HABS GET VETERAN PP QB GONCHAR
The Montreal Canadiens acquired defenseman Sergei Gonchar from the Dallas Stars for winger Travis Moen.
What does it give the Montreal Canadiens
This is an intriguing deal, partly because it's the first trade by any NHL team this season. In Gonchar, the Canadiens land a veteran (he's 40 years old) blueliner with a history of performing quite admirably as a power-play quarterback. He may only play on the second PP unit in Montreal, since the Habs boast {P P.K. Subban} and {P Andrei Markov} on the first unit. Either way, Gonchar should help the team's struggling power play (and add depth along the blueline). Gonchar knows Habs coach Michel Therrien very well from their days together with the Pittsburgh Penguins, so he should be a solid fit.
What does it give the Dallas Stars
The Stars received a veteran bottom-six winger with good size and plenty of playoff experience in Moen, who makes significantly less money than Gonchar (even though Dallas reportedly retained some of Gonchar's '14-15 salary). Losing Gonchar will enable the Stars to give longer looks to young defensemen {P Kevin Connauton}, {P Jamie Oleksiak} and {P John Klingberg}--though the team will need to eventually address their lack of blueline acumen. Look for Moen to play a complementary role on the fourth line in Dallas. He should help a team struggling to keep the puck out of the net.
Fantasy impact
Gonchar could end up playing more minutes in Montreal than he was getting on the Stars' third pairing. In fact, look for Gonchar to play with fellow Russian {P Alexei Emelin} and on the second power-play unit with the Habs. As for Moen, he is devoid of fantasy value at this point in his career--regardless of team or situation. The big winner after this deal could be Klingberg, a true offensive defenseman in the making. Another keeper to watch out for is current AHLer Julius Honka.
