The Sharks acquired defenseman Brad Stuart from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for forward Andrew Murray and a conditional draft selection in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, the club announced today.
Stuart is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and the Sharks now maintain the exclusive rights to negotiate a new contract with him until that time.
We are very happy to acquire Brads rights prior to July 1 and are hopeful that we come to an agreement on a new contract, said Wilson. Brad is a player we are very familiar witha physical, team-first defenseman who is tough to play against, which is exactly the kind of mentality we want our team to possess.
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Originally drafted by San Jose in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft (first round, third overall), Stuart immediately made the jump to the NHL for the Sharks. The Rocky Mountain House, Alberta native posted 36 points (ten goals, 26 assists) in 82 games as a 20-year-old rookie, becoming the first Sharks defenseman to be named to the NHL All-Rookie Team and finishing second in Calder Memorial Trophy voting as the NHLs top rookie.
The six-foot-two, 215-pounder played in 377 games with San Jose between 1999 and 2005, posting 153 points (36 goals, 117 assists). He was traded to Boston along with Marco Sturm and Wayne Primeau in exchange for current Sharks captain Joe Thornton on Nov. 30, 2005.
Murray, signed by San Jose as a free agent on July 19, 2011, played in 39 games with the Sharks last season, posting four points (one goal, three assists).
Courtesy San Jose Sharks media services