Fri, Jun 7, 2013 at 8:44pm

STARS TAKE A CHANCE ON GONCHAR

The Dallas Stars acquired defenseman Sergei Gonchar from the Ottawa Senators for a conditional sixth-round draft pick in 2013.

What does it give the Dallas Stars
The Stars are gambling that the veteran defenseman will choose to sign with them instead of returning to Russia, so they decided to pick up his rights early in the off-season. Gonchar is rumored to be on his way to Magnitogorsk to play for Metallurg in the KHL to finish his playing career. However, there's a chance new Stars GM Jim Nill will be able to convince him to stay in the NHL for a little while longer. He would be a solid veteran presence in Dallas.

What does it give the Ottawa Senators
The Senators may not get much here if Gonchar decides not to sign with the Stars but they weren't going to re-sign the veteran defenseman anyway, so this is a solid and no-risk move for Ottawa. Going forward, the Senators will rely more heavily on younger defensemen such as {P Patrick Wiercioch}, {P Eric Gryba} and eventually {P Cody Ceci}. Therefore, Gonchar was no longer in the team picture. So, they made an early move to get an asset for him.

Fantasy impact
Gonchar doesn't have the same fantasy appeal he once did but he could be a nice fit in Dallas if he chooses to play there. The Stars don't have a clear power-play quarterback, so he may be able to help. He's also a good mentor. However, don't expect great fantasy production from Gonchar if he plays in Dallas in 2013-14.