FRISCO -- This training camp for the Stars could have been a celebration -- of the discovery of a new top-six option or of an encouraging step in the right direction for a young forward. Instead, the Stars are still waiting.

Four games into the preseason (with three remaining), the Stars still have holes to fill on their forward lines. They need a winger to complete the top two lines already populated by Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov, Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz. And they need a 12th or 13th forward to complete their bottom six. Only problem is no one has seized either spot yet.

"We need someone to go out and grab it," coach Jim Montgomery said. "Not disappointed, but not overly excited either. People got to step up. Got an opportunity to play in the NHL, they should be excited about that opportunity and hopefully we're going to see that here in the last three games."

Denis Gurianov has been afforded the most opportunity among the candidates, playing a top-six role throughout practices and dressing for three games in a top-six role alongside either Pavelski or Hintz. But he's had just three total shots on goal and hasn't recorded a point.

Gurianov understands the opportunity. It was one that wasn't present last training camp when he had four points in four preseason games and went on to post his best season since arriving in North America. But it's here now, partly because of his age as a 22-year-old former first-round pick and partly because of Corey Perry's fractured foot.

"I feel like coaches are giving me more chances than last year," Gurianov said. "Maybe I'm ready more than last year and a little bit grown up."

Last year, he played in 21 NHL games and scored his first career goal when a point shot deflected off his knee against Nashville. He added only three more assists the rest of his time in the NHL, and the coaching staff wanted to see the other parts of Gurianov's game stand out when his scoring didn't.

Gurianov said he's learned from his first extended playing time in the NHL, about how tough active and skilled defensemen can be to cover, about how much faster and smarter players are and about how each mistake matters more against the best players in the world. He said he's playing Tuesday at St. Louis in what should be a key audition for other roster hopefuls.

On Monday morning, Gurianov was on a line with winger Joel Kiviranta and center Ty Dellandrea, both of whom are also trying to crack the NHL roster. Outside of a decent preseason debut from Kiviranta against St. Louis, neither he nor Dellandrea has stood out and neither profiles as a top-six winger this year. Rhett Gardner, Jason Robertson, Nick Caamano and Joel L'Esperance also remain in camp, but all are likely ticketed for AHL affiliate Texas.

Last year, Hintz made the Stars' job easy by wowing during preseason with three goals in six games, leading to a roster spot, the eventual departures of Remi Elie and Gemel Smith and an expanded role this season.

So what can bubble forwards do to provde themselves?

"One, attention to detail and habits without the puck, that their checking skills are really good," Montgomery said. "And then making plays and possessing the puck, not throwing pucks away. Trying to make plays, possess pucks so that we can create some more offense."

This preseason battle may not even matter when Perry, the former Hart Trophy winner and 50-goal scorer sidelined by a fractured foot, takes the ice for the first time as a Star and claims a top-six spot. The bottom-six role may be solidified when Justin Dowling returns from an upper-body injury, potentially as early as this week.

But for a Stars team that has Stanley Cup aspirations, improvement from depth players such as Gurianov is vital.

Briefly: Montgomery said Perry will see a doctor Thursday, two weeks into his recovery from a fractured foot. Dowling saw a doctor Monday and Montgomery hopes he can practice Tuesday. Montgomery also wants to get Dowling in preseason games.

"He's got to earn his way into the lineup, he's got to get in games," Montgomery said.

-- The Stars will use the final three preseason games to, among other evaluations, gauge chemistry among forward lines and defensive pairings, Montgomery said. On Tuesday morning, the Stars used these in practice:

Hintz - Seguin - Radulov

Benn - Pavelski - Dickinson

Janmark - Faksa - Comeau

Kiviranta - Dellandrea - Gurianov

Cogliano - Gardner - Caamano/Robertson

L'Esperance

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Harley - Klingberg

Lindell - Heiskanen

Sekera - Fedun

Oleksiak - Polak

Joel Hanley

While the forward lines are expected to change frequently during the season -- it's part of Montgomery's philosophy to get players used to playing with everyone, and also a byproduct of a versatile top-six group of forwards -- the defensive pairs remained somewhat constant last season.

"Oleksiak and Polak, will they be a fit?" Montgomery said. "Maybe it's Fedun and Oleksiak. Who's going to be fitting with who? Sekera with Oleksiak, Sekera with Polak, all those kind of things."

-- Montgomery said Anton Khudobin would play the whole game Thursday night against Minnesota, while Ben Bishop would play the whole game Saturday night against Colorado. The goaltending plan for Tuesday night in St. Louis had not been determined.