Frisco, TX (Best E Casino) - Involved in a tight race for both the Pacific Division and the top spot in the Western Conference, the
Dallas Stars acquired center Brad Richards from the
Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
The Lightning, last in the Eastern Conference with 57 points, shipped Richards and goaltender Johan Holmqvist to the Stars for netminder Mike Smith as well as center Jeff Halpern, forward Jussi Jokinen and a 2009 fourth-round draft choice.
Richards was fourth on the Lightning with 18 goals and 51 points in addition to 33 assists through 62 games this season and had to waive a no-trade clause in his contract for the deal to go through.
The 27-year-old Richards was selected by Tampa Bay in the third round of the 1998 draft and had 150 goals, 339 assists and 489 points in 552 career games with the Lightning. However, it was the 2003-04 season that Richards will most be remembered for in Tampa.
That season, he set a career high with 26 goals and totaled 79 points en route to leading the Lightning to a Stanley Cup championship in seven games over Calgary. He set a club record with 26 playoff points (12 goals, 14 assists) and took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.
This marks the first major move by Stars co-general managers Brett Hull and Les Jackson. That duo took over for Doug Armstrong after he was fired on November 13.
"We are thrilled to acquire Brad Richards, a top-line talent who can play with any combination of linemates," said Stars co-general manager Brett Hull. "His Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the 2004 playoffs shows he is capable of great things in the postseason. He is certainly a major addition to our group."
Under Jackson and Hull, Dallas is first in the Pacific Division with 83 points heading into action on Tuesday, four ahead of second-place Anaheim. The Stars are also six points shy of Detroit for the best mark in the West.
Meanwhile, Holmqvist is 20-16-6 with a 3.01 goals-against average and .890 save percentage in 45 games this year. He is 47-34-9 with a 2.97 GAA in 97 career outings between the pipes with Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers.
He will back up Marty Turco in Dallas after making 90 starts since the start of last season.
Smith should now slide into the starting role in Tampa Bay. He is 12-9-0 with a 2.46 GAA and .906 save percentage in 21 games (19 starts) this year.
The 25-year-old Smith also has a pair of shutouts this year, giving him five over his two-year career. He had three in 2006-07 to go along with a 12-5-2 mark in 23 games as a rookie with Dallas.
Halpern, who was in the midst of his second season in Dallas, has 10 goals and 14 assists in 64 games this year. Now in his eighth NHL season, Halpern has 105 goals, 158 assists and 263 points in 578 career games. He spent the first six years of his career in Washington.
Jokinen, 24, has 14 goals and 14 assists in 52 contests with Dallas in 2007-08. His goal total is just three shy of the career-high 17 he netted as a rookie with the Stars in 2005-06.
"Trading Brad Richards was one of the most difficult moves I have made as manager of this hockey club," said Lightning GM Jay Feaster. "However, as we have discussed for some time now, we need to address our goaltending situation and we have been targeting Mike Smith for the past two seasons. We would not have given up a player and a leader such as Brad unless we were getting outstanding value in return and we feel that Mike, as well as Jeff and Jussi, certainly meet that objective. It is very difficult to say goodbye to Brad and Holmer, however, we feel strongly that we have improved our hockey team now and going forward with this transaction."
Tampa Bay has freed up cap space by trading Richards in addition to sending Vaclav Prospal to Philadelphia on Monday. The Lightning needed a little breathing room after inking defenseman Dan Boyle to a six-year contract extension on Monday worth a reported $40 million.
