Mike Heika

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Joe Nieuwendyk sounds pretty cautious to me.

As the first-year Stars general manager prepares for his first NHL trade deadline, he has done a lot of work. He has visited with scouts, he has talked about needs and he has assessed the situation around the league.

And yet he might do very little at the trade deadline.

The reason? The Stars are still very much in the playoff race, and Nieuwendyk believes the team has every chance to make it. And that will be a big part of the team's thought process as it gets ready for the March 3 trade deadline.

"You definitely want to give your team every chance to compete, and that is a huge part of how we will look at things," Nieuwendyk said. "I do believe these five games leading up to the Olympic break will be very big for us. We play four of them on the road, we've struggled on the road, and we have the opportunity to make a statement that we've addressed those issues and improved our team. If we do that, I definitely think that sends a message."

Nieuwendyk said he understand the pros and cons of making a trade before the Olympic break roster freeze starts at 2 p.m. on Feb. 12 (it ends on March 1). If a player is acquired, he will get the five or six days before the Olympic break is over to work out with his new team, plus his family will be able to get situated if it wants to move.

However, any team that makes a trade will also have to pay that player's salary for two weeks of not playing.

As it is in most situations with the Stars, the needs of the other team will probably dictate what would happen. Bottom line, the Stars make their inquiries patiently and look for bargains. They are likely not going to blow anyone's socks off to make a deal that could be made in the summer.

Could Dallas move Marty Turco? Yes, but they would have to find a good trade partner, and they would probably need a good goalie coming back so that they don't just give up on this season. Matt Climie is a possibility to be called up, and Brent Krahn still is recovering from surgery for a sports hernia, so those two are options, but the Stars would like to be a little more sure about what they have.

Could the Stars acquire a young goalie first and then move Turco? Definitely. Dallas is considering what it needs to do for a young goalie next season if Turco is not re-signed (and it looks like there is a very good chance he will not be re-signed). Their targets appear to be Jaroslav Halak out of Montreal or Cory Schneider out of Vancouver, but the price for either is very high.

The Stars probably could get Kari Lehtonen out of Atlanta right now, but he seems to be down on their depth chart, as they would like to study less injury-prone players first.

Would they move Steve Ott? They are still in talks with Ott's agent in trying to get a contract extension done. But Ott, who can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer, is targeting a deal somewhere between Dustin Byfuglien's three-year, $9 million deal and Sean Avery's four-year, $15.5 million deal. So should they consider trading Ott and getting a nice return if they don't have the ability to sign him in the summer?

That's certainly being considered, as is signing Ott and moving another forward to open up salary space.

Could that be forward Mike Ribeiro? He has three more seasons (after this season) at $5 million apiece. He's a very talented player, but you simply can't go on paying 70 percent of your payroll to your forward group. At some point, you have to bring in at least one top-level defenseman to balance things out.

So, Nieuwendyk must try to plug holes by moving assets from areas of strength to fill areas of weakness. He must also make sure the payroll fits for his $45 million budget this season and for whatever the budget is next year (to be determined based on the financial numbers produced by the organization this season).

In addition, he must try to decide if this move will help the team make the playoffs this year or if a short-term sacrifice has to be made for a long-term gain.

"And to be honest, I can't tell you what that decision will be until the players and the situation is in front of me," Nieuwendyk said. "That's just how this is going to have to be. You prepare as well as you can, and then you react when the situation presents itself. We feel we're prepared right now."

Do you trade for a Schneider, Halak or Lehtonen now or do you wait until the summer to see if Nashville allows Pekka Rinne to become a free agent? Do you offer Steve Ott a big contract extension, knowing full well it means you have to trade a forward such as Mike Ribeiro? Do you trade Marty Turco without having a better plan in goal? Where do you find that elusive puck-moving defenseman who can lead the blue line?

Welcome to the GM chair.

Mike Heika

Q: In your last newsletter, you mentioned that the Stars want to build around Brad Richards. It makes sense that they want to, but has he given any indication that he's going to stick around for something like that? My belief is if you can't keep Richards here and happy, then you may as well blow the whole thing up. If the budget doesn't go up, there is no way they'll be able to field a competitive enough team to entice Richards to stay by next season, and I would think he'd be gone to a better team via free agency. Do they really believe Richards is going to stick around a mediocre or rebuilding team in the prime years of his career?

Josh

HEIKA: I think Richards likes Marc Crawford's system and he likes playing with James Neal and Loui Eriksson, so those things are enticing. But who knows. I think the Stars would like to think he would stay and take a cut in pay from the $7.8 million he's making now (he's a unrestricted free agent after next season).

I guess we'll see, but the Stars always have the fallback of being able to trade Richards at the trade deadline next season if they can't work out a contract extension by then.

Q: Please tell me the Stars are not seriously considering going after Kari Lehtonen. Kari doesn't take his job seriously (at least in preparation for a season). ... The guy shows up to camps out of shape (two pulled groins, two different seasons). There's a reason he's injured all the time. The Stars don't need him.

Mark in Atlanta

HEIKA: Hey Mark, I think he is in the group they are studying, but I think he's near the bottom of the list.

Q: I never have liked Marc Crawford, and I feel now that he has peaked already and is on the downside of his career. I would have thought someone from the AHL would have been better. If he doesn't win, how long do you feel he'll be here? I feel Joe Nieuwendyk looks at this guy and thinks he can do no wrong. Is that true?

Paul M.

HEIKA: Hey Paul, from a strictly unemotional basis, Crawford has a young team with a low payroll in contention for the playoffs with 26 games remaining in the season, so I would say Joe Nieuwendyk is pretty happy right now.

Joe knows that the team has holes and that he has not been able to fill those holes. I would guess the minimum that Marc Crawford will receive is two years to get things in shape. If Crawford is not showing progress with whatever new players Joe brings in next season, then I could see the GM pondering a change. But I think the Joe is backing the coach for the long haul.

Q: My question is related to fighting and, in particular, Steve Ott. I haven't watched every game this year, but I do try to catch as many as I can, and it seems, especially in the last few games I've watched, that every time Otter gets into a dust up, the officials intercede before it evolves into a full-fledged scrap. Has there been an edict from the league putting the onus on the officials to keep fighting down?

Patrick in Wylie

HEIKA: As we saw in the last game (which occurred after you sent this fine query), the officials will indeed let Steve Ott fight and get away with all sorts of shenanigans. If a player is at an extreme disadvantage or does not want to fight, the linesmen will step in. That's probably what happened there in the fights you saw. Sometimes, the fighters just can't keep their feet.

Q: Why doesn't Jeff Woywitka get more playing time?

Paul V.

HEIKA: Hey Jeff, I think every player is given the opportunity to prove himself, and I don't know many coaches who won't use players who can help them the most, so my guess is that Marc Crawford simply believes there are better choices than Woywitka. I will say that developing youngsters do get a bit of an advantage over veteran players. There is a very good chance Woywitka isn't here in a couple of years, while the Stars are hoping to turn players such as Mark Fistric or Matt Niskanen into long-term steady defensemen. That also enters into the equation, but I honestly think those two have earned their playing time over Woywitka so far.

Q: The Stars can't conceivably tweak the team enough to make them good enough for a long run (or even a short run) in the playoffs! They have a losing record. I don't care that the league or the team doesn't count the OT losses as losses; they're losses. If it wasn't for those ridiculous 11 points, the Stars would be near the bottom of the conference. Besides, they can't manage to string together a winning streak. We haven't actually won three in a row yet.

Donna

HEIKA: Hey Donna, the team does believe it can make a run at the playoffs, and their logic is a tad bit strange. They believe since they have not put together a three-game winning streak this season, they must be due. They obviously are trying hard to win, but you may be right – they simply might not be good enough.

As a longtime fan of the Detroit Lions, let me offer some balance by saying that every league needs teams that lose so that the standings will balance out at the end of the season. The Stars are fighting to not be one of those teams, but that just might be who they are. Still, we have to allow the season to play out before we can judge them fully.

Q: Saw your note today about needing a solid checking-line center – I totally agree. Plus, the PK has been terrible. Two, we are both familiar with Jeff Halpern (ideal because he is a right shot), and Manny Malhotra. Are either of them unrestricted free agents? It would seem their price would be reasonable, but getting them is another story.

Thanks again, Bob

HEIKA: Hey Bob, Halpern and Malhotra are both unrestricted free agents. Halpern is 33, he is right-handed and he wins 52.8 percent of his faceoffs. He was solid when he was here and would probably be open to returning. He made $2 million this season. Malhotra is 29, is left-handed and wins 53.7 percent of his faceoffs. He makes $700,000 this season, and he would probably like to stick with the Sharks and see if he can make a run there.

But I like your thinking.

Q: Why do you think there has been so much talk about leadership needing to fix the Stars' current losing streak? There are leaders in the locker rooms of every pro sport and I think they are important, but, for example, a "leader" on a baseball team can strike out against a good pitcher every time no matter how hard he tries or how much he studies the video. Sometimes the foes are better, and no matter how hard you try to prove you are a leader on the ice, on the field, in the arena, the "other guy" wins. It seems to me there is not this emphasis (blame) on the leaders in other sports. Your opinion?

Pat N.

HEIKA: Hockey is a strange sport in that 19 guys all play in the game and they have to work seamlessly together. As such, it was one of the first sports to name a captain and two alternate captains. In fact, the positions are dictated by rules. In addition, there are two intermissions in which there is time to make a statement or talk to you teammates. There also is a lot of bench time for leadership to show up.

That has resulted in a strong history of leadership. As such, teams believe it is an important part of a winning team.

I'm sure there are leaders in football, basketball, baseball, soccer, etc., but the leaders in hockey wear a letter on their sweater, and that does seem to make them more noticeable and held more accountable.