

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February 10

New York Daily News

"Sean Avery passed through waivers like an invisible man Monday, and Tuesday, he could show up in the Rangers' backyard, if not quite in their organization. Avery is expected to join the Rangers' AHL affiliate in Hartford on Tuesday, the next step on a comeback road that seems bound to merge with Broadway. Avery still would be under the Dallas Stars' umbrella once he's placed with the Wolfpack, however. The next and final step in Avery's return to the NHL would be Dallas recalling him and exposing him to reentry waivers, where in all likelihood he would be available for the Rangers to claim at half-price, with the Stars sharing the tab. Avery has been skating on his own in recent weeks ..."

Blueshirts need A-Very big boost

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February 10

New York Post

columnist Larry Brooks

"Sean Avery is on his way to Hartford, where, The Post has learned, he will be assigned today by the Stars for an indeterminate period before going on re-entry waivers that all but assuredly will lead back to Broadway. After last night's display in the 3-0 loss in New Jersey that extended the losing streak to five games (0-4-1) in which they have been outscored 21-5, not only can't Avery's return come soon enough, but a handful of Rangers on the current roster should feel fortunate not to be making the reverse commute to Hartford, themselves. It's unacceptable how poorly the Rangers' alleged best players are performing under the gun. It's unacceptable how soft the team is as a group. It's ..."

Clearing of waivers should kick-start Avery process

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February 9

NHL.com

"Sean Avery is expected to clear waivers Mondat at 12 p.m. (ET), setting into motion the next chapter in a saga that has captivated the hockey community for the past three months. Once Avery clears waivers, the options for the Dallas Stars increase significantly. None of the League's other 29 teams are expected to make a waiver claim, scared off not only by the player's combustible personality, but by the onus of taking on the remaining value of the four-year, $15.5 million contract he signed as a free agent this summer. One thing that definitely will not happen is Avery rejoining the Stars. The club's management has made it quite clear since his NHL suspension and Avery's enrollment in ..."

Rangers Must Act Quickly With Avery

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February 9

New York Post

"This was two years and three days ago when the Rangers' 4-3 Garden defeat by the Red Wings in a game they'd led 3-1 entering the third was accompanied by the news that the Blueshirts had acquired Sean Avery from the Kings. "Hopefully that's going to help us," Jaromir Jagr said that night. "But we need more than Sean Avery right now." Jagr is in Siberia, but the analysis still rings true now that the Rangers could be as close to two days away from reacquiring Avery. That would happen if the Stars place the winger on re-entry waivers tomorrow (after he clears regular waivers at noon today), and no team lower in the standings decides to block the reunion. It would be the smart play for the ..."

AHL's Wolfpack likely spot for Avery's return

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February 9

TSN.ca

"Sources have confirmed to TSN that the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL will likely be the destination for Sean Avery's return to professional hockey. But at this point, the New York Rangers and their top minor league affiliate have yet to finalize an arrangement with the Dallas Stars to provide a home for Avery in the event he clears waivers on Monday. Assuming an agreement is reached with the Stars, Avery would clear waivers and Dallas would assign him to the AHL."

Stars look for a new home for Sean Avery

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February 9

Dallas Morning News

"The Stars are still searching for an AHL team on which to place Sean Avery. The winger, who was suspended in December for six games and placed in the NHL's behavioral therapy program, was placed on waivers Saturday and is expected to clear them at 11 a.m. today. At that time, the Stars could assign him to an AHL franchise, but they have to find an AHL franchise to accept him. If he is accepted, Avery could play games for a few weeks, prove his value to the league and then be placed on "recall waivers." At that time, any team in the NHL could place a claim on him and get him for half of the cost of his remaining contract. The Stars signed him to a four-year, $15.5 million contract as a ..."

Stars put Sean Avery on waivers, could lead to Rangers return

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February 8

New York Daily News

"With the Rangers licking their wounds from a humiliating loss in Dallas that looked suspiciously like a players' referendum on their coach, a player who has been a Blueshirt savior once before went on the market Saturday. Sean Avery is back in the NHL, at least nominally, having been cleared by the league to return from his suspension for his crude comments about his ex-girlfriends on Dec. 2. Avery is back on the Dallas Stars' roster, but since the Stars want no part of him, the team immediately placed the left winger on waivers. It's highly unlikely that any team will claim him this weekend at the full price of his contract, so Avery is expected to clear waivers at noon Monday, at which ..."

Rangers Trying To Bring Sean Avery Back

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February 6

New York Post

"The Rangers have conducted thorough internal discussions regarding the feasibility of bringing Sean Avery back to Broadway and appear to be on the verge of allowing Dallas to send Hockey's Public Enemy No. 1 to Hartford in what would be the first step of the process, The Post has learned. The organizational meetings included management personnel, coaches and players. They yielded a consensus that Avery's return to the Rangers is very much worth pursuing and that his injection into the lineup this season would be a constructive move. GM Glen Sather, who accompanied the Rangers to Dallas for tonight's game, is expected to speak to Stars' co-GM Les Jackson today about a timetable under which ..."

Avery almost ready to begin long road back

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February 4

TSN.ca

"Exiled Dallas Stars' forward Sean Avery is expected to be cleared from the NHL and NHLPA's Behavioral Modification program later this week or sometime early next. Avery is scheduled to begin skating on Monday in anticipation of returning to hockey; however, to do that, Avery knows he will have to regain NHL teams' trust which will very likely require time in the American Hockey League. Avery remains Dallas property, so the Stars will have to find an AHL team willing to take Avery on board. The Stars will then place Avery on waivers and providing he clears he will be reassigned. Avery's best chance of returning to the NHL will be via re-entry waivers. If he is claimed, the Stars would ..."

Moves will give fans idea which way Dallas Stars are headed

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January 16

Dallas Morning News

"The NHL trade deadline isn't until March 4, and yet trade talk will start to heat up this month. So what should the Stars be looking for? A No. 1 defenseman with the skill to move the puck out of the back end? A backup goalie? A veteran leader who can help on the fourth line? There are options out there, but the Stars' front office is expected to be very cautious moving forward. Chances are, they will not give up high draft picks like they have in the past. Chances are, they will not give up prospects. Chances are, they will not take on huge amounts of salary. So how can they help themselves? There are options. Mathieu Schneider will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the ..."

Likable Sanford likely odd man out

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January 12

Vancouver Province

columnist Ben Kuzma

"The math is simple and so is the solution. Three goaltenders don't divide evenly into two roster positions and the odd man out of what will soon be a crowded Vancouver Canucks crease is likely Curtis Sanford. With workhorse starter Roberto Luongo possibly returning Thursday from seven weeks on the sidelines with a groin strain -- and Jason LaBarbera backstopping the club to points in four of his five starts since being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings -- the amiable yet inconsistent Sanford is expected to be dangled as trade bait. Yet, in that respect, the loser could be the winner. Dallas and Columbus are both in the market for a backup starter and Sanford would play more for either ..."

Stars and snubs of All-Star Game

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January 11

Camden Courier-Post

"Now that the ballot stuffing is over and the NHL has allowed its tech-head fans to ruin the integrity of the All-Star Game by electronically voting four Montreal Canadiens onto the Eastern Conference starting roster, it's time to separate the stars from the snubs on this year's team. Forward stars: The fans got it right by voting Penguins superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as starters, but even the folks in Montreal know that Alex Kovalev is not having an All-Star season. He's got 11 goals and his 31 points rank 62nd in the NHL. Since all 15 teams need to be represented in each conference, I'm OK with the other forwards named to the East roster -- the Flyers' Jeff Carter, ..."

Hull on his way out as Stars co-GM?

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December 10

The Hockey News

"Members of the Dallas Stars management team will sit down today to discuss the future of Sean Avery and it likely won't be long before the man who insisted on signing Avery makes a decision on his own future. Several NHL sources have indicated that within the next couple of weeks the Stars’ co-GM experiment with Brett Hull and Les Jackson will be history. Speculation is Hull will move to another area of the organization and will be out of the decision making process when it comes to hockey matters. Hull's insistence on signing Avery in the face of opposition from everyone else in the hockey department will undoubtedly be a factor in the move, but sources also say Hull isn't really ..."

Therapy for Avery?

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December 3

Sportsnet.ca

"While a guest on Wednesday's Hockeycentral @ Noon, Dallas Stars general manager Brett Hull suggested suspended forward Sean Avery has issues that might require medical treatment to resolve. Avery was suspended indefinitely by the NHL on Tuesday after making disparaging remarks about ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert, who is currently dating Calgary Flames defenceman Dion Phaneuf. The Stars, minus Avery, beat the Flames Tuesday night 3-1. Avery will meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at 12 p.m. ET Thursday to explain himself."

Avery's future with Stars in doubt

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December 3

TSN.ca

columnist Bob McKenzie

"It's too early to say with 100 per cent certainty that Sean Avery will never play another game for the Dallas Stars, but it is fair to say his future with the NHL team in very much in question. So much so that Avery's attempt to apologize to his teammates and the organization was rejected by the club today. Sources tell TSN that Avery's personal publicist reached out to the Stars' organization first thing Wednesday morning in an effort to get Avery an audience with his teammates so he could apologize to them. The Stars made it clear to Avery's representative that the door was not open for that to happen at this time and perhaps not at all. The Stars, it would seem, are not in the mood for ..."

Report: Penguins, Stars Swap Blueliners

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November 16

TSN.ca

"According to RDS, the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins have swapped veteran defencemen with the Stars dealing Philippe Boucher to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Darryl Sydor. In the final year of a contract that pays him $2.5-million this season, Boucher is a 35-year-old who has three points and a minus-4 rating in 16 games with the Stars this season. He has 91 goals and 294 points in 723 career games. Sydor, 36, has seen limited duty with the Penguins this year, tallying one goal and one assist with a plus-5 rating, in eight games. Like Boucher, Sydor is in the final year of his contract, which pays $2.5-million. Sydor had a no-trade clause that he needed to waive in order ..."

Dallas Stars in discussion to acquire forward Avery

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July 2

Dallas Morning News

"While much of the potential scoring help went off the board Tuesday on the first day of NHL free agency, the Stars were in discussions late into the evening to possibly acquire talented agitator Sean Avery, co-GM Brett Hull said. Dallas is among the suitors for the 28-year-old forward who had 15 goals and 18 assists in 57 games last season for the New York Rangers. He added four goals and three assists in eight playoff games. Avery lived with Stars co-general manager Brett Hull in 2002-03 when the two played for Detroit."

Avery Could Land In Dallas Or Detroit

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July 2

New York Post

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"Glen Sather wouldn't give Avery an extra $4M over four years - Page Six Sean is believed on his way to either Detroit or Dallas - but the GM instead lavished a six-year contract worth $6.5M per on 31-year-old Wade Redden, a reasonably dependable puck-moving defenseman who had a dreadful 2007-08 in Ottawa and has never been regarded as a game-changer over 11 seasons with the Senators."

Stars Trade Rumors