Kings Sign Brad Stuart

[blackngold]

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent defenseman Brad Stuart, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today.

Stuart, 27, has played seven NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames, the Boston Bruins and the San Jose Sharks. In 507 career regular season games, he has 206 points (53-153=206), 303 penalty minutes and a plus-11 rating. In 52 career playoff games, he has 12 points (3-9=12) and 33 penalty minutes.

This past season, Stuart played with both Calgary and Boston, and he recorded 22 points (7-15=22) and 44 penalty minutes while skating in 75 games. He had 17 points (7-10=17) and 26 penalty minutes in 48 games with Boston, and he recorded his 200th NHL point with a goal versus Pittsburgh on January 18, 2007. He was traded to Calgary along with center Wayne Primeau in exchange for defenseman Andrew Ference and right wing Chuck Kobasew on February 10, 2007, and in 27 games with the Flames, he recorded five points (0-5=5), 18 penalty minutes and a plus-12 rating.

Stuart also recorded one point (0-1=1) and six penalty minutes in six Stanley Cup playoff games with Calgary this past postseason.

Stuart established new career highs for goals (12), assists (31) and points (43) while skating with both San Jose and Boston in 2005-06. The 6-2, 213-pound native of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, began his NHL career with the Sharks in 1999-2000, where he led all defensemen in scoring, finished second in voting for the Calder Trophy (given to the league’s Rookie of the Year) and was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team. Stuart was originally selected by the Sharks in the first-round (3rd overall) in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

Internationally, Stuart has played for his native Canada at the World Championships in 2006 and 2001, and at the World Junior Championships in 1999 (silver medal).

Prior to turning pro, Stuart played three seasons with Regina and Calgary of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and collected 175 points (53-122=175) and 241 penalty minutes in 188 career games. He was named the Canadian Major Junior Defenseman of the Year and a Canadian Major Junior First Team All-Star while leading Calgary to a WHL championship in 1999.

[blackngold]

very good price for the kings in my opinion, i thought he was gonna demand around 5 mil

[peacemaker]

The Kings have made some very nice moves thus far. Couple that with some stellar moves at the deadline, and they should be a MUCH imporved team next season....

[Snipes19]

Good god! The Kings have made SEVERAL great signings so far in free agency. This is definitely a team to look out for. IMO they are in the top 3 for best offseasons at this point. I would consider LA serious playoff contenders now!

Their defense will be SICK. Blake, Visnovsky, Preissing, Stuart, Miller, and Johnson. There's a top 5 defense in this league.

Their offense is looking solid as well. Handzus, Nagy, Calder, Kopitar, Frolov, Brown, Cammellari.

Good things are on the horizon for Kings fans. They have a lot to look forward to with all of these great FA signings. Props to Lombardi and the Kings onwership!

[peacemaker]

Originally Posted by Wes McSnipes

Good god! The Kings have made SEVERAL great signings so far in free agency. This is definitely a team to look out for. IMO they are in the top 3 for best offseasons at this point. I would consider LA serious playoff contenders now!

Their defense will be SICK. Blake, Visnovsky, Preissing, Stuart, Miller, and Johnson. There's a top 5 defense in this league.

Their offense is looking solid as well. Handzus, Nagy, Calder, Kopitar, Frolov, Brown, Cammellari.

Good things are on the horizon for Kings fans. They have a lot to look forward to with all of these great FA signings. Props to Lombardi and the Kings onwership!

I would say they have had the best off season thus far, but goaltending is a BIG weak spot for them...
Goaltending, in a very tight WEST, will make the difference between the teams that will watch hockey next spring, and the ones that will still be playing.
I am guessing Lombardi has something in the works though. He is a very astute hockey man, and he would not acquire all of these players without a goalie to stop pucks...
Unless of course he thinks Cloutier will have a 'breakout' season

[Clutchngrab]

Their defense will be SICK. Blake, Visnovsky, Preissing, Stuart, Miller, and Johnson. There's a top 5 defense in this league.

Their offense is looking solid as well. Handzus, Nagy, Calder, Kopitar, Frolov, Brown, Cammellari.

Stuart 3.5 million is a joke. Boston couldn't wait to get rid of him, defensive liability.

Handzus did nothing for Phili when he was healthy. Big boy no heart.

Nagy is talented but inconsistent.

Calder, Horrible of late.

I like the Preissing signing and Visnovsky but don't think the Kings will improve much

I like the Kings

[canuckfan]

No surprise here, that this is where Stuart ended up - I'm kinda surprised he only signed for one year - and considering how much Hamrlik signed for in Montreal, I'm surprised he areed to "just" 3.5 million.

The Kings are looking better, but the goaltending will be their achilles heal unless they adopt an airtight defense to support the likes of Cloutier. But with Marc Crawford at the helm, that ain't gonna happen. I'm not putting in money down that they'll make the playoffs next year.

[blackngold]

Originally Posted by canuckfan

No surprise here, that this is where Stuart ended up - I'm kinda surprised he only signed for one year - and considering how much Hamrlik signed for in Montreal, I'm surprised he areed to "just" 3.5 million.

You know what I've heard that sounds agreeable is that next year there's not gonna be as many UFA top-tier defensemen as there were this summer and he figured that he's likely to get a lot more money on the free agent market next year. Possible.

[hockeyfighter20]

Originally Posted by Wes McSnipes

Good god! The Kings have made SEVERAL great signings so far in free agency. This is definitely a team to look out for. IMO they are in the top 3 for best offseasons at this point. I would consider LA serious playoff contenders now!

Their defense will be SICK. Blake, Visnovsky, Preissing, Stuart, Miller, and Johnson. There's a top 5 defense in this league.
Their offense is looking solid as well. Handzus, Nagy, Calder, Kopitar, Frolov, Brown, Cammellari.

Good things are on the horizon for Kings fans. They have a lot to look forward to with all of these great FA signings. Props to Lombardi and the Kings onwership!

yeah but the goalies are cloutier and labarbera.

[Isles4life]

Good addition to that good-looking blueline. I'm really surprised he signed for that little money with the BS contracts being tossed around.

[LAKINGSNUT]

the Kings will be much better than last year, but i see them barely belly flopping into the playoffs. a couple more moves at the deadline, and they may have a chance, but at this point they are no contender, by far.