Frisco, TX – The Dallas Stars acquired the rights to veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar from the Ottawa Senators Friday in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft.
Gonchar is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency, so the Stars will have the opportunity to negotiate a contract with the five-time All-Star until the market opens on July 5. If the Stars are unable to reach an agreement, the Senators will not receive the draft choice.
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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