What had been a quiet offseason for the Dallas Stars became much more intriguing on Friday as the team announced the acquisition of veteran standout forward Patrick Sharp and young defenseman Stephen Johns from the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. In return, the Stars sent veteran defenseman Trevor Daley and checking line winger Ryan Garbutt to Chicago.
This is a trade with the potential to help both sides in the short term.
Sharp, who will turn 34 in late December, did not have his best season in 2014-15 but produced 15 points in 23 postseason games en route to helping the Hawks win their third Stanley Cup in six seasons. The late-blooming former All-Star Game MVP (2012) and Olympian (2014) for Team Canada has scored 33 to 36 goals in four different seasons.
Along with 2014 acquisition Jason Spezza, the Stars now have the makings of a formidable second line to support Art Ross Trophy winner Jamie Benn and prolific-scoring Tyler Seguin on the top line. Sharp is also a decent two-way player.
Notre Dame graduate Johns, 23, was a second-round draft pick of the Blackhawks in 2010. The righthanded shooting blueliner played his rookie pro season in the American Hockey League with Rockford in 2014-15, posting 21 regular season points (four goals, 17 assists) in 51 games and then adding seven points (three goals, four assists) in eight playoff games. He also has a huge frame at 6-foot-4 and 233 pounds.
Through sheer patience, Stars general manager Jim Nill was able to get this trade done -- after other trade possibilities involving Sharp went by the wayside -- without giving up any young assets.
Daley, 31, is one of the NHL's best skating defensemen and has been one the leaders on the Stars' team in recent years. Encouraged by Stars head coach Lindy Ruff to dial up his puck-moving game (always a strength) into more aggressively looking to pinch up offensively, Daley had mixed results in 2015-16. On the positive side, he set career highs in goals (16) and points (38) despite being limited by injury to 68 games. He played well on the power play in particular. On the down side, the increased points came at the expense of losing something off the defensive side of his two-way game.
While the Stars will miss Daley's ability to eat minutes, trigger breakouts and lead by example, the team was not really lacking for puck-moving defensemen who were a bit lacking in size or physicality. Getting better in their own end of the ice was going to be a priority with or without Daley. The team still has veteran Alex Goligoski to push the pace.
Ultimately, the rapid emergence of rookie John Klingberg in 2014-15 and the presence of several young defensemen aiming to stake down regular NHL jobs were probably what made Daley available if it meant bringing in a player the caliber of Sharp (even if there is a risk of diminishing returns).
The aggressive, agitating Garbutt has made himself into a good NHL role player after painstakingly working his way up from the CHL and ECHL levels. He kills penalties, forechecks tenaciously and can even chip in some goals (although he may not again match the 17 tallies he produced in 2013-14).
The biggest concern with Garbutt, who turns 30 in August, is that he has crossed the discipline line on several occasions and earned multiple suspensions from the NHL. When he and Antoine Roussel were able to push the envelope just enough to throw opponents off their game without going too far and hurting the Stars with needless penalties, they were one of the more effective bottom-six tandems in the NHL.
In terms of salary-cap considerations, Daley has two seasons remaining on a contract that carries a $3.3 million cap hit. Garbutt has two seasons left at a $900,000 cap hit. Sharp has two seasons left at $5.9 million; an impetus for the Blackhawks to deal the veteran star for some cap relief.