| Douglas Benton. 27th February, 2008 - 12:20 pm
 The Dallas Stars can sense that the Red Wings have opened the door in the Western Conference, and they hope this trade can blow that door wide open. In a deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Stars got center Brad Richards and goalie Johan Holmqvist for goalie Mike Smith, forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, plus a 2008 fourth round draft pick.
The centerpiece of this deal is Richards, who played a perfect complement to Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lacavalier in Tampa Bay en route to the 2004 Stanley Cup. He was the playoff MVP. This year, he has 18 goals, 33 assists, and an ugly -25 rating. Holmqvist, on the other hand, was starting in Tampa Bay with a 3.01 GAA and will give Dallas a formidable one-two combo in net and a nice insurance blanket if Turco falters or gets injured down the stretch or in the playoffs.
For Tampa Bay, they actually got some quality pieces in return with Jokinen being the top piece in my mind. He has 14 points and 14 assists this season in limited ice time and is only 24 years old; he is on path to make a mark in the NHL in the near future. Halpern has 24 points this season and will give Tampa Bay depth at the center position.
Smith, only 26 years old, rates out as an average starting NHL goaltender who will be good enough in net for Tampa Bay, for now. I’m not sure if he is a starter down the road, but there isn’t a major drop-off from Holmqvist.
Tampa Bay is going nowhere this season and maybe not next season so this is a salary dump. They did get a fair amount of talent in the process, but the goal of this trade wasn’t to compete in 2008. For the Stars, they add a veteran presence whom they believe makes their team strong right now.
Dallas Stars (B-) I’m not as enamored with Richards as many people are so that is why I downgrade the deal. Yes, his stats are partially reflected by playing on a poor team, but the best players won’t even reach the neighborhood of -25 no matter how bad the team is. I still believe Richards is the best player in this deal, and Holmqvist is an improvement as a back-up goaltender, but when you have a good thing like Dallas had, why would you mess with it?
Tampa Bay (B) Tampa Bay got good value for Richards and now has the cap space to improve the many weaknesses on their team. I like Jokinen going forward, and Smith is capable of holding down the net until he either fills the job or they find a replacement. Tampa Bay didn’t set itself for the future today, but it took a good step in that direction. The result of what they do with the extra cap money will be the final determinant on this trade.
Am I wrong on my assessment of Brad Richards? Email your thoughts to Douglas.Benton@realgm.com |
