Guerin

This offseason, owner Tom Hicks and general manager Doug Armstrong went free agent-crazy, signing right wings Bill Guerin and Scott Young, as well as defenseman Philippe Boucher. But do they have a No. 1 goalie? Armstrong figures Marty Turco, 27, is ready for the job (2.09 GAA in 31 games). Newly acquired vet Ron Tugnutt sits behind the "break in case of emergency" glass. Either way, the Stars will be back in business come playoff time.

	The Big Question
	Q: Is handing Turco the keys to the Ferrari a good idea? Well, who else were they going to hand them to? Clearly, Ed Belfour's days in Dallas were numbered. It was time for him to leave. They could have, I guess, taken a run at signing Curtis Joseph or Mike Richter. But what message would that have sent to Turco, who has earned a chance to be a No. 1 stopper. Insiders in the Stars' organization feel Turco has what it takes to get the job done. Also, it would be wise to remember that young Turco helped Michigan to a pair of NCAA titles during his college days. So, he has some experience in pressure situations. GM Doug Armstrong made the nice "just in case" move of trading for vet Ron Tugnutt. If Turco stumbles, the Stars have viable alternative in Tugnutt. -- E.J. Hradek
	Good: Instead of paying too much for the goalies who did well last season, grab the guy who will break out this season. Marty Turco outplayed Ed Belfour throughout last season, but decorum insisted the veteran remain No. 1. Now Belfour's gone, and Turco's supporting cast is improved. Bad: Mike Modano is a lock for the top line and at least 70 points, but Dallas' glut of centers isn't necessarily a good thing for fantasy owners. Either Pierre Turgeon plays out of position on the wing, or either he and Jason Arnott fight to stay off the third line. -- Eric Karabell
	Top Prospect
	Steve Ott, LW He averaged about a goal a game for Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League and also showed a willingness to mix it up even though he is not particularly big. Taken 25th overall by Dallas in the 2000 draft.
	Minors Outlook
	Utah Grizzlies Any AHL team with Jim Montgomery on the roster figures to be a contender, and the Grizzlies have added Montreal as a partial affiliate with the Canadiens sending in four players. With good goaltending, the Grizzlies should be dangerous. -- Bill Ballou

Forwards This Stars feature a pletura of talented front-line players. Mike Modano, Bill Guerin, Jason Arnott, Pierre Turgeon, Jere Lehtinen, Scott Young and Brendan Morrow make them ultra dangerous. But, as a whole, will they click? It will be interesting to see just how first-year head coach Dave Tippett utilizes his many offensive jewels. In camp, Guerin and Arnott found some chemistry together. That story will be ongoing. The battle for jobs at the back of the bus should be just as interesting with young Jon Sim knocking on the door. We know this much for sure, the Stars want ex-Ranger Manny Malhotra to anchor their fourth line. Certainly, the former first-round pick is happy to have a set role. On Broadway, he wandered through that confused organization without purpose. Western Conference Position Ranking: T1st Defensemen After struggling last season, you wonder if it's time to break up their veteran foursome of Derian Hatcher, Richard Matvichuk, Sergei Zubov and Darryl Sydor. But, these guys still are young (and good) enough to turn things around. Ex-King Philippe Boucher signs on as a free agent, while young John Erskine seems ready for prime time. Western Conference Position Ranking: T2nd Goalie The Stars, who wisely passed on re-signing aging Ed Belfour, insist that Marty Turco is ready for the No. 1 job. As a backup, Turco was top notch. But, until he proves it as a starter, there will be some questions. If he stumbles, veteran Ron Tugnutt will be there to ease the pain. Western Conference Position Ranking: T5th

Rankings: 4th Overall
Forwards | Defensemen | Goalies

RECORD: 36-28-13-5, 90 points Rank: 17th overall 10th West 4th Pacific Playoffs: None Home: 18-13-6-4 Road: 18-15-7-1 2001-02 results 2001-02 statistics 2002-03 schedule 2002-03 roster OFFENSE DEFENSE GOALS FOR/AVG. Overall: 215/2.62 (15th) Home: 104/2.54 (19th) Road: 111/2.71 (8th) POWER PLAY Overall: 17.1/60-350 (8th) Home: 16.5/32-194 (16th) Road: 17.9/28-156 (8th) GOALS AGAINST/AVG. Overall: 213/2.60 (18th) Home: 105/2.56 (20th) Road: 108/2.63 (11th) PENALTY KILL Overall: 81.5/59-319 (26th) Home: 84.4/23-147 (19th) Road: 79.1/36-172 (29th) STATS LEADERS GOALS Mike Modano (34) Jere Lehtinen (25) Joe Nieuwendyk (23)* ASSISTS Modano (42) Pierre Turgeon (32) Sergei Zubov (31) POINTS Modano (76) Lehtinen (49) Nieuwendyk (47)* Turgeon (47) PENALTY MINUTES Brenden Morrow (107) Derian Hatcher (87) Pat Verbeek (72) PLUS/MINUS Lehtinen (+26) Modano (+13) Hatcher (+12) Morrow (+11) GAA (MIN. 20 GP) Marty Turco (2.11) SAVE PERCENTAGE Turco (.920) * - no longer with team