Stars open camp without unsigned Jamie Benn

The Dallas Stars opened training camp on Sunday without unsigned restricted free agent forward Jamie Benn, though general manager Joe Nieuwendyk hopes to have him under contract soon.

"I'm optimistic that we'll have him back on the team, but it won't be today," Nieuwendyk told ESPN.com on Sunday morning. "We'll focus on the guys we have here because it's a short camp and we need to get ready. But in the meantime, certainly we'll keep working away at trying to get Jamie re-signed."

Benn was second on the Stars in scoring last season with 63 points, including 26 goals, in 71 games. The 23-year-old has 160 points in 222 games during his three seasons with Dallas.