Just 10 days after being traded to the Atlanta Thrashers, Mark Stuart has decided he enjoys his surroundings. The defenseman signed a three-year, $5.1 million extension with the team on Monday morning prior to the NHL trade deadline.
The deal comes with an average yearly value (or cap hit) of about $1.7 million. Stuart was traded to the Thrashers on February 18th by the Boston Bruins in exchange for Rich Peverley and AHL defenseman Boris Valabik. Blake Wheeler joined Stuart in Atlanta in the trade.
He's a big, physical defenseman that fits well on the Thrashers' blueline. He's a good stay-at-home presence to balance the free-wheeling offensive presence of Dustin Byfuglien and the less-than-sound defensive game of a guy like Zach Bogosian.
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