STARS ACQUIRE HUTCHINSON
The Dallas Stars acquired defenseman Andrew Hutchinson from the Tampa Bay Lightning for winger Lauri Tukonen.
What does it give the Dallas Stars
The Stars have struggled to get consistent offensive production from their blueline this season. Former big points producer Philippe Boucher was traded recently after struggling out of the gate, and the Dallas Morning News reports team co-GM Les Jackson says Hutchinson will play for the Stars right away (especially with concerns lingering about Sergei Zubov's availability). Hutchinson has yet to make a splash at the NHL level and struggled in a brief stint this season at Tampa Bay, but last season he won the AHL's Outstanding Defenseman award after posting an impressive 64 points over 67 games for Hartford (with a plus-28 rating).
What does it give the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tukonen is a talented prospect, but his progress has been slow the past few years. After three seasons with Manchester of the AHL (in which he failed to significantly improve his scoring after Year 1), Tukonen was traded to Dallas. Now the Stars are shipping him to Tampa, and it's never a good sign for a young player when he is swapped twice in less than a year. That said, he's still young (22) and was a high draft pick (No. 11 overall in 2004) so the potential is still there. He is currently playing for Lukko Rauma in the Finnish SM-Liiga.
Fantasy impact
