Editing Dallas Stars (section)

====2008–2011: Team difficulties and transition seasons====
[[File:Brad Richards 2008.jpg|thumb|left|[[Brad Richards]] shoots the puck in pregame warm-up during the [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09 season]]. Injuries to Richards and other teammates during the course of the 2008–09 season led the Stars to miss their first playoffs since 2002.]]
The [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09 season]] saw the early loss for the season of captain [[Brenden Morrow]] to an ACL tear. Off-season free agent acquisition [[Sean Avery]] caused a media uproar over comments he made to a Canadian reporter about ex-girlfriend [[Elisha Cuthbert]] and her relationship with [[Calgary Flames]]' defenseman [[Dion Phaneuf]] before a game in [[Calgary]]. The incident forced the team to suspend Avery for the season; he was later waived by the Stars. That incident, plus injuries to key players Brad Richards and Sergei Zubov, caused the Stars to tailspin to a 12th-place finish and the first missed playoffs for Dallas since 2002.

In the wake of the season, the Stars hired a new general manager, former player and alternate captain [[Joe Nieuwendyk]]. Hull and Jackson remained with the Stars, but were reassigned to new roles within the organization. Less than a week after he was hired, Nieuwendyk fired six-season head coach Dave Tippett on June 10, 2009, and hired [[Marc Crawford]] the next day as his replacement. Other off-season moves included the addition of [[Charlie Huddy]] as assistant coach in charge of defense and the promotions of [[Stu Barnes]] and Andy Moog to assistant coaches. The Stars' [[2009–10 NHL season|2009–10 season]] was similar to the previous one. Inconsistent play and defensive struggles plagued the team throughout the season, as they failed to adjust to Marc Crawford's new offensively-minded system, and owner Tom Hicks' financial troubles prevented the team from spending more than $45&nbsp;million on payroll, over $11&nbsp;million beneath the league salary cap.<ref>{{cite web|title=President: Stars will stay in Dallas, but budget tight|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/hockey/stars/stories/020910dnspostarshicks.327a05b.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212111804/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/hockey/stars/stories/020910dnspostarshicks.327a05b.html|url-status=dead|date=February 12, 2010 |archive-date=February 12, 2010}}</ref> The Stars failed to win more than three games in a row all season, finished in last in the Pacific Division and repeated their 12th place conference finish from the year before with a record of 37–31–14 for 88 points, seven points back from the last playoff spot.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/standings |title=2011–12 NHL Preseason Conference Standings – National Hockey League |publisher=ESPN |access-date=September 16, 2011 |archive-date=April 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425084241/http://espn.go.com/nhl/standings |url-status=live}}</ref> This was the first time that they would miss the playoffs two seasons in a row since the Stars moved to Texas.

[[File:Kari Lehtonen Dallas Stars Versus Chicago Blackhawks warmup.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Kari Lehtonen]] in March 2011, towards the [[2010–11 NHL season|2010–11 season]]. He was named the team's number one goaltender in the 2010 off-season after longtime goaltender Marty Turco left the club in free agency.]]
In the 2010 off-season, long-time goaltender [[Marty Turco]] was let go in favor of [[Kari Lehtonen]] to become the team's number one goaltender for the future.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sbnation.com/2010/4/13/1419020/marty-turco |title=Marty Turco Will Not Be Re-Signed By Dallas Stars; Will Become A Free Agent |publisher=SBNation.com |date=April 13, 2010 |access-date=September 16, 2011 |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104084451/http://www.sbnation.com/2010/4/13/1419020/marty-turco |url-status=live}}</ref> In the Star's last game of the season, away against the Minnesota Wild, Mike Modano was named the game's first star and skated around the rink after the game wearing his North Stars uniform, receiving a rousing ovation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=300410030 |title=Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild – Recap – April 10, 2010 |publisher=ESPN |date=April 10, 2010 |access-date=September 16, 2011 |archive-date=August 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818050929/http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=300410030 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Stars also let [[Mike Modano]] walk in free agency, the face of the franchise for the past two decades. Modano subsequently signed with his hometown team, the [[Detroit Red Wings]] while Turco joined the newly defending Stanley Cup champion [[Chicago Blackhawks]]. Winger Jere Lehtinen, who played his entire career with the Stars, announced his retirement. The team also made key acquisitions both in trades or in free agency, such as winger [[Adam Burish]] (who was on the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks) and goaltender [[Andrew Raycroft]]. They also gave [[Jonathan Cheechoo]] a try-out, but he was cut and later signed with division rivals San Jose Sharks. To begin the [[2010–11 NHL season|2010–11 season]], the Stars won their first three games in a row, going on a three-game win streak for the first time since the 2008–09 season by beating the [[New Jersey Devils]] 4–3 in overtime in the season opener on October 8, 2010, [[New York Islanders]] 5–4 in a shootout on October 9, and against the Red Wings in the Stars' home opener on October 14, respectively. The home opener against the Red Wings featured an emotional return for Mike Modano, as the Stars crowd gave Modano a standing ovation as he was shown on the American Airlines Center jumbotron during a timeout in the game. After a hot start to the season, the Stars would continue to dominate within the first 50 games of the season, staying in both the Pacific Division lead and within the top three spots of the Western Conference. Through the first 50 games of the season up until the All-Star Break, they compiled a 30–15–5 record. However, after the All-Star Break the Stars went into a slump, going on numerous losing streaks which included one-goal losses and blowing late leads in numerous games. Through this though, the Stars still remained in the playoff picture. On the day of the trade deadline (February 28, 2011), the Stars traded up and comer [[James Neal (ice hockey)|James Neal]] and [[Matt Niskanen]] to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman [[Alex Goligoski]]. Despite these late-season struggles, the Stars still had a chance to make the playoffs by winning their season finale on April 10, as they lost on the road at the [[Minnesota Wild]] 5–3 and a 42–29–11 record, costing them the last [[2011 Stanley Cup playoffs|playoff]] spot despite the winning record and a vastly improved season overall compared to the previous two seasons, finishing 9th in the Western Conference only two points behind the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks for the eighth and final playoff spot. After missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season, Dallas fired coach Marc Crawford after just one season with the club on April 12.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/dallas/nhl/news/story?id=6338807 | title=Stars fire coach Crawford after missing playoffs | date=April 12, 2011 | access-date=August 24, 2022 | archive-date=January 30, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130102010/http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nhl/news/story?id=6338807 | url-status=live}}</ref>