Patrick Sharp traded to Stars in four-player deal
Everyone knew this trade was coming. It was just a question of who the trading partner would be. Now we know:
Patrick Sharp is the newest member of the Dallas Stars.
The 33-year-old forward, along with defensive prospect Stephen Johns, were traded to Dallas in exchange for defenseman Trevor Daley and forward Ryan Garbutt.
There are a few tidbits to consider regarding this trade.
First, this move appears to be in line with Chicago’s ‘Summer of (Cap) Dump’ theme, but they’re really not getting much relief. Sharp carries a $5.9-million cap hit. The Blackhawks pick up Daley’s $3.3-million hit and 50-percent of Garbutt’s remaining $3.8-million salary; it’s $900K this season and $1-million the next. It’s a $1.7-million savings this coming year.
General Fanager is still confirming the Stanley Cup bonuses the Blackhawks will have to eat. Regardless of the number, Chicago doesn’t have much room to wiggle:
No word as to if Stan Bowman is trying to arrange for players to receive Edible Arrangements instead of a cash.
Acquiring a defenseman in Daley makes the situation with Johnny Oduya even more up in the air. As Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times put it, Oduya has been waiting patiently for the Blackhawks to clear cap room before he dives head first into free agency. They didn’t exactly make room for him in the trade and you’re clear to draw your own conclusions there.
Also looming over Bowman’s head is the RFA contract of Marcus Kruger. It’s likely he’s trying to find a trading partner for the $4-million cap hit of Bryan Bickell. Getting rid of him clears space for Krueger, but then again, this is the guy that traded Brandon Saad out of the blue.
It’s a bit surprising Bowman decided to send Sharp to a division rival. Sharp joins a potentially lethal Dallas scoring attack of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Jason Spezza. The team addressed their goaltending worries by adding former-Sharks netminder Antti Niemi to be Kari Lehtonen’s crease mate. Their defense is the big question mark. Stars GM Jim Nill has a plethora of forwards up with the big club. Perhaps he can turn a few of those into a cheap defenseman.
It’ll continue to be a fun summer for everyone on the Blackhawks… except for Stan Bowman. He put himself in this position and now he has to get himself out.
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Jen Neale is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter!
