Dallas Stars win Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes, sign Swede to two-year deal
2008-05-08 16:40:00
DALLAS - The Dallas Stars have won the Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes, agreeing to terms on a two-year, entry-level deal with the Swedish forward.
The Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs were also in hot pursuit of the 23-year-old free agent, who went undrafted in the NHL.
"In the end there was no wrong decision for Fabian," his agent J.P. Barry of CAA Sports told The Canadian Press. "All the organizations were extremely professional in laying out the opportunity for him to play for their club. Dallas was involved from the beginning, and in particular (co-GM) Les Jackson did a good job overviewing the benefits of Dallas.
"When Fabian visited Dallas and got to meet everybody, including the players, he just felt it was the best overall fit for him."
Barry would not discuss financial details but it's believed the deal is worth US$875,000 in base salary and could pay up to $2.5 million a season if he reaches all of his bonuses.
Brunnstrom had 37 points (9-28) in 54 games with Farjestads of the Swedish Elite League this past season. He recently visited Dallas, Montreal and Detroit before making his decision.
hockeytwn63 (Posted 2008-05-09 18:13:40)
Well obviously the stars need him after the way they played last night. And there is no way that you can say a city is whats wrong with america. Its ignorant people who sum up the world in a few generalities and are to blind to see that they are the real problem.
GoDallasStars (Posted 2008-05-09 17:15:20)
Jenn... I wholeheartedly agree with you. It's funny how so many ex athletes who have played in Dallas ... Stay in Dallas. Really, all it is envy...bottom line. I doubt these clowns would have been saying we didn't want him before he signed with the Stars. And Voline, it's Austin'ites that make up everything that is wrong with Amerca. They are so out of touch with reality, they hate the Troops, they hate America, they hate Freedom, they Hate it all! They are the Berkley of Texas and it's a sad place to be for sure!
Jenn (Posted 2008-05-09 16:18:06)
Voline, I'm sure living in Austin for six whole years made you the undisputed expert on all things Dallas, but in the unlikely event those omniscent powers may have failed you, just a few facts from those who've actually lived in the city you scathe:
1) When our Performing Arts District is complete (IN downtown - currently under construction), we will be only city in the world to have 4 buildings designed by Pritzker Prize winning architects, the most prestigious architecture award in the world. It is predicted to be the most impressive Arts District in the country by 2010.
2) Both a W Hotel and the Ritz Carlton have recently gone into downtown. Do you think they invest in cities that "don't exist"??
3) New condominium construction is at an all time high, but I'm sure those billionare investors have no idea what they're doing.
3) The AAC center hosts the Mavericks and the Stars in downtown Dallas. Have you seen Victory Park, by any chance??
I will give you that downtown was once a small step above the Sahara, but it isn't today. Hockey may not be our most coveted sport in this city, but it is growing, and our team is growing by leaps and bounds. Maybe he wants to be a part of team with a future in a city with a future instead of one living in the past.
Caz (Posted 2008-05-09 14:23:31)
Maxime... I'm not saying that this guy will be a superstar but he has drawn comparisons to Alfredsson for being a late bloomer. Alfie wasn't drafted until his early 20's and had similar stats playing for Frolunda in the SEL. There are also lots of Swedes who were drafted late and are now stars. Just look at the Red Wings roster. If you were a GM, wouldn't you want to take a gamble on someone with that potential and who is ready to step into the lineup instead of waiting 2-3 years for an 18 year old to develop?
Lou (Posted 2008-05-09 13:18:33)
Voline I also can't beleive that he did not choose Toronto or Montreal, since he could have enjoyed that "quality of life" three extra months (April, May & June) while the teams in those other cities were still playing hockey.
Maxime (Posted 2008-05-09 11:19:05)
Who the hell is that kid? He posts average numbers, goes undrafted, is 23 (where he should be entering his prime), he didn't crack team Sweden's roster and he acts like a prima donna on his "Kiss my butt" tour, having 30 GMs drool over him. What the hell is this all about? Would i be Stamkos or Tavares, i'd retire for the draft year, go undrafted, then have all the GMs promise me the moon to play for them. Honestly, Brunnstrom could have stayed home, we don't need more Alexei Yashin.
tim (Posted 2008-05-09 00:54:02)
i think of the teams he short-listed, he will have the best chance of playing in dallas, even if he is on the third line he is playing with one of the best american born players to play the game. rebiro and richards down the middle chewing up alot of salary, he will get every chance to earn his bonuses and become a solid second line player, which i believe to be his potential( ex. dustin penner, andy mcdonald) not become a superstar like all the hype seems to indicate. stamkos is still rookie of the year
voline (Posted 2008-05-09 00:33:00)
Brunnstrom clearly didn't consider quality of life in his decision. Dallas as a City doesn't exist. It is a collection of suburbs with no city in the middle. And speaking as someone who lived in Austin for 6 years, the people in Dallas are caricatures of everything that is wrong with America. To pass up Montreal or Toronto for that ... Well, good luck kid.
Etienne (Posted 2008-05-08 23:18:22)
He chose the stars simply because they have the least depth up front. The Habs have Kovalev, Higgins and the Kostitsyn bros as wingers on the first 2 lines. Considering that Higgins is 24 and the brothers 23 and 21, he'd have a big challenge in making it to the 2nd line even without the dozen of other prospects that want the same job. Late bloomers are rare and interesting, but I'll put my money on either brother than on Brunnstrom about who's gonna have a better career.
DannyBoy (Posted 2008-05-08 20:38:33)
See ya Fabian, Another punk kid who think's playing time should be handed to him instead of earned. Who's ice time was he gonna take here in Detroit? He would of had a seat on the bus in Grand Rapid's next season if he would of signed here!!!! GO RED WING"S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CRL (Posted 2008-05-08 18:51:32)
I think he'll do well in the long run. The kid is more interested than playing than simply being on the winning team, you have to respect that.
StewHabFan (Posted 2008-05-08 18:42:53)
What's all the fuss about with this guy anyway? What did he have, 9 goals in 34 games or something? Hardly super star numbers.
dave muise (Posted 2008-05-08 18:27:46)
he wanted to go to a team where he was a single star? haha do i have to remind you guys like Brad Richards, Brendon Morrow, Mike Ribero, Mike Modano, Marty Turco, Sergei Zubov are. Im pretty sure all of those guys are super stars, and saying that he should have chose Detroit or Montreal because they are winning organizations, um im pretty sure Montreal is out of the playoffs and Dallas is still there. As for Brunstrom, who knows what kind of player he will be but if he becomes the type of player that he has been compared to then Dallas made a great signing today, and even if he doesnt reach his potential so what?, so we send him to the minors and pay him 850k big deal, i think its a great move.
John (Posted 2008-05-08 17:56:44)
I have to agree almost wholeheartedly with that sentiment. Being a Caps fan, i actually had hopes that he might come to DC to play with Backstrom and Nylander, but then I heard that he was only interviewing with Montreal, Detroit, Dallas and somewhere else, I thought to myself that he wasn't looking to find a good fit, but a team that would pay him lots of money/a team that will most likely make the playoffs with or without his help. He had no interest in going to a team that needs him.
But Dallas is fairly star-laden, really. Modano will probably stick around one more year, Ribeiro has been pretty good, they traded for Richards, who's a star only a little lower than Modano, and Turco seems like he might possibly break his playoff curse.
But is Brunnstrom really that good?
Max Glick (Posted 2008-05-08 17:17:52)
Clearly he wants to go to a team where he can be the single star. If he valued a winning organization then he would choose the Red Wings or Montreal, but all he wants is money and not a Stanley Cup. He wouldn't have room to play on the Wings. Good riddance.
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