FanHouse LesJackson

Caveat emptor. I'm sure Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks was aware of the phrase prior to his signing of Sean Avery this past summer, and if he wasn't, he most certainly is now.

Avery, the NHL's super-pest, never seemed to fit in the Stars locker room after signing a four-year, $15.5 million deal, clashing with veterans and failing to produce much of anything on the ice in his brief, 23-game tenure in Dallas. Then came December 2, 2008, when the Stars visited Dion Phaneuf and the Calgary Flames.

Things just keep getting worse for the 2008 version of the Dallas Stars. Just two wins shy of the Stanley Cup Finals a season ago, the Stars are currently the second-worst team in the National Hockey League, and that's just the beginning of their current problems.

During their 6-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night, captain Brenden Morrow left the game with just over six minutes to play with an undisclosed injury.

This evening, we've learned that the injury is a torn ACL, which will put Morrow on the shelf for the next six months, ending his season. Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News passes along the official press release from the Stars.

"We are obviously very disappointed to hear the news about Brenden's knee," said Co-General Manager Les Jackson. "As our captain, he will obviously be missed, but we have every assurance that he can and will come back from this injury at 100 percent. There is a lot of hockey left to be played this season, and we are confident our team will rally together and keep pushing."