Red Wings Sign Fabian Brunnstrom to One-Year Contract

The Detroit Red Wings announced today that they have signed right wing Fabian Brunnstrom to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay him $600,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level. He had been attending the team's training camp on a tryout basis. In 72 games last season with Texas and Toronto of the AHL, he had 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points. He last played in the NHL with the Dallas Stars during the 2009-10 season. This isn't a bad depth signing for the Red Wings, as Brunnstrom still has the potential to become a scoring forward in the NHL despite being very inconsistent and having trouble adapting to the North American brand of hockey. For the past several seasons, the Red Wings have been able to help struggling players improve their game, so the team might be able to help Brunnstrom turn his career around. This will likely be his last chance to prove himself at the NHL level, and if he can't find any consistency to his game, Brunnstrom will likely be headed back to Europe next summer.

Maple Leafs Acquire Brunnstrom from Stars for Stefanovich

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Thursday that they have acquired right wing Fabian Brunnstrom from the Dallas Stars in exchange for right wing prospect Mikhail Stefanovich. Brunnstrom, who will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer, has played the entire season in the AHL with Texas, scoring 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points in 37 games. He will report to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, and if he plays well, could be called up to play with the Maple Leafs. In 99 career NHL games, all with Dallas, he has 19 goals and 21 assists for 40 points. Stefanovich has one goal in 15 games with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL this season and has also appeared in two games with the Marlies, scoring no points. This isn't a bad depth move for the Maple Leafs, as Brunnstrom still does have the potential to become a decent scoring forward in the NHL. Perhaps a fresh start in Toronto can help him get his NHL career back on track. As for the Stars, they get a potential scoring forward in Stefanovich. While he does have the ability to score goals, he is still a few years away from seeing any NHL action, so he will continue to develop in either the AHL or possibly the KHL.

Stars Re-Sign Forward Fabian Brunnstrom

The Dallas Stars have announced that they have avoided salary arbitration with right wing Fabian Brunnstrom and re-signed him to a one-year contract worth $675,000. In 44 games last season with the Stars, he had two goals and nine assists for 11 points. He also appeared in eight games with Texas of the AHL, scoring one goal and four assists for five points. Well, this is an affordable signing for the Stars, to say the least. Brunnstrom has struggled mightily at the NHL level since joining Dallas two years ago and hasn't been able to find a lot of consistency in his game. However, he does possess good speed and plenty of offensive skill, and if he can improve his game, he could be a dangerous forward for the Stars. If he has another bad year, don't be surprised if Brunnstrom trade rumors begin to heat up, or, possibly him returning to Europe next summer.