I had a lot to think about as I sat alone in my dark room listening to the Stars play the Washington Capitals last night. Mostly how much I hate both Versus and DirecTV. This is getting a little old, people. Latest rumors say that the contract dispute will be settled before the playoffs start, but if the Stars keep playing like they've been playing lately, it'll be too little too late and I won't have to worry about playoffs.

I decided during the game that I'm about due for a Starology 101 lesson... but who would be the lucky player that I'd be writing about? I decided to draw inspiration from our opponents... the Washington Capitals. Today I'm going to talk about the Stars trade history, and how we've made a habit out of trading something good for something worse, and then somehow swapping our downgrades into something even better than what we had originally. The Capitals are somewhat tied to our two more famous instances of this phenomenon.

The more recent of the two examples involves current Capitals defenseman John Erskine (who I'm a big proponent of, for the record). The Stars drafted Erskine in 1998 in the second round of the draft, out of the London Knights of the OHL. They had hoped to turn the raw young monster into a second generation Derian Hatcher. A big bruising physically punishing blueliner that could shut down the opposition. He played his first NHL game in 2001, but by the time the lockout hit the league and the rules began discriminating against players of Erskine's style, the Stars decided it was time to part ways with Big Johnny. They sent him to the Islanders for Janne Niinimaa, a supposedly mobile offensive threat, better suited for the new NHL. He'd play 22 disappointing games for the Stars before the Stars would cut ties with him. Lucky for us, they managed to turn a question mark (Erskine) into a disgrace (Niinimaa), and then turn that disgrace into a supremely talented second line center. In September of 2006, the Stars sent Niinimaa to Bob Gainey and the Montreal Canadiens for a troubled young playmaker by the name of Mike Ribeiro. The rest is history. Ribs has shed his reputation of being a soft locker-room cancer, helped turn Brenden Morrow into the offensive threat that he's become, and became a fixture down the middle in Big D. Ribeiro and Brad Richards have allowed Mike Modano to play less minutes and stay fresher as he rolls up on the big 4-0.

Ten years before the trade that saw Ribeiro landing in Texas for Niinimaa, the Stars pulled some more magic. This trade involved the very same Bob Gainey, when he was employed by the Stars as our championship architect. It started in 94-95 season. The first lockout, and the second season of Dallas Stars hockey. Mark Tinordi was our big physical defenseman and leader... a Pre-Hatcher, if you will. He had been a mainstay on the Stars blueline since the late 80's, but the Stars were looking for someone with a little more offensive upside, as they thought Derian Hatcher was ready to step into the role of shutdown defenseman and captain. What better way to help Derian fit into that role than to trade Tinordi for his brother? Mark Tinordi was shipped off the Washington Capitals for big brother Kevin Hatcher, who was already on the downslope of his career. For two seasons, Stars fans got to see the magic of the Hatcher brothers on the same blueline. (Blinky and Bolt-head Hatcher, for those living in my household... don't ask.) Kevin never really fit in with Dallas as much as he had with the Capitals, and by 1996, he was on the move again. In perhaps the best trade of Bob Gainey's managerial career, he convinced the Pittsburgh Penguins to accept Kevin Hatcher as full payment for the services of the legendary Sergei Zubov. Straight up. Solid defenseman (Tinordi) traded for a security blanket for our young captain (K. Hatcher), somehow turning into the defenseman man who would become the Stars all-time leader in just about every offensive defenseman statistic. Nice doing business with you, Pittsburgh.

In Pittsburgh's defense, they weren't the first team to give up on Sergei, despite his constant consistent offensive output and positional prowess. They had gotten Zubie from the New York Rangers for Petr Nedved, Ulf Samuelsson, and Luc Robitaille. Something tells me we couldn't have gotten Nedved, Samuelsson, and Robitaille for Kevin Hatcher if we'd tried. Just a hunch.

Here at The Other 6 Seconds, I like to do my best to not only entertain and inform the masses, but also use my stunning intellect and creative juices to benefit the entirety of the Dallas Stars fan base and culture. It is with this in mind that I'd like to discuss our newest goalie, Kari Lehtonen.

Before I get started, I'd like to give a brief overview of Kari and his equipment history for those Stars fans who may not have followed the Atlanta Thrashers very closely since... their inception... Kari Lehtonen is a very unique goaltender. Not only is he gigantic and oft injured, but he's also a pretty awesome dork. Looking back at the memorable Stars goalie masks of the last two decades and you see Belfour's eagles, Moog's bear, Turek's Iron Maiden tribute, Turco's gargoyles... a lot of intimidating artwork and unique ideas. Then you get the boring stuff like Mike Smith and Alex Auld who went stereotypically "Cowboy." Guys like Manny Fernandez and Darcy Wakaluk who just went with generic team graphics... They can't all be winners, can they?

With Kari Lehtonen, they're all winners. Optimus Prime of the Transformers? Tarantino's Kill Bill? Final Fantasy? Heath Ledger as the Joker? Atlanta's favorite rapper, Lil Jon... McDonalds' Hamburglar... all of the above have adorned the mask of the big Finnish netminder. Is there a bigger nerd in the NHL? (giggly Jason Spezza not withstanding) I don't think so. As a nerd myself, I love it. You can see a pretty good chronicle of Kari's paintjobs by clicking this link right here.

So what's in store for Kari's mask now that he's moved from Georgia to Texas? In Atlanta he seemed to show a little civic pride with both a Lil Jon shoutout and the State Seal of Georgia, so you have to assume a strong Texas flair can be expected. The possibilities are endless. Aliens/Godzilla attacking the Dallas Skyline? Zombieland's Garland scene? Hank Hill and friends standing in the alley of Rainey Street in Arlen? Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing?

My personal suggestion? Walker. Texas. Ranger.

Is there any more perfect suggestion for a Lehtonen/Stars mask? It's got the nerdy/internet humor tie in. It's got the local flair. It's got the comedic value. It's never been done before. Make it happen, Kari. Might I suggest the "Walker told me I have aids" scene as inspiration? Maybe Walker standing tall over the Dallas skyline?

It certainly beats the plain white mask with helmet stickers he's sporting currently... with pads that he apparently tried to paint black? (Photo Credit to Shannon Byrne of Andrew's Stars Page)

The Stars take on the Blues tonight at the AAC, and I'll luckily be in attendance in some fancy seats (I love Law Enforcement Appreciate Night). Turco is expected to start, with Kari getting his first action in a Stars sweater on Saturday afternoon (barring a game-day change of plans, that is).

Special thanks to both Matt Harris and Dr. Pecker for source photos and videos above.

The Stars lost an ugly game against the LA Kings as NHL play resumed at the American Airlines Center after the Olympic break. Why are we surprised? Was that little stretch of good hockey before the Olympic break that impressive to so many people that they expected us to return from the 2 week hiatus and put the pedal to the metal and pull away from the rest of the pack into a playoff spot?

The way I see it, the Stars got a stretch of fantastic play from Turco that essentially delayed the inevitable, and cost Alex Auld his job when Kari Lehtonen was brought in. That stretch of play was fantastic, and went a long way to bringing us out of the cellar, but was it enough to really reinstill hope in the green and gold masses? Is this team a playoff team? I'm not going to come out and predict that we're going to miss the playoffs, because we're still in the hunt. I'm not so much of a downer that I'm going to throw this season away and give up just yet... but you have to wonder what it's going to take to turn this ship around. With the trade deadline coming up in the next 24 hours, I think the Stars have to be one of the most interesting teams in the picture.

As of play ending on Tuesday night, the Stars sit 10th place in the conference. 1 point out of 12th place, and 2 points out of a playoff spot. They have some glaring holes that are keeping them from being considered anything close to a contender. They have some very tradable assets (if we're willing to part with them. They're tradable for a reason). The general consensus a few weeks ago was that the Stars were going to be one of the most active teams at the deadline, and that Joey was going to be shooting for a "culture change" in Dallas... then came our little run, and 2 days ago every media outlet I could find said that we're expected to stand pat. Again, I stress... was that little run that much of a fate changer? Did the fact that we didn't bother to show back up from the Olympic break alter perception again? Where do we stand here, folks? I fear that standing pat is only going to keep us exactly where we are. Where we are is outside of the playoffs, looking in.

That said, what are our options here? I've been a pretty harsh critic of our boy Marty Turco for the last few months, but I'll be the first to admit that the loss to the Kings was not his fault at all. He had zero help, and he was the reason we went on that stretch of wins before the Olympics. But do we really need to keep him? The philosophy involved in keeping him is that he gives us the best chance to win right this moment... but is that chance really a good enough chance to justify keeping him on the payroll? Is Kari Lehtonen that much of a question mark that we can't ride him and Krahn/Climie, and give Turco's money to a blueliner that we bring in through trade? Are we willing to part with any of our top forwards to bring in that defensive help? There are just so many questions that I'm glad I'm not responsible for answering. The fact that Kari won't see his first action in a game until after the deadline complicates things further.

All I know is this:
We aren't going to go very far with the roster we've got assembled right now.

Philadelphia was rumored to be interested in Turco, and suddenly Ray Emery is done for the year. Obviously the Stars and Flyers will talk today, if they haven't already exhausted all negotiations... I'm not oblivious to how hockey works, so I'm not going to say trading Turco to Philly is as easy as a point and click in Eastside Hockey Manager. If Philly isn't willing to take on the contract without giving us an equally bad contract in return, I understand standing pat... but I really see no reason not to explore the possibilities. If we can even get a draft pick out of it, I say we should go for it. It's all about asset management. Turco isn't going to be a Dallas Star anymore starting July 1st. Get what you can, and see what you've got with Kari. It reminds me of my Tennessee Titans and the Kerry Collins/Vince Young situation. If you probably aren't going to make the playoffs, why are you going to stick with the veteran and continue the status quo? See what the incumbent has to offer. If he doesn't take the job and run away with it, you've got all summer to continue evaluating the position in a league with tons of available young netminders for those willing to pay the price.

Are we really supposed to believe that we're going to be a worse team if we make the switch now? Based on our brief pre-Olympic run? 6 games does not a season make. In this case, it was probably too little too late.

In honor of Team USA's silver medal at the 2010 Olympics, and despite our recent loss to the Los Angeles Kings, I present to you a Jack Johnson wallpaper by The Other 6 Seconds' good friend Ben Campbell.

Gosh darn that Sidney Crosby... amirite?

Dearest Alexander Auld,

It deeply saddens me to see that you are now a member of the New York Rangers. I feel as though your time in Texas had only just begun before you were snatched out of our grasps by the fiend known as re-entry waivers. The last recent acquisition that we had taken from us via re-entry waivers (by those very same Rangers) was Sean Avery. You sir are no Sean Avery. You deserve a better fate than that little punk. I'm truly sorry that you must now call him a teammate.

I feel that you did a great job during your tenure in Dallas, and lived up to your billing exactly. You had your highlights and your low points, and a brief yet impressive stint as our starting goalie, just as advertised. I'll never forget your two shootout victories (and subsequent fist pumps) during the period of time in which Marty Turco was benched for his poor play. You played a very large part in this team getting back into the playoff race in the Western Conference, and I don't think you've gotten enough credit for it. The writing appeared to be on the wall when the Stars acquired Kari Lehtonen from Atlanta. Turco's time in Dallas was soon to be up. When he responded to his yearly kick in the pants and regained his form (possibly too little too late, some speculated), it forced the Stars into a tough decision. Three goaltenders on an NHL roster historically has been a disaster, and the Stars didn't want to keep all of you on the payroll. Sadly you were the one deemed the most expendable. Believe me, I'm on your side in this whole ordeal. Kari was brought in for a reason, and it had nothing at all to do with you or your play. You lost your job because of Marty Turco. That's the nature of sports, and it's not fair to good guys like you. With your cap number, and the ability to claim you for half-off on re-entry waivers, you were a much more appealing candidate to be moved. Teams are more willing to add affordable contracts on stable, yet unspectacular goaltenders than they are to acquire expensive goalies with legitimate consistency issues that appear to be on the down-slope of their career. This is why Marty Turco will remain in Dallas, and you're on your way to yet another stop in your journeyman career.

You will always be a Dallas Star in the eyes of this fan, and I hope we're on your list of potential destinations when your contract expires this summer. I'm not only saying this because we go to the same barber, or because I consider you to be my closest doppelganger since Mattias Norstrom retired. I say it because I'm legitimately a fan of your game, and think that a duo of Lehtonen and Auld would give shooters in the Pacific Division fits for years to come. We would have more square footage of netminder than anyone in the league, and with Brent Krahn as a potential injury fill-in, it would only get more intimidating. I wish you nothing but luck in New York this season, and I hope you opt to retain your green and gold equipment, rather than switch to Rangers red, white, and blue.

Everyone's favorite Stars blogger,
Cole Jones

P.S.
If you have any old Stars sweaters laying around, do you mind hooking a brother up? I'd love to wear your 31 in the stands, but I'm not about to pay retail for those low-quality Reebok replicas. Thanks in advance.

With the NHL's Olympic Break upon us (and the insane Texas blizzard behind us), it's time to focus on the Vancouver Olympic Games. As I mentioned in the past, I was lucky enough to be asked to write for the Bloguin Network's Olympic Hockey Blog during the tournament. With the puck having been officially dropped in Vancouver, we've hit the ground running and put up some pretty solid content so far.

To avoid spreading myself too thin here, I'm going to be backing off of The Other 6 Seconds for the rest of the tournament, so I can focus on helping the Olympic Blog reach the level I think it can. If you've read what I've written in the past, I do a pretty good job of voicing my homerism for all things Green and Gold, even when I'm talking about Olympic Hockey... so when I write something I think has a suitable Dallas flair, I'll post a heads up on 6 Seconds. That said, if you want to ensure you don't start going into Cole Jones withdrawals for these 2 weeks, check out the Olympic Hockey Blog. We'll try to make it worth your time.

The best part of being included in this side project is the illusion of being a legitimate analyst. Check out the Team USA and Team Canada previews to see what I mean. Stunning insights by your shiny-headed blogger friend, packaged in such a way that makes me look like I know what I'm talking about. Good times.

USA! USA! USA!

Sorry for the lack of updates on this site, but since Texas is bad at dealing with inclement weather, the recent snow storm has left my entire neighborhood without electricity for a few days.

Lucky for me, I've got enough free time at work to post up a quick heads up for you all. Not sure exactly when it'll be back (could be on by the time I get home from work), but I figured I'd let you all know why I haven't thrown out my opinions on Segal, Lehtonen, Hicks, or any of that stuff yet.

In the meantime, please enjoy this photo of my grill from my backyard.

While things have been a little busier than normal in the personal life of your beloved blogger Cole Jones, I did manage to get an article written for the Olympic Hockey Blog, profiling the Latvian Olympic team. In case you hadn't heard, our boy Karlis is the captain of the team, and they've got some pretty awesome fans that we should all do our best to emulate... at both the Olympic and NHL level.

You can check it by clicking the adorable Latvian teddy/grizzly bear below, or here. Thanks to the ever talented Couch Tarts for handling the Olympic artwork.

In honor of the rejuvenation of our hero, I present to you Jake Tessier's Mike Modano.