Former Dallas Stars' forward Brandon Segal found himself a home yesterday with the Chicago Blackhawks, signing a one year deal, though it is not yet known whether it's "one way" or "two way." He broke the news himself via Twitter (something we've seen more and more of this off-season) saying "I have signed with chicago. Thanks to family and friends for all the support. Thanks to the fans in dallas great city and great teammates!"
Segal was originally claimed off waivers by Dallas in February of 2010 from the Los Angeles Kings and immediately provided useful depth and a surprising scoring punch in Marc Crawford's first year here. Some of the offensive numbers were not to last, however, and being one of the very few right handed wingers on this team was not enough to keep him in prominence.
Last year he joined a rotation consisting of the Brian Sutherby's and Aaron Gagnon's of the world at the bottom of the lineup and when Jamie Langenbrunner was acquired, his two-way deal made him the odd man out and he was sent to Cedar Park. He would later be recalled to bolster a terribly injured roster but Joe Nieuwendyk's off-season moves (Ryder, Dvorak, Fiddler, Dowell) saw him out the door as more proven depth players were brought in.
He was terribly well liked in the locker room and I think he'll be missed there. As for how much time he'll see in Chicago, it remains to be seen. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed as of this time, but Second City Hockey thinks he's a long shot to make their NHL roster...
While it appears that Jamal Mayers and Dan Carcillo are penciled in as forwards 12 and 13, Segal shouldn't be ruled out for making the roster outright breaking camp. Though Mayers does possess Bowman's beloved versatility with his ability to take the occasional draw and kill penalties, Segal does have quite a few less miles on him, and is willing to play a physical game and initiate contact, something the Hawks lack, at least on paper And even if Segal is at The Rock, he'll provide some NHL experience and size that that team is sorely lacking at the moment. [Second City Hockey]
It's possible that on opening weekend, with the first two games against Chicago, they could see a former player in Dowell and Stars fans could see a former player in Segal. Which team was right to get rid of which player and sign which? Only time will tell. One man's trash is another man's treasure, as the rather crude expression goes. Certainly neither are trash.
Maybe they can trade jerseys and do this again...
With Skrastins gone to the KHL, Jason Williams signed in Pittsburgh, Aaron Gagnon signed in Winnipeg, Woywitka in Montreal, and Langenbrunner in St. Louis, former Stars center Brian Sutherby is the only regular NHLer from last year still out there looking for work.