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02-26-2008, 01:55 PM
Dallas Stars acquire Brad Richards from Tampa Bay
Forwards Jokinen, Halpern, backup goalie Smith sent to Lightning
12:49 PM CST on Tuesday, February 26, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com
ST. LOUIS – The Dallas Stars have acquired veteran forward Brad Richards and goaltender Johan Holmqvist from the Tampa Bay Lightning for goalie Mike Smith and forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern. The Stars also added a 2009 fourth-round draft choice.
Richards, 27, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2004 when he helped lead the Lightning over Calgary. After the 2004-05 lockout, he put together a 91-point season in 2005-06 and then signed a five-year contract that averages $7.8 million a season. He has three years remaining on that contract after this season. Richards has been struggling this year, so the Lightning traded him to open salary cap space for other players.
Tampa Bay signed defenseman Dan Boyle to a six-year, $40 million contract on Monday, increasing the likelihood that Richards would be traded.
Richards can play center or left wing, so he could play either on a line with Niklas Hagman and Antti Miettinen or with Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen. He is having a down season statistically with 51 points in 62 games and has a league-worst plus-minus rating of minus-25, meaning he has been on the ice for 25 more even-strength goals against than even-strength goals for.
Richards was on a rocket path to becoming one of the top NHL players just a few years back. He made the All-Rookie Team in 2000-01, when he tallied 21 goals and 62 points. In the 2004 playoffs, he had 12 goals and 26 points in 23 playoff games. He tallied 23 goals and 91 points in 2005-06 but saw his production drop to 70 points last season.
Fredrik Modin and Ruslan Fedotenko, his 2003-04 linemates, had previously left the Lightning. Richards was playing this season with struggling wingers in Jan Hlavac and Michel Ouelett.
From a money standpoint, the Stars will lose approximately $4.76 million in next season’s contracts for Smith, Jokinen and Halpern and will add $7.8 million for Richards. Holmqvist's contract for $1 million expires at the end of this season.
That leaves Dallas with 13 players under contract for next season at approximately $40.7 million. The salary cap is expected to increase to between $53 million and $55 million, and the maximum roster is 23 players. So the Stars would have about $12 million to $13 million to sign 10 players.
Among the unrestricted free agents that they might try to re-sign are Hagman, Miettinen, fellow forward Stu Barnes and defenseman Mattias Norstrom. Among the restricted free agents that they would probably work deals for are forwards and Loui Eriksson and defensemen Trevor Daley and Nicklas Grossman.
Holmqvist, 29, gives the Stars a solid backup goalie to replace Smith. Holmqvist was 20-16-6 this season with the Lightning with a 3.01 GAA and an .890 save percentage.
The Stars gave up Smith, whom many believe has the potential to be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL. He will turn 26 on March 22. He has played two seasons in the NHL and has a 24-14-2 record with a 2.34 GAA and .909 save percentage.
Jokinen, 24, is in his third NHL season. A skilled forward who can play center or left wing, Jokinen has 45 goals and 131 points in 215 NHL games. He also is one of the league's best in the shootout.
Halpern, 31, is a checking line center the Stars signed as an unrestricted free agent before the beginning of last season. He played most of his career with Washington and this season has 10 goals and 14 assists in 64 games. He has two years remaining on his contract for $2 million a season.
LINK (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/hockey/stars/stories/022708dnspostarslede.2e5bea73.html)
Forwards Jokinen, Halpern, backup goalie Smith sent to Lightning
12:49 PM CST on Tuesday, February 26, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com
ST. LOUIS – The Dallas Stars have acquired veteran forward Brad Richards and goaltender Johan Holmqvist from the Tampa Bay Lightning for goalie Mike Smith and forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern. The Stars also added a 2009 fourth-round draft choice.
Richards, 27, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2004 when he helped lead the Lightning over Calgary. After the 2004-05 lockout, he put together a 91-point season in 2005-06 and then signed a five-year contract that averages $7.8 million a season. He has three years remaining on that contract after this season. Richards has been struggling this year, so the Lightning traded him to open salary cap space for other players.
Tampa Bay signed defenseman Dan Boyle to a six-year, $40 million contract on Monday, increasing the likelihood that Richards would be traded.
Richards can play center or left wing, so he could play either on a line with Niklas Hagman and Antti Miettinen or with Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen. He is having a down season statistically with 51 points in 62 games and has a league-worst plus-minus rating of minus-25, meaning he has been on the ice for 25 more even-strength goals against than even-strength goals for.
Richards was on a rocket path to becoming one of the top NHL players just a few years back. He made the All-Rookie Team in 2000-01, when he tallied 21 goals and 62 points. In the 2004 playoffs, he had 12 goals and 26 points in 23 playoff games. He tallied 23 goals and 91 points in 2005-06 but saw his production drop to 70 points last season.
Fredrik Modin and Ruslan Fedotenko, his 2003-04 linemates, had previously left the Lightning. Richards was playing this season with struggling wingers in Jan Hlavac and Michel Ouelett.
From a money standpoint, the Stars will lose approximately $4.76 million in next season’s contracts for Smith, Jokinen and Halpern and will add $7.8 million for Richards. Holmqvist's contract for $1 million expires at the end of this season.
That leaves Dallas with 13 players under contract for next season at approximately $40.7 million. The salary cap is expected to increase to between $53 million and $55 million, and the maximum roster is 23 players. So the Stars would have about $12 million to $13 million to sign 10 players.
Among the unrestricted free agents that they might try to re-sign are Hagman, Miettinen, fellow forward Stu Barnes and defenseman Mattias Norstrom. Among the restricted free agents that they would probably work deals for are forwards and Loui Eriksson and defensemen Trevor Daley and Nicklas Grossman.
Holmqvist, 29, gives the Stars a solid backup goalie to replace Smith. Holmqvist was 20-16-6 this season with the Lightning with a 3.01 GAA and an .890 save percentage.
The Stars gave up Smith, whom many believe has the potential to be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL. He will turn 26 on March 22. He has played two seasons in the NHL and has a 24-14-2 record with a 2.34 GAA and .909 save percentage.
Jokinen, 24, is in his third NHL season. A skilled forward who can play center or left wing, Jokinen has 45 goals and 131 points in 215 NHL games. He also is one of the league's best in the shootout.
Halpern, 31, is a checking line center the Stars signed as an unrestricted free agent before the beginning of last season. He played most of his career with Washington and this season has 10 goals and 14 assists in 64 games. He has two years remaining on his contract for $2 million a season.
LINK (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/hockey/stars/stories/022708dnspostarslede.2e5bea73.html)