Auld goes on waivers, Turco likely to stay
/Andrew's Dallas Stars Page
Put the Marty Turco trade rumors on ice. It looks like Turco will still be a Dallas Star once the NHL trade deadline passes next Wednesday. The Stars put backup goaltender Alex Auld on waivers Wednesday, indicating that the team will go with Turco and recently acquired Kari Lehtonen in net as the team battles for a playoff spot over the final 21 games of the season.
There is still a chance a team could make an appealing offer for Turco and he could be moved, but for now the plan is to keep him.
"When we sit back and think about it, we have to decide what gives us the best chance in the month of March," Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk told ESPN Dallas. "Rather than put a lot of pressure on Lehtonen, we'll have Marty play the way he is."
Turco put together a good run just before the Olympic break, posting a 4-1-1 record with a 1.15 goals against average and a .967 save percentage. His performance was key as the Stars pulled to within one point of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Turco, who is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, has been the focus of trade rumors and that trade speculation shifted into overdrive after the Stars traded for Lehtonen, who was acquired from Atlanta for defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy and a fourth round pick on February 9.
Lehtonen, who is expected to be the Stars' top goaltender next season, will serve as Turco's backup down the stretch. He hasn't played an NHL game since last April, but is coming off a recent conditioning stint with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.
NHL teams have until 11 am (CT) on Thursday to claim Auld, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this summer and has just under $250,000 remaining on his $1,000,000 contract for this season. If he is not claimed, the Stars can choose to keep him on the roster, send him to the minors or go through the process of putting him on re-entry waivers, where a team would have the chance at claiming him for half of that remaining salary. The Stars would pay the other half.
Although the trade freeze is still in effect, teams are free to make roster moves. The NHL trade freeze ends at 10:59 pm (CT) on February 28. The NHL trade deadline is 2 pm (CT) on March 3.
Stars Notes
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The Stars will resume practices later this week. Their first one is Friday afternoon (2 pm) in Frisco.
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The Stars first game following the Olympic break is Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings at American Airlines Center.
