Fare Thee Well Brad - Stuart Traded to San Jose
Well this isn't surprising considering what we've been hearing. Per a RW press release and via Kulkaskorner:
Detroit, MI... Detroit Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Ken Holland today announced that the club has traded the rights for defenseman Brad Stuart to the San Jose Sharks. In return, the Red Wings received a conditional seventh round pick in the 2014 National Hockey League Entry Draft and forward Andrew Murray from the Sharks.
Both Stuart and Murray are set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Originally San Jose’s first round selection (3rd overall) in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Stuart played five seasons for the Red Wings. He was acquired by Detroit from the Los Angeles Kings on February 26, 2008 for the Wings second round pick in 2008 and fourth round pick in 2009.
Good on Kenny for getting something back for him, even if it wasn't a lot (the conditional draft pick being a 7th rounder) as it certainly appeared that there was no chance he was going to return to the Wings. Still, this puts a little more pressure on Holland this summer to back up that blue-line. Hind-sight is 20-20, but makes you wish he was traded at the deadline last year though...doesn't it?Hit the jump for a little about the new guy, Murray.
Now, about the pick-up, Andrew Murray: He's a career 4th liner, but one who can throw the body around. He's played four seasons with the BJ's and one with the Sharks, never putting up impressive numbers, but that's not what he was around for. As one SJ blog put it:
It should be noted that when healthy he can throw the body around with 147 hits in the BJ’s 2008-09 playoffs debut.
Hitting is great, but still, I sorta doubt he'll be able to break into Detroit lineup. He's an AHL'er at heart. And a Blue Jacket cast-off...Anyhow, change is what we asked for and it is what we are going to get. Thanks Brad for a great five years. He certainly gave us his heart and soul. But alas, now we must move on.
The summer of Holland has begun.
Loved Stuart when he was here with two exceptions...
1.) Game 7 of the '09 Cup Finals
2.) The ENTIRE series against Nashville
...Stuey played like his heart was already in San Jose against NSH this post-season. He was a solid defenseman...but getting more and more replaceable as time went on.
I don't think you guys understand what I'm getting at. Why would San Jose offer a conditional 7th to essentially trade expiring contracts? Just wait till free agency starts, let one guy go, sign the other. Right?
@Croswenthy Because signing Stuart creates a logjam at defense and doesn't really address any specific needs they have. Going into the off-season they have holes that need to be filled and even though there are potentially only three teams in the running for Stuart, being able to negotiate with him and not have to worry about the competition is absolutely worth a pick that will be somewhere in the late 190s in the draft.
@garth But isn't he still a UFA come July 1st? He can still just leave for more money if that is what it came down to. Just seems like they gave up a conditional 7th for nothing.
@Croswenthy a) A conditional pick is not a simple pick, it is based on a "condition" that the Sharks have to meet and I'm fairly certain the "condition" is that the Sharks sign him, so if they don't sign Stuart then Detroit gets nothing.
b) They've got exclusive negotiating rights for a full three weeks before July 2st.
c) Yes, he *could* leave on July 1st, but he wants to play in San Jose. There are really only three other teams in the race, the Kings, the Ducks and the Wings as a last choice if none of the California teams sign him.
d) By trading for Stuart's rights Wilson is letting him know that the Sharks want him. He doesn't know if the Kings or Ducks would be interested in him, but he knows for sure that the Sharks are. It's a show of faith for Stuart.
e) A 7th is really a nothing of a pick, so if they sign him all they give up on is saying the name of a young man who likely will never, ever play in the NHL.
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@Croswenthy To eliminate any chance of competition for him, and this way it works out cheaper for them.
if we weren't the Red Wings Murray might have a chance to make the line-up. I don't see us signing him. He sounds like an Abby that doesn't put up any points, while Abby puts in points sometimes.
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@Reddy @JOHNxJOHN You don't honestly think the Red Wings could get more for an expiring contract of a guy who has publicly said where he would prefer to sign, do you? The fact that Holland got anything is practically a miracle.
Can someone tell me why the Sharks would trade a conditional 7th and a UFA for another UFA? Wouldn't it have been smarter to wait until July 1st and just signed him outright? Does this have something to do with structuring Stuart's contract to make it a smaller cap hit?
@Croswenthy If they can get a deal done before July 1st then that`s one less thing they have to worry about.
And if they can get it done before the draft, even better, because they`ll probably unload one of their other defensemen when they ink Stuart.
And let`s be honest, as much as we love to crow about our late-draft choices, most 7th round picks are throwaways.
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@Croswenthy There were also other California teams in the running. He preferred San Jose, but from the Red Wings perspective, it didn't matter which of them got him- they would get nothing. This way, they get a return and Brad ends up with his preference. May not reap the same $$$ as he would from UFA status, but he's with his family.
