Stars’ Center Ailing

Dallas center Joe Nieuwendyk, who returned from a sprained right knee in Game 2 to score the go-ahead goal in the Stars’ Game 6 series-clinching victory over Edmonton, didn’t practice Tuesday.

Stars Coach Ken Hitchcock said Nieuwendyk would skate by himself today and would join the team on the ice Thursday. Dallas begins its Western Conference semifinal series against St. Louis Friday.

“We are really close to getting him where we don’t have to be careful with him,” Hitchcock said. “Instead of grind it out and put him on the ice right now, these extra two days will get him as close to 100 percent as we can.”

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Left wing John LeClair, who can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, said he hasn’t ruled out re-signing with the Philadelphia Flyers. LeClair said a deal could have been worked out last summer but eventually went to arbitration and received a one-year, $7 million contract.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning signed 19-year-old right wing Nikita Alexeev, their first-round pick in the 2000 draft.