STARS TAKE TIM THOMAS FROM FLORIDA
The Dallas Stars acquired goaltender Tim Thomas from the Florida Panthers for goaltender Dan Ellis.
What does it give the Dallas Stars
{P Kari Lehtonen} is the clear No. 1 in the Dallas nets, so it should be interesting to see how Thomas handles duties as a clear-cut backup. This is a somewhat risky move chemistry-wise for the playoff-contending Stars, but they probably have enough veteran presence in the clubhouse to handle Thomas' powerful personality. Thomas also gives Dallas options a proven winner between the pipes if Lehtonen struggles in the postseason, so this is a fairly affordable risk (especially since Thomas becomes a free agent following this season).
What does it give the Florida Panthers
Ellis has another year after this one on his low-cost contact ($900,000) and will make a solid backup for newly-anointed franchise savior {P Roberto Luongo}. The Stars clearly avoid a lot of controversy here by moving Thomas, considering his competitive history with Luongo. They don't save any money in the deal, but it will be a happier clubhouse with Ellis around instead of Thomas (which is key considering their very young nucleus).
Fantasy impact
Thomas probably gets a minor uptick in fantasy fortunes here, in that he goes to a winning team (always a key fantasy consideration with goaltenders). That said, Thomas will also become a backup, so this might even out his overall fantasy value (more quality, less quantity of starts). Ellis sees virtually not change in his fantasy value unless Luongo gets injured.
