from dallas morning news....
Turgeon may be out up to four weeks
11/02/2001
By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News
Pierre Turgeon's pronounced and painful limp through the Stars dressing room Thursday told the story as well as any diagnosis.
His return from a sprained ankle will now be measured in weeks, not days. The new time frame is two to four weeks, the team announced.
Turgeon, who suffered the injury Monday on a hit by the New York Rangers' Eric Lindros, was originally listed as day-to-day. But the team announced the new time frame after team physician Dr. Dan Cooper examined Turgeon on Wednesday night.
While the Stars have points in seven of their past 10 games, they've won just two in that span.
For the past several games, players have talked about how frustratingly close the Stars have been to a turnaround. The injury comes just as the team faces back-to-back winnable games against the Nashville Predators. For all the early season difficulties, the Stars are just one point out of first place in the Pacific Division.
"We've got a few challenges," general manager Bob Gainey said. "Finding out the news on an injury to one of our key players, first we view it as a setback and then we look at it as an opportunity for somebody else. My feeling is in the short-term, when you miss one of your regular important players, there's a way in a team sport you can overcome that. Over time, that absence starts to show itself.
"I do think we have the resources to fill that spot."
Top center Mike Modano and Joe Nieuwendyk can absorb more minutes, as can checker Shaun Van Allen, who handled additional ice time in an emergency situation earlier this season.
Rookie Niko Kapanen is a natural center, and Kirk Muller and Jamie Langenbrunner have each played the position during their careers.
When Nieuwendyk was sidelined for nearly a month last season with a groin injury, the Stars were 8-2-0-1 in the interim.
"We're pretty deep at center and have to pull together when you lose a guy like Pierre," Nieuwendyk said.
"I've always thought we've done a pretty good job of dealing with situations like that in the past. In those particular times, we weren't as deep as we are now. This should be OK for us."
Turgeon has four goals and eight points in 12 games and is tied for third on the team in scoring after signing as a free agent last summer. While he doesn't have a history of ankle sprains, he's missed 70 games to injuries over the past four seasons.
He's using an air cast but is riding the stationary bike.
Agent: Lumme to return
to Stars this season
Don Baizley, the agent for defenseman Jyrki Lumme, said his client intends to return to the Stars after his personal leave of absence to see his wife and children in Finland. "He's visiting with his family and seeing what can be worked out," Baizley said Thursday. "He'll definitely be back. This is a temporary thing. I don't know the timetable, whether it's seven days, 10 days or 14 days."
Baizley strongly denied rumors that Lumme had sought a trade, just as general manager Bob Gainey did Wednesday.
"There's been no trade demand," Baizley said.
Briefly ...
The Stars sent forward Jon Sim back to the AHL's Utah Grizzlies after recalling him Wednesday.
Turgeon may be out up to four weeks
11/02/2001
By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News
Pierre Turgeon's pronounced and painful limp through the Stars dressing room Thursday told the story as well as any diagnosis.
His return from a sprained ankle will now be measured in weeks, not days. The new time frame is two to four weeks, the team announced.
Turgeon, who suffered the injury Monday on a hit by the New York Rangers' Eric Lindros, was originally listed as day-to-day. But the team announced the new time frame after team physician Dr. Dan Cooper examined Turgeon on Wednesday night.
While the Stars have points in seven of their past 10 games, they've won just two in that span.
For the past several games, players have talked about how frustratingly close the Stars have been to a turnaround. The injury comes just as the team faces back-to-back winnable games against the Nashville Predators. For all the early season difficulties, the Stars are just one point out of first place in the Pacific Division.
"We've got a few challenges," general manager Bob Gainey said. "Finding out the news on an injury to one of our key players, first we view it as a setback and then we look at it as an opportunity for somebody else. My feeling is in the short-term, when you miss one of your regular important players, there's a way in a team sport you can overcome that. Over time, that absence starts to show itself.
"I do think we have the resources to fill that spot."
Top center Mike Modano and Joe Nieuwendyk can absorb more minutes, as can checker Shaun Van Allen, who handled additional ice time in an emergency situation earlier this season.
Rookie Niko Kapanen is a natural center, and Kirk Muller and Jamie Langenbrunner have each played the position during their careers.
When Nieuwendyk was sidelined for nearly a month last season with a groin injury, the Stars were 8-2-0-1 in the interim.
"We're pretty deep at center and have to pull together when you lose a guy like Pierre," Nieuwendyk said.
"I've always thought we've done a pretty good job of dealing with situations like that in the past. In those particular times, we weren't as deep as we are now. This should be OK for us."
Turgeon has four goals and eight points in 12 games and is tied for third on the team in scoring after signing as a free agent last summer. While he doesn't have a history of ankle sprains, he's missed 70 games to injuries over the past four seasons.
He's using an air cast but is riding the stationary bike.
Agent: Lumme to return
to Stars this season
Don Baizley, the agent for defenseman Jyrki Lumme, said his client intends to return to the Stars after his personal leave of absence to see his wife and children in Finland. "He's visiting with his family and seeing what can be worked out," Baizley said Thursday. "He'll definitely be back. This is a temporary thing. I don't know the timetable, whether it's seven days, 10 days or 14 days."
Baizley strongly denied rumors that Lumme had sought a trade, just as general manager Bob Gainey did Wednesday.
"There's been no trade demand," Baizley said.
Briefly ...
The Stars sent forward Jon Sim back to the AHL's Utah Grizzlies after recalling him Wednesday.
