Dallas Stars Part Ways With Patrick Sharp In Free Agency
It was reported earlier this morning that veteran forward Patrick Sharp is heading back to the Chicago Blackhawks. Here is what the Dallas Stars are losing in his departure.
July 1 is the most bittersweet day on the NHL calendar.
On the one hand, it’s a potential time to welcome new players to your favorite team and dream about all of the great things they will do for the franchise. But it’s also a time that may include some heart-wrenching goodbyes.
Dallas Stars fans experienced both sides of the spectrum yesterday. They added some big names, but also said an emotional goodbye to veteran forward Patrick Sharp.
Late Friday night, it was reported that the Chicago Blackhawks were planning on re-signing Sharp and bringing him back to the Windy City after his two-year hiatus in Dallas. On Saturday morning, the one-year deal was finalized and Sharp was officially Chicago bound.
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Sharp was a Star for two seasons after being traded to them by the Hawks on July 10, 2015 due to a cap space crisis. The Stars gladly took him on due to their need for a right wing that could play in the top six and provide a valuable veteran experience. And over two seasons, Sharp did just that while winning over the hearts of Stars fans.
Over two years, Sharp logged 124 games and scored 28 goals along with tallying 73 points. He was a dominant presence in the first season skating on the Stars’ first and second lines. This past season was a different story due to a concussion and hip injury that required surgery, though Sharp still gave maximum effort and tried his best to fight through it all.
His energy, leadership, and effort made him a respected member of the Dallas Stars locker room, and are all reasons why the Stars considered re-signing him this offseason. But in the end, it just wasn’t in the cards.
“We talked to Patrick and talked about [him] coming back here,” Stars GM Jim Nill said yesterday. “In the end, I think Patrick wanted to get back to Chicago. His roots are in Chicago and his family said that they are going to end up making that their home. When he had the opportunity to go back there, I think it was more of a family decision.”
It’s always painful watching a beloved member of your favorite team depart for a new destination, and it’s no different with Sharp. In a poll we ran on Twitter last week, 41 percent of our followers voted that the Stars should re-sign Sharp if he was healthy, and another 25 percent voted that they should bring both Sharp and Ales Hemsky back. So basically 66 percent were on the Sharp hype train.
But they weren’t able to make it happen, and instead signed some depth forwards to take his place.
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The Dallas Stars entered yesterday’s frenzy in need of help in one particular area: the right wing. That’s part of the reason why Sharp returning would have benefited the Stars had he not wanted to go back to Chicago.
That’s not all, though. In Sharp’s departure, Dallas is actually losing quite a bit. They are losing a dedicated veteran, and that cannot be stressed enough. Sharp was an outstanding presence in the locker room, helped greatly in the development of younger players that made the NHL jump, gave his all when on the ice, and always fought for the good of the team, no matter what that required of him.
They are also losing a significant amount of experience, especially in the postseason. With Chicago in his first go-round, Sharp helped lift three Stanley Cups. That’s the kind of experience that teams savor. With his departure, the Stars’ roster now has one Cup between them all (Tyler Seguin with Boston in 2011), and the majority of the team has not made it past the second round of the playoffs.
And finally, there is his play on the ice. When healthy, Sharp can still play a valuable role in the top-six or top-nine (depending on the team’s needs) for a team and put up consistent points. He can play on either wing and be flexible throughout the lineup. That’s a great asset to have.
In the end, it’s rough losing Sharp, and not just because of his likability.
“We were lucky to have him in the organization for a couple of years and what he brought,” Nill said.
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Sharp was a first-class act in the locker room and on the ice and will definitely be missed in Victory Green next year. It will be even worse having to line up against him. But if he has found his home and is happy, Stars fans can’t really ask for much more.
Thanks, Patty. Thanks for everything.