By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter: @NSimmz
Hundreds of National Hockey League players have donned the Boston Bruins iconic “Spoked B” throughout the team’s one-hundred-year history. Every Bruin alumni followed a different path in their career that led them to the Black & Gold. Whether they were fresh-faced draft picks, free-agent signings, or trade acquisitions, they all had a unique story and value to bring to the team. However, there are few players with brief tenure in Boston whose names are as deeply ingrained in Bruins lore because of one trade, like Brad Stuart.
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Stuart was drafted third overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1998 draft and debuted at the start of the 1999-’00 season. He made an immediate impact with the Sharks from the back end, playing in all 82 regular season games, scoring 36 points, making the All-Rookie team, and finishing second in Calder Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year. In the playoffs, Stuart and the eighth-seeded Sharks stunned the President’s Trophy-winning St Louis Blues in the first round before being eliminated by the Dallas Stars.
Stuart would become a fixture on the Sharks’ blueline over the next four seasons as the team evolved from plucky underdogs to bonafide Stanley Cup contenders. 2003-04 would be his high mark with the team, as he recorded a then-career-high 39 points, and San Jose made its first Conference Finals appearance. However, as clutch goalscoring had become a recurring issue for the Sharks in the playoffs, GM Doug Wilson traded Stuart in a blockbuster deal that sent shockwaves across the NHL. Stuart, Marco Sturm, and Wayne Primeau were dealt to the Boston Bruins in exchange for their captain and former #1 overall pick, Joe Thornton.
The trade immediately landed into the halls of Boston sports infamy for what was deemed an underwhelming return. For better or for worse, the three new Bruins’ names would forever be tied to this trade. Despite the initial backlash to the method of his arrival, Stuart performed well in Boston as one of their top all-around defensemen. After starting the season with 12 points in 23 games with San Jose, Stuart recorded 31 points in 55 games with the Bruins, combining for a new career-high 43 points while generating highlights with some big-time physical play.
Despite Stuart’s individual success, the Bruins were in full-blown rebuild mode after dealing Thornton and missed the playoffs after the season. The following year, with the Bruins again well behind the race and Stuart playing on an expiring contract with no intention to extend, he would be traded to Calgary for Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew. As much as Stuart’s memory in Boston would be bound to the Thornton trade, he indirectly helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup four years later, thanks to this deal.
Following his rental experience in Calgary, Stuart signed with the LA Kings and then found himself on the move again at the deadline, this time to the President’s Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings. Stuart immediately slotted into the Red Wing defense with Niklas Kronwall and never looked back. Detroit would storm through the Stanley Cup playoffs, losing just six total games en route to the championship.
Following the title, Stuart signed an extension with Detroit, finally securing stability in his career after playing on his fifth team in three seasons. Stuart and the Wings would qualify for the playoffs in each of his four full seasons with the team, including having a repeat championship bid denied by Crosby and the Penguins in seven games
At the tail end of his deal with Detroit, Stuart’s negotiating rights were dealt to his original club, the San Jose Sharks. Now a grizzled veteran, Stuart played more of a depth defense role with San Jose and was not relied upon to generate offense, only recording 17 points in 109 games. His second stint ended rather abruptly when the Sharks stunningly blew a 3-0 series lead to the LA Kings in the Stanley Cup playoffs. With the San Jose front office intent on getting younger in the offseason, Stuart and several other veterans were dealt in a roster shakeup.
Stuart was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche, with whom he played his 1,000th game during the 2014-15 season. The following year, Stuart suffered a season-ending back injury just six games into the season and would have his contract bought out that summer, effectively sending him into retirement.
All told, Stuart played in 1,056 NHL games over a 16-year career, scoring 80 goals and 355 points and winning a Stanley Cup in 2008. While his time in Boston is tied to some very dark days for the franchise, he contributed well as a player and helped bring in a key piece to the Cup-winning team on his way out.
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