It's been no secret for those of you who know me, Marty Turco is and always will be my favorite hockey player. This year, Marty's tenure in Dallas has ended and to a certain extent my fanship for the team has as well. I've grown fond of many Stars players over the years - the tenacity of Brendan Morrow, the toughness of Stephan Robidas and the dynamic youth of James Neal and Jamie Benn. But, without 35 in net, I will always selfishly want the team to lose; especially when they play the Habs.
For a career that has span ten years in Dallas, Marty finishes as the franchise leader in 6 of the 9 goaltending categories. He doesn't have the record for losses, ties and should have the record for franchise G.A.A but he played so many seasons. He leaves the team with a career SVP of .911 and GAA of 2.31 and 40 shutouts.
For those that think of him as struggling in the playoffs, Marty finished with strong numbers: GAA 2.17 and SVP .914. Personally, I will most remember the 7 game series versus Vancouver in 2007 when Marty won 3 games, all by shutouts. From a wins point of view, the best performance was certainly the 2008 playoffs where the Stars shocked favorites Ducks and Sharks but lost in the Western Conference finals to the eventual champion Red Wings.
Ironically enough, in his last season as a Star, Marty recorded his best post-lockout save percentage with .913. I am trying to be optimistic about his change in teams, (although I can't yet picture him in any other jersey) in that I might get a chance to see more of his games on TV or better yet, in person!
As much as I will miss Marty being in Dallas, it probably won't be as much as the community of Dallas will. In 2006-07Marty won the NHL Foundation Player Award for his tireless charity work and Marty's wife, Kelly, has been a longtime champion for reading in the Dallas area.
Wherever Marty signs on July 1st, I will become an instant supporter of that team - as painfull as it may be. Possible destinations? Well, I expect Marty to earn at least 3.75 million per season, similar to Khabibulin last season.
The Flyers are a definite possibility, although their salary issues might be a stumbling block. The Blues are an option, with their main weakness being goaltending. The Lightning may be a possibility with a new general manager looking to make waves. This would also be a possible reunion with Mike Smith, who with Turco, played his best hockey.
The last possibility would be my favorite option, the Washington Capitals. Now, if Washington is hit by poor goaltending performances yet again this playoff season (upcoming UFA) their hand may be forced to go out and get a top flight goaltender. In my opinion this would be the best option since they are an easy team to cheer for and could lead to a Stanley Cup.
Wherever Marty ends up, the team will be receiving a true winner, on and off the ice.
For a career that has span ten years in Dallas, Marty finishes as the franchise leader in 6 of the 9 goaltending categories. He doesn't have the record for losses, ties and should have the record for franchise G.A.A but he played so many seasons. He leaves the team with a career SVP of .911 and GAA of 2.31 and 40 shutouts.
For those that think of him as struggling in the playoffs, Marty finished with strong numbers: GAA 2.17 and SVP .914. Personally, I will most remember the 7 game series versus Vancouver in 2007 when Marty won 3 games, all by shutouts. From a wins point of view, the best performance was certainly the 2008 playoffs where the Stars shocked favorites Ducks and Sharks but lost in the Western Conference finals to the eventual champion Red Wings.
Ironically enough, in his last season as a Star, Marty recorded his best post-lockout save percentage with .913. I am trying to be optimistic about his change in teams, (although I can't yet picture him in any other jersey) in that I might get a chance to see more of his games on TV or better yet, in person!
As much as I will miss Marty being in Dallas, it probably won't be as much as the community of Dallas will. In 2006-07Marty won the NHL Foundation Player Award for his tireless charity work and Marty's wife, Kelly, has been a longtime champion for reading in the Dallas area.
Wherever Marty signs on July 1st, I will become an instant supporter of that team - as painfull as it may be. Possible destinations? Well, I expect Marty to earn at least 3.75 million per season, similar to Khabibulin last season.
The Flyers are a definite possibility, although their salary issues might be a stumbling block. The Blues are an option, with their main weakness being goaltending. The Lightning may be a possibility with a new general manager looking to make waves. This would also be a possible reunion with Mike Smith, who with Turco, played his best hockey.
The last possibility would be my favorite option, the Washington Capitals. Now, if Washington is hit by poor goaltending performances yet again this playoff season (upcoming UFA) their hand may be forced to go out and get a top flight goaltender. In my opinion this would be the best option since they are an easy team to cheer for and could lead to a Stanley Cup.
Wherever Marty ends up, the team will be receiving a true winner, on and off the ice.
