Looking for a boost, the Stars acquired veteran defenseman Darryl Sydor from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. Pittsburgh received veteran defenseman Philippe Boucher.

This will be Sydor's third run with the Stars (he has played 649 of his 1,179 career NHL games with Dallas). Boucher ends a stretch of 346 games with Dallas – the most he has spent with a team in his 723-game NHL career.

Both players make $2.5 million a season and each will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Sydor is 36 and Boucher is 35, so the numbers match up. But with Dallas struggling at 6-8-3, Stars co-general manager Brett Hull said the team needed to look for something different.

"I think you can look at this as a trade that's good for both players and both teams," Hull said. "I think everybody gets a little change of scenery, and that's something that can help both sides."

Hull made a comparison to the trade that brought Mike Ribeiro to the Stars in 2006. Ribeiro found a better fit than he had in Montreal and his career took off. He believes Sydor can do the same thing.

"He has a relationship with this team and the coaching staff, he has a relationship with Sergei Zubov, he has a hunger to do more than he's doing right now, so I think it can be a great change for him," Hull said of Sydor.

Co-GM Les Jackson, who is scouting in Sweden, agreed.

"Syd has had a lot of positive influences on some pretty good teams, so we're hoping he can do the same thing for us," Jackson said. "Winning just seems to follow the guy around."

Sydor was a member of the 1999 Stanley Cup champions in Dallas and also helped Tampa Bay win the Cup in 2004. In addition, he went to the Stanley Cup Finals as a rookie in 1993 with Los Angeles, went to the Finals in 2000 with the Stars and went to the Finals last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He played only four of 20 playoff games last season and was in coach Michel Therrien's doghouse for much of his time in Pittsburgh. He played eight of 17 games this season with the Penguins (averaging 14:23 in ice time), and had a goal and assist, and was plus-5 in that span.

"I think anyone who has watched him sees he can still play," Hull said. "I think it will help him a lot to come to a team where he feels more comfortable."

Sydor said he had hoped to re-sign with the Stars in 2006 but that he never received an offer. He instead signed a two-year deal with the Penguins. He said that despite the rough times with the Penguins, he still has faith in his ability.

"I believe I can play," Sydor said. "I think I showed it last year when I sat for so long and got thrown into the Stanley Cup Final. I have positive thoughts that I can still play this game for many more years."

Boucher played 16 games this year with the Stars, averaging 21:46 in ice time. He had three assists and was minus-4.

An All-Star in 2006-07 when he had 19 goals among 51 points, Boucher battled injuries last season and lost his place on the power play to Stephane Robidas and Brad Richards.

"It's never easy to leave a place where it's like your family. I thought I would retire here," Boucher said. "But this is a good opportunity, and I understand the business of the game. The team I'm going to is a good team."

By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News