Its difficult to retain your top talent. Sometimes there's not enough room on the roster, or there's not enough money to give to everybody. Someone inevitably becomes a casualty. The Dallas Stars latest casualty was Mike Ribeiro last week, but they may have been able to find someone with a bit of tread left in those old tires.
News from the Dallas Stars twitter feed, the Stars signed 40-year-old Ray Whitney to a two year deal worth $9 million total.
BREAKING: The Dallas Stars have signed forward Ray Whitney to a two-year contract. Details to follow.
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) July 1, 2012
Whitney, a member of the Phoenix Coyotes last season, scored 77 points on his squad's run to the Western Conference Finals. This will be Whitney's eighth stop in the NHL, as his NHL passport has stamps in San Jose, Florida, Columbus, Edmonton, Detroit, Carolina, Phoenix, and now Dallas for the next two years.
The Stars needed some scoring punch, and this might not be the last deal for them. The Stars are still targeting players like Zach Parise but it remains to be seen if GM Joe Nieuwendyk will make a big move.
To discuss the 2012 Dallas Stars draft class, head over to Defending Big D and join the discussion.