Stung by the disappointment of last spring's ouster in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Dallas Stars have spent the summer remodeling a lineup that delivered 112 points last year. Some of GM Doug Armstrong's renovations have been forced upon him, such as the free-agent defections of high-profile forwards Jason Arnott and Bill Guerin. Others, meanwhile, have been self-imposed, such as the trade of center Niko Kapanen to Atlanta in exchange for center Patrik Stefan and defenseman Jaroslav Modry.

The result, however, leaves the Stars in position to once again be among the elite in the Western Conference. The team imported Eric Lindros to take over the role of hulking center, a position vacated by Arnott. The additions of Darryl Sydor and Modry, meanwhile, more than answer for the loss of Willie Mitchell, a stay-at-home banger with little offensive upside.

Plus, the team still has goalie Marty Turco, considered by many to be among the game's elite goalies. Turco closed poorly last season, remembered mostly for an ugly first-round playoff series against the upstart Avalanche, but is still a 40-game winner. The team will need a new backup goalie, but should be able to handle that from within. Plus the team still has marquee stars like Mike Modano, Sergei Zubov, Brenden Morrow and freshman surprise Jussi Jokinen. All in all, the floor plan remains in place for coach Dave Tippett to once again steer the Stars to the upper echelon of Western Conference teams.