Frisco, TX – Less than a day after acquiring his rights, the Dallas Stars agreed to terms with veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar.
In a surprise move Friday night, the Stars moved to snag Gonchar -- who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in July -- from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in the upcoming draft.
The 39-year-old Gonchar recorded three goals, 24 assists and a plus-four rating in 45 games with the Senators this past season, with 12 of his 27 points coming on the power play. His 24 assists were tied for the fifth-most among defensemen in the NHL.
For his career, the native Russian has amassed 217 goals and 558 assists over an 18-year NHL career spent with four different teams (Washington, Boston, Pittsburgh, Ottawa). He also won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins during the 2008-09 campaign.
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