There is now enough smoke on Twitter that the fire cannot be far away: It seems as though the Stars will most likely acquire New Jersey right-winger and former Star Jamie Langenbrunner for some manner of picks, some of which might be conditional on his re-signing in Dallas.
Langenbrunner is a right handed shot that could play a third line role, or with Ribeiro and Morrow conceivably. He'll probably get penalty kill time and could see some second unit PP time after he gets worked in a little bit I would think. It's hard to say how this all fits in right now and we're still awaiting some kind of official confirmation.
For right now let's say this is a move that provides the Stars with a solid veteran and a good guy who will want to play hard after having the burdens of the New Jersey Devils this season lifted off his shoulders, but he had a great career there and will go down as much more of a Devil than a Star in the annals of NHL history.
So talk away and we'll have more on this later...
Where do you put him? Is this is a good move? Would you have waited to use this precious bit of good will from the lenders closer to the deadline to see if defense could be acquired?
And welcome back, Jamie, if indeed it is the case.
Update: It's official. Press release after the jump.
DALLAS STARS ACQUIRE RIGHT WING JAMIE LANGENBRUNNER FROM NEW JERSEY
Former Stars Forward Returns to Dallas Where He Made NHL Debut and Won His First Stanley Cup
Frisco, Tex. - Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk announced today that the NHL club has acquired right wing Jamie Langenbrunner from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a conditional third round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Langenbrunner, 35, is returning to the Stars - the team that he was drafted by (1993 second round, 35th overall) and played the first six and a half NHL seasons with (1995-2002). Now in his 14th NHL season, he has appeared in 996 career games, scoring 232 goals and 388 assists for 620 points and 776 penalty minutes. A two-time Stanley Cup Champion (Dallas 1999, New Jersey 2003), Langenbrunner's four career playoff overtime goals are tied-for-first (also Chris Drury) among active players.
"We are very excited to add Jamie to our team," said Nieuwendyk. "He fits the mold of the type of players we want on this roster - strong work ethic, tough, passionate, and hard to play against. All of our fans got to see first-hand what kind of a player Jamie is when he broke into the league in the nineties and was part of our Stanley Cup team in 1999. We are thrilled to be able to bring him back to Dallas."
The Stars enter the second half of the season this evening vs. the New York Rangers in first place in the Pacific Division with a record of 24-13-4 for 52 points.
Langenbrunner had served as New Jersey's team captain since Dec. 5, 2007. The 6-1, 205-pound winger also served as captain for Team USA at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, leading the United States to a Silver Medal with one goal and three assists in six games. Langenbrunner set a career-high in assists last season with 42 while his 61 points were the second-most of his career (his high was 69 in 2008-09). He scored his first NHL hat trick on Jan. 2, 2010, at Minnesota.
Langenbrunner spent his first eight NHL seasons in Dallas before being traded to New Jersey with Joe Nieuwendyk on March 19, 2002, in exchange for Jason Arnott, Randy McKay and a first round draft pick in 2002.