Brad Stuart

 
First UFA to switch teams: Radim Vrbata, Phoneix to Tampa Bay..

Three years, $9 million. He was making $1.225 million.

Significant because Vrbata's numbers – 27 goals, 29 assists – are very similar to Andrei Kostitsyn's. Vrbata was plus-6 on a lousy team.

•  •  • 

Corey Perry re-ups in Anaheim: Five years, $26.625 million, $5.325-million per.

Getzlaf money – and a lot more than the $494,000 Perry made last season.

•  •  •

Brad Stuart, a stay-at-home defenceman who's stayed at home in San Jose, Boston, Calgary and Los Angeles, will stay in Detroit.

Four years, $3.75 million per. A modest raise on the $3.5 million Stewart was making, but two years of no-trade with a Stanley Cup team and a great second-pair defence partner in Nik Kronwall.

•  •  •

Pascal Dupuis stays in Pittsburgh.

Three years, $4.2 million. Nice raise on $880,000.

•  •  •

Edmonton has dealt Joni Pitkonen, who has never lived up to his potential, to Carolina for Habs-killer Erik Cole, who hasn't been the same power forward since Brooks Orpik's hit from behind nearly killed him in 2006-'07.

• •  •

Rumours that Evgeni Malkin will sign an extension in Pittsburgh. Crosby money: fives years, $8.7 million per.

As in Stuart.

The Red Wings defenceman, who will become an unrestricted free agent at noon tomorrow, was the most popular Plan B option among callers to the CKAC morning show today.

They think he'd make a good number four D on the Canadiens. This was Stuart's role in Detroit, teamed with Niklas Kronwall.

A former first-round  draft choice (third overall) by San Jose in 1998, Stuart was dealt to Boston in the Joe Thornton trade.  The B ruins couldn't sign him and dealt Stuart to Calgary with Wayne Primeau for Chuck Kobasew and Andrew Ference.

Last summer Stuart signed a one-year contract with L.A. for $3.5 million. The Kings dealt him to Detroit at the deadline for draft picks. 

Other suggestions by CKAC listeners:

• Wade Redden as number four D (too expensive!)

• Markus Naslund (Interesting possibility)

• Brendan Morrison (Canadiens have enough small  centres)

• Corey Perry, a seven-year, $50 million offer sheet for Anaheim's RFA (Terrific player, but he's the future of the Ducks ... and Brian Burke would fly a 747 into the Bell Centre if Bob Gainey stole him)

• Sean Avery (you gotta be kidding!)