Boston And Dallas Pull Off Major Trade Sending Seguin to Dallas
On July 4th, we expect fireworks, but that loud gasp you hear is not from people watching explosions in the sky. It’s from people whose mouths are hitting the floor after hearing about the major trade going down between the Boston Bruins and Dallas Stars.
The Boston Bruins are reportedly sending Tyler Seguin, the second overall pick of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Bruins, to Dallas, along with Rich Peverley and Ryan Button for defenseman Loui Eriksson, Joe Morrow, Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser.
This is a major trade for both parties, but keep in mind Tyler Seguin will be just 22 years old at the start of next season.
What Dallas Gets:
This past season Seguin had 16 goals and 16 assists in playing all 48 games. His numbers were definitely down from the year before when he was the Bruins leading scorer. In 2011-12 he tallied 29 goals and 38 assists. It’s interesting to see Boston give up on someone so young, so early, but sometimes players do fall out of favor and need a fresh start. It’s possible that they believed that the haul they could get from trading their young star is more beneficial for now, as well as in the future. At just 22, Seguin will only get better and I believe he will flourish with Dallas.
Rich Peverley
Rich Peverley is a 6′ tall Center from Kingston, ON. He may be one of those players who benefits from a change of scenery as he was never really able to duplicate the kind of numbers he had with the Thrashers. He is just 30 years old and could bring a nice scoring touch to the Stars. He had just 21 goals and 46 assists in his 127 games with Boston.
Ryan Button
Ryan Button is a defensive prospect that played last year for Bruins’ AHL affiliate in Providence. He was touted as an offensive defenseman, but has never put up numbers to support that. In 30 games between the AHL and ECHL last season, Button had zero points. He was selected in the 3rd round, #86 overall of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He was said to be a Brian Campbell type of player, but it appears that the Bruins were really projecting him as a shut down defenseman. We will see if his numbers change as a Dallas Stars prospect.
What Boston Gets:
Loui Eriksson is a 27 year old LW from Sweden. He was drafted by the Stars in the 2nd round, 33rd overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Eriksson had a bit of a down year last year as he registered just 12 goals and 17 assists in 48 games. But, in previous years Eriksson was a very productive winger. He has tallied at least 25 goals and 70 points in his last 3 seasons. This is clearly a case of “you have to give something to get something.” Eriksson is in the prime of his career and will fit in perfectly with the Bruins.
Joe Morrow
Joe Morrow was selected in the first round, 23rd overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. On March 24, 2013, Morrow was traded from the Penguins along with a 5th round draft pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Brenden Morrow.
Joe is a highly touted, 6’1″, 204 lb, 2-way defenseman who is said to have a very high hockey IQ. People love his shot and the fact that he can start the play by carrying the puck up ice from his own zone. He projects as a Top 4 defenseman and won’t be 21 until December. He will compete for a spot on the Bruins blue line this fall, but it’s more likely that he spends another year in the minors.
Reilly Smith was selected in the third round, 69th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Smith is a lefty shooting winger who has a lot of potential offensive upside. He has a quick shot and is a good skater. He is very agile and quick on his feet. The problem right now with Smith, at 22 years old is his size. He is 6′ tall, but only 161 lbs. He is going to need to pack on more muscle if he is to reach his potential. He is said to resemble a player like Petr Sykora; a scoring second line winger. He played 37 games with the Stars last year registering 3 goals and 6 assists. He may have a bit of a harder time making the Bruins this coming season. It really all depends on their needs after they are done in free agency. He has potential, but he may benefit from a bit more seasoning.
Matt Fraser was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Stars in November, 2010. While he put some loft numbers last season in the AHL with the Texas Stars; 33 goals in 62 games, he is not projected to be a top line winger. Scouts project him to be more in the mold of David Clarkson type. He is a bruising winger who at 6’2″, 207 lbs isn’t afraid to stand up for himself or his teammates. But, he can also put the puck in the net and his is a solid skater. He definitely has room for improvement on the defensive side of the puck, but at just 23, he has time to develop. He is a 2nd/3rd line scoring winger who will definitely fit in well with the Bruins.
All in all the Bruins got some solid prospects out of this, but why they would trade a budding star in Seguin for a very good player in Erikson and some prospects is a little confusing to me. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but only time will tell who won this deal.
-EB