As we all are very aware, the Dallas Stars offense is going to double its output this year. But the only uncertainty is the goaltending. So if the Stars get solid goaltending this year out of Marty Turco and Ron Tugnutt, will they have a good shot at the Cup? -- Russell Carrico, Mabank, Texas

	Mike Modano leads the Stars with 14 points.

Barry Melrose: Definitely. The Stars are a great hockey club. People forget that Dallas had 90 points last year. The Stars only missed the playoffs by three points. It's not like they were the Atlanta Thrashers. They added Bill Guerin and Scott Young. If Turco can play, they are as good as any team in the West -- and everyone knows that the Stars are back.

It seems like every time the Philadelphia Flyers are mentioned, analysts like to rag on their goalies. What's wrong with a guy -- Roman Cechmanek -- who has a lifetime 2.04 GAA, .921 save percentage, and a shutout every eight games? -- Tim, Bethlehem, Pa.

Melrose: I don't rag on the goalies. Goaltending is a question mark because of what happened last year in the playoffs. There was a lot of bad feelings and things said. But Cechmanek played great in the playoffs. It looked like he was probably the only player who tried. I didn't see that as a problem. I didn't see it as a strength either because he also lost some games badly in the playoffs two years ago. It's a wait-and-see thing with Cechmanek and the Flyers because they are a very good team.

With the Boston Bruins off to a great start, are they in any rush to deal Kyle McLaren? -- Jay Lundin, Boston, Mass.

Melrose: No, they don't have to be. They can pick and choose the deal they want. They can decide if they need another defenseman, another forward or a goaltender. The longer they keep winning and playing better, that gives a team with good young prospects or good players time to flounder and struggle. And that will increase McLaren's value.

Will the Nashville Predators ever amount to anything more than the "pain in the butt" team they are now? -- Scott, Racine, Wis.

Melrose: I don't know if they are a pain in the butt. This is the worst I think they've looked since their inception. They have a lot of question marks. They don't really have an identity. There are not a lot of positive things for the Predators. Look at what Minnesota and Tampa Bay are doing, and Columbus is making great strides. The only thing the Predators will guarantee is a playoff spot for another team, and it looks like that will cost them a lot of money. The Predators are probably one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL so far.

As a lifelong New York Rangers fan, I've seen this too much. They buy and buy and buy and then underachieve. I thought that this year was different, and that Bobby Holik and Darius Kasparaitis were the right pieces for the puzzle. Am I destined to see them collapse and miss the playoffs again, or are we Rangers fans overreacting? -- Corey, New York

Melrose: I agree. I thought this was an excellent club. Kasparaitis is minus-9, and Holik is hurt. They are terrible defensively. They take too many penalties; they are one of the most penalized teams in the NHL. They have a lot of work to do. Until they get committed to defense and start working in their own end, it will be the same story as last year. There are a lot of good teams in the East this year, so the Rangers had better get things turned around quickly. They are another disappointment this season.

What are your thoughts on Gary Bettman coming out and saying that he is fearful for some sort of disagreement with the labor negotiations in 2004 with the NHL Players' Association. -- Kyle Jackson, Pittsburgh

Melrose: I think Gary is just starting negotiations. He is letting people know that things aren't good, that changes have to happen. And what he means is probably a salary cap or some kind of structure that limits what a team can pay for players. Owners have proven they can't please themselves so there has to be a rule in place -- just like football, baseball and basketball. And Gary is letting people know it's coming, and hopefully they can get together and get an agreement in place before there is a strike or a lockout, just like baseball did.

I'm curious about Jiri Slegr. As a Detroit Red Wings fan, I had hoped that they would sign him even to a one-year contract. As of now that hasn't happened. I'm wondering if you think they will or if someone else is in line to sign him? He is a solid, hard-hitting blueliner, I'm surprised he's not playing for someone right now. -- Rex, Denver, Colo.

Melrose: Don't forget that Slegr didn't play for Detroit in the playoffs. That should give you a hint that things weren't great in Detroit. The Red Wings also haven't signed Steve Duchesne yet. So they have two veteran defensemen unsigned. There is a rumor that Duchesne is close to signing in Detroit. But I agree about Slegr. I don't know if he can play for Detroit, but he can certainly play for 10-12 teams in the NHL. It's probably a case of teams evaluating their defense. The longer they wait to sign him, the less they will have to pay Slegr. That have something to do with him waiting for a deal.

What's up with Ilya Kovalchuk? He's minus-13 in nine games! No one should be minus-13 in nine games. Is he hurting the Atlanta Thrashers more than he's helping? -- BillyBob, Phoenix

Melrose: He is like Pavel Bure; neither one is great defensively. Kovalchuk was benched Thursday night for that reason. He has to compete defensively. No one expects him to win the Selke Trophy for being the best defensive forward. But he has to be committed to defense anyway. He has to try to check and win some physical battles. That is what the Thrashers are trying to get him to do. He is such a great offensive player; they have to get him to say, "I'm not great defensively, but I'll try." That is all they are asking for.

What is the deal with the New York Islanders? No one expected a start like last year, especially in the absence of Michael Peca, but three games below .500 with terrible goaltending, special teams and discipline? It's a real surprise to me. -- Nathan, Huntington, N.Y.

Melrose:

Nathan, you've just nailed it. Their goaltending has been terrible. Chris Osgood's save percentage is under .800, which is unbelievable for an NHL goaltender. When the Islanders needed a great play or something big to happen last year, Peca made it happen. When they were winning 2-0, he would block a shot, and the Islanders would go down and score to make it 3-0. Now they don't have that type of player in their lineup. They are really struggling mentally. Until he gets back or the goaltending gets better, I don't see any reason to think the Islanders will be much better.

What do you think of Marian Gaborik? I get the privilege of seeing him play, and I think he is going to be a star in the league for years to come. And now Jacques Lemaire him on the penalty kill too. He has developed into an all-around player, something I would have never thought when the Minnesota Wild got him. Lemaire is the best coach in the NHL! Your thoughts? -- Justin, Minneapolis

Melrose: I agree. Lemaire has done an unbelievable job, and Minnesota is one of the great stories. The one thing about Gaborik is that he has become what Atlanta is trying to get Kovalchuk to become. Minnesota's defensive system is much better than Atlanta's, and Gaborik knows he has to check if he wants to play. He is getting the job done. He is one of the league's leading scorers and is still doing the job on defense. There is a lot of positive things happening in Minnesota. Everything is working.

Barry Melrose, a former NHL defenseman and coach, is a hockey analyst for ESPN.