Was Trading Brenden Dillon For Jason Demers A Good Move?
The Dallas Stars capped off a successful day that consisted of re-signing veteran and skilled center Jason Spezza to a four year extension with a bit of a surprising and unexpected move.
They finished the day off by trading away up-and-coming physical defenseman Brenden Dillon to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Jason Demers and a third-round draft pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Many took to social media for various outcries.
Most favored it, while some disagreed, and some just did not know how to feel. Well, here is the entire scoop on the trade and what each side is receiving:
Brenden Dillon, as we all know, has been a Dallas Star for the entirety of his three, going on four, year career in the NHL. He has thrived under the Stars blue line situations over the past few seasons. He’s been a fulltime member of the Dallas Stars team since he played the entire 48-game campaign in the 2012-2013 lockout season. He brought physicality and grit to a blue line that lacked these talents severely. Through his 149 NHL games, he has scored 9 goals and 17 assists and accumulated a +8 rating. Dillon improved more and more through each year and was becoming one of the greater threats in the Stars defensive arsenal.
Jason Demers is currently in his sixth year of NHL play, in which he only holds one true home just like Dillon. Demers has played solely for the San Jose Sharks through his career after being drafted in the seventh round by the organization back in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He moves the puck around very well, and is heavy on the fore check. Demers has just three assists and a -6 rating so far this season through 20 games played, and will look to gain a fresh start with the Stars.
So, now that you know who each one is, you want to know who won the trade, don’t you?
The answer is simple: both sides, but for different reasons.
The main problem both teams were experiencing was their lack of a certain handedness of a player on their defense. The Dallas Stars were in dire need of a right-handed shot while the San Jose Sharks were shopping for a lefty. Both teams filled their desires with the trade today.
But the Stars are set up for better results.
Jason Demers is currently serving the first year of a two year contract that will roughly pay him $3,400,000 a year. The Sharks will retain 35 percent of his salary and cap hit. Brenden Dillon, on the other hand, is in the middle of a one-year deal that he signed just days before the beginning of the 2014 season as an RFA. The negotiation process was difficult between the two sides, and many saw this coming offseason as the year the Stars would let him go. So, with the awaiting contract negotiation process now gone, the Stars can go back to worrying about signing others in the upcoming offseason.
Jason Demers is a right-handed shot, now giving the Dallas Stars two righties in their starting lineup. Demers will join the illustrious and savvy new Star John Klingberg as the second right-hander and will give the Stars more balance and success in moving the puck around, especially in their own zone. Demers will likely pair up with Trevor Daley on the top line, though against LA he may start on the second line due to his lack of time in Dallas.
Just two weeks ago, the Dallas Stars had six left handed defensemen on their roster, and could not seem to find a way to string together a win streak. Jim Nill has proved his brilliance once again over the past two weeks. He has now successfully traded D Sergei Gonchar in exchange for F Travis Moen, who has proven very useful since his arrival, especially to the Stars presence in front of the net. He also decided to waive D Kevin Connauton, who was eventually snagged by Columbus. Now, he has completed the trifecta with the Dillon-Demers trade. Three left-handed blue liners have exited Dallas over the past two weeks, and it is only making both parties happier and more successful for the future.
Many Stars fans will miss Brenden Dillon, including me. He was a guy who gave it all when he got out on the ice. He was also one of the nicest and classiest people you could meet off the ice. From all of us at Blackout Dallas and all Stars fans, we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors and hope he finds a new home in San Jose!
But now we get to welcome in a brand new addition. The 6-1, 195 lb. defenseman from Quebec, Canada. Welcome, the new #4 Jason Demers!
Quick note: We will get our first taste of the new era of Dallas Stars defense tomorrow night, as Jim Nill expects Jason Demers to be ready and suited up for tomorrow night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings! Let’s see what happens.
Leave your comments and questions below, and as always, thanks for reading! Go Stars.