NHL Trade Rumors: Sergei Gonchar to Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars acquired the rights to defenseman Sergei Gonchar from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a conditional sixth round 2013 NHL Draft pick. The Stars wasted no time in signing Gonchar to a 2 year deal with a 5 million cap hit per season. At first glance, it appears the term and the cap hit is a bit much.

For a 39 year old, the Russian blueliner played well with the Ottawa Senators for the 2013 season. He scored 24 assists and 3 goals, sharing 12th in points for NHL defensemen. With the major injury to Erik Karlsson, the Senators relied on Gonchar's offence. He led Ottawa defensemen and was ranked second on the team in points.

The Dallas Stars are desperate to turn things around, having missed the playoffs for the last five years. The Stars have plenty of cap space available and they have their core players signed long term. After Mark Streit, there are few quality defensemen available for summer free agency. Sergei Gonchar is a nice fit to mentor the Stars' defensemen and stabilize their D-core.