The writing has been on the wall nearly all season long, but the Marty Turco era in Dallas is coming to an end. With the Stars seven points out of 8th place in the West and with just ten games remaining the team has started to look towards next season and the future, a future that will not have Marty Turco in it.
Kari Lehtonen will get the start in net for Dallas tomorrow night in Nashville, making it his fourth start in five games. At this point, it’s safe to assume Lehtonen will get the majority of the starts the rest of the season and the teams looks to evaluate their goaltending prospects for next year and beyond.
Lehtonen has shown flashes of his elite potential but needs time to polish his game, and was the only player for the Stars on the ice today during an optional practice. He seems to be revitalized and eager to prove he’s over his injury issues and is intent on getting back in playing shape.
What about Turco? It will be interesting to see how many teams are interested in the 35-year old free agent this summer, and how much of a pay cut he’d be willing to take. There’s no doubt he’ll want to be a starter next season, and despite two sub-par seasons, he still has the ability to be a top-15 goaltender in the NHL.
Philadelphia will always be in the mix, but don’t count the Detroit Red Wings out of the running either. What the Boston Bruins decide to do with Tim Thomas will affect the market as well, but you just know there will be some teams hungry for a goaltender with the potential and experience that Turco possesses.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Turco heads to Detroit; after all, he’d join a long list of former Stars that joined the Red Wings in free agency. I would be worried about his record at Joe Louis Arena, however.