Philippe Boucher says he is taking baby steps.

That's a whole lot better than no steps at all.

Boucher, who had surgery in early December to repair a shoulder injury that had developed during the early part of the season, was back on the ice for the first time with his teammates Saturday morning. The defenseman was a limited participant in the morning skate, passing and shooting wrist shots, but not competing in any high-energy or contact drills.

"It was a lot easier with nobody around, but this is good. It gives me an idea of where I'm at and what I need to do," said Boucher, who added he's probably a couple of weeks away from returning to full action. "The passing part, the wrist shot, that was good. But I didn't do any 3-on-2s. I'm not ready for that. But it's a positive thing that I'm on the ice. It's baby steps, but it beats skating on your own."

Boucher played in 28 games this season, and he was not the force he had been last season. He had a goal and 10 assists and was clearly bothered by the injured shoulder.

Last season, he had a career-best campaign with 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points in 76 games.

So can he think about getting back to that level of play when he returns?

"I think it was bothering him. He was in constant pain, and that affects your game," Stars coach Dave Tippett said of Boucher's early-season struggles. "The surgery was to fix this, and if the surgery worked, then things are fixed. It might take a little time to get up and going, but he should be able to be the most effective player he can be."

How quickly Boucher can get to that level could be key for the Stars.

"The toughest thing for him will be to jump into the tempo of the game," Tippett said. "The tempo at the beginning of the year is not the same as it is now. The speed and the intensity of the game down the stretch has improved, so he has a bigger gap that he has to jump into."

Boucher said he's happy to just be improving.

"I'm a ways away," he said. "But I'm getting closer."

Hagman waiting on contract: The Stars and Niklas Hagman's agent, Don Baizley, are not discussing a contract extension at the moment. Hagman said he's fine with that.

"It's funny. I haven't really called him much," Hagman said. "I just don't feel a need to rush this. If I play well, then everything will take care of itself. That's all I want to concentrate on right now – playing well."

Hagman can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He is having a career year with 20 goals among 32 points.

Briefly: Sergei Zubov (foot/groin) still is using an inflatable walking cast and is not skating yet. The Stars are monitoring his progress and list him as "week to week." ... Dallas scored first for the 31st time this season Saturday. The Stars are 21-6-4 when scoring first. ... LW Brad Winchester and C Joel Lundqvist were healthy scratches. ... Stars C Mike Ribeiro has the most assists in the league since Jan. 1 with 19 in his last 19 games.