March 2, 2010 :: 9:44pm ET Stars content with standing pat on deadline day By Tracey Myers, TheFourthPeriod.com

[DALLAS, TX] -- About a month ago, there was plenty of uncertainty within the Dallas Stars. The team had traded for Kari Lehtonen in early February, leading many to wonder if Marty Turco's time in Dallas was finished. Feisty center Steve Ott was looking for a new deal, but there wasn't much progress being made.

Yes, it looked like when the Stars got back from break and headed into Wednesday's trade deadline, they were going to be making some noticeable changes. Some of the players who have spent their entire career here, to this point, looked to possibly be on the move.

But on the eve of the deadline, it's looking much calmer in Stars land.

Turco went on a surge prior to the Olympic break, re-establishing his role as the team's No. 1 goaltender. Backup goalie Alex Auld was put on waivers -- and then re-entry waivers -- making way for Lehtonen to be the new backup. Ott signed a four-year extension this past Monday, securing his place here.

So the question is, will the Stars be quiet on deadline day?

"I would suspect so," general manager Joe Nieuwendyk told TFP Tuesday night before the Stars hosted the Los Angeles Kings. "There may be something that makes sense, but we got to some of our pressing issues."

True, the Stars are feeling better about their goaltender situation and the sewing up of their cantankerous center.

Nieuwendyk was especially happy the Ott deal was completed.

"I don't think he wanted to leave, and we didn't want him to leave," he said. "These things take time. But at the end of the day he has Dallas Stars tattooed on him. From my standpoint, one of the things I always look at, not only long-term but also a night-to-night basis, is are we a hard team to play against. He gives us that element."

Like any team, however, they do have some issues that could be addressed.

The Stars are very young on defense; that youth was visibly problematic more in the early season than now. But if there's a defenseman to be had and a decent price, and the Stars have something worthy to give, a deal could happen.

Then there's the Stars' internal budget of $45 million, which they're right up against right now. Obviously, budgets can always be tweaked for the right deal, but if the Stars do anything it's likely the cash of players coming in and out will be close to equal.

Hey, there are always surprises on trade deadline day. There could be something out there that wets the Stars' appetite on Wednesday, but they seem pretty happy with their team. The big fish have been lured in for longer, or are at least being held for a bit longer.

And in this day of full-scale parity in the NHL, where so many teams have a shot at a playoff spot right up to the final week of the regular season, the giving and taking is probably going to be subdued.

At least it will probably be in Stars land.

Tracey Myers, a beat writer who covers the Dallas Stars for the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, is the Dallas Correspondent for The Fourth Period Magazine and a Columnist for TheFourthPeriod.com.