IF YOU ARE AN NHL GM LOOKING for a marquee unrestricted free agent this summer, we hate to tell you this, but them some slim pickings.

One name, however, stands out among the free-agent chaff--Derian Hatcher, defenseman for the Dallas Stars.

Sure there are those in the league who have written off the 30-year-old Hatcher in the past. The Sterling Heights, Mich., native was even left off the Salt Lake City Olympic team in 2002.

But Hatcher, one of the league's toughest players, used the snub as motivation (along with the promise of a big pay day) to rebound and have one of the best campaigns of his 12-season career.

Hatcher's and the Stars' turnaround this season was one of the more intriguing stories of 2002-03. The team went from missing the playoffs in 2001-02 to vaulting to the top of the West this year.

Both Hatcher and the Stars thrived under rookie coach Dave Tippett's uptempo style of play.

And Hatcher personally responded well to Tippett's challenges. In camp, Tippett moved Hatcher from the right to the left side on the blue line and paired him with puck-moving defenseman Sergei Zubov.

A new coach, new spot on the ice, and a new blue-line partner haven't changed one thing: The 6'5", 235-pound Hatcher still dears the front of the net with the best defensemen in the league and delivers the bone-crushing hits in the corner.

HOCKEY DIGEST recently sat down with Hatcher to talk about his physical style of play, the market for his services this summer, and how the Stars managed to turn it around in 2002-03.

HOCKEY DIGEST: Are you ready to test the flee-agent waters this summer if you don't re-sign with Dallas?

DERIAN HATCHER: I have mentally prepared myself for it. If things don't work out, I will move on somewhere else. I would like to have a contract in place right now, but obviously it's not there. It's something I try to not think of, but I find myself thinking about it every day. That is, what the future will hold. I have heard players say they have played their whole career to get to this point. To be honest with you, I wish everything was in place, but it's not. I just try to move forward. Family is the biggest thing. Dallas is a great place to play and live. I have been here one third of my life and all four of my kids have been born here. None of us want to leave. But on the other hand we will have to be prepared to leave.

HD: Do you feel you have earned the fight to make say $10 million a season like other premier defensemen like Chris Pronger and Niklas Lidstrom?

DH: Will I be paid Pronger or Lidstrom money? Probably not. To be honest I don't think I ever will be paid like them until I put up more offensive numbers. That's the way things are in the league. I will be paid handsomely. The club and my agent talked briefly. I don't think it was anything too serious. It seemed like it was the general manager's policy not to negotiate during the season because it could become a distraction. They talked a little during last summer and the season. I never got the feeling that it was anything serious. They were talking just to shoot the breeze almost Nothing came out of it What can you do?

HD: What were some of the keys to turning around your game this season after a disappointing 2001-02?

DH: I definitely think it's one of the better seasons I have had. It's the most consistent. I think in the past I have been up and down, but this year I have been able to string together a lot of good games. I think the difference has been consistency. When I hurt my calf muscle [three years ago], I think the first 30 games or so I played were probably the same level as this year. I have been working on my leg strength more. I tried to build up my legs as much as I could. And I am doing a lot of different exercises, too. What they call more core stuff. I am doing those quite a bit compared to just the heavy weights.

HD: How would you describe your style of play and do you like the reputation of being a feared player?

DH: I am a hard-hitting and physical player. I find through the years the more people talk about it, the more other players know you are on the ice. It actually helps you. It's definitely a good reputation to have. Players really know you are on the ice and they have their heads up a little more. Believe it or not, I know some players are probably afraid to go in the corner.

HD: There were some on-the-ice changes for you this year. After years of playing with Richard Matvichuk, you were paired with Sergei Zubov. You have also changed sides on the ice. Are these things a big deal or are they largely cosmetic?

DH: The biggest difference is going over to the left side. I have been able to make more plays because of it. I have been on the right side pretty much my whole career. When you are handling the puck and moving the puck, it's definitely easier than always having it on your backhand. You are getting the puck on your forehand. You are able to get your head up. If you know you have to bail out on play, then it is a lot easier to do.