Stars waiting for new year to make deals?

According to Mike Heika of The Dallas Morning News, the Dallas Stars will have to remain patient in making a trade.

With a pretty much non-existent trade market, Heika suggests that it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for teams to complete a deal.

So, despite a rash of recent injuries, the Stars may have to wait until January or February to go shopping for help.

Reports on TSN have suggested that the Stars had some interest in acquiring Pittsburgh Penguins forward Mark Recchi earlier in the season, and that they may try to claim him once he goes on re-entry waivers any day now. Teams claiming Recchi would only have to pay half his salary, which would be $600,000 at this point. While Heika says that it may be tempting for the Stars to get Recchi at that price, but doesn’t see it happening.

There is also the thought that the Stars have two solid goaltenders, in Marty Turco and Mike Smith, and could package one of them along with other assets if and when they are ready to upgrade at a different position.

But as Heika points out, Turco has a no-trade clause in his contract and Smith is not established enough to have “top-level trade value.”

So, it’s more likely the Stars hold on to both goalies for the rest of the season, and perhaps explore trade possibilities in the summer.