A major trade in the NHL today as the Boston Bruins swapped a pair of star forwards. As first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, The Bruins will get Loui Eriksson, Joe Morrow, Rielly Smith and Matt Fraser from Dallas. Meanwhile the Stars will acquire Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley, and Ryan Button from the Bruins.

In Eriksson the Bruins acquire a 27-year-old winger who scored 12 goals and 27 points in 48 games last season. The Swedish sniper was the Stars 2nd round pick (33rd overall) in the 2003 Entry Draft. He has spent his entire 7 year career with the Stars. In 501 games he has 150 goals, 207 assists and 257 points in his NHL career. Four times Eriksson has scored more than 25 goals in a season, and in his best year potted 36 in 2008-09. Eriksson has three years remaining on his contract with a $4.25 million cap hit. He will be paid $4.5 million this season and $4.6 million in each of the next two seasons.

I reviewed Joe Morrow as part of my Pittsburgh Penguins Top Shelf Prospects piece last summer. You can click on the link for a detailed report. In summary though, Morrow is an offensive catalyst from the blue line who combines phenomenal skating ability with a booming slapshot and good vision and passing skills to make him a natural powerplay quarterback. He still needs time to hone his defensive game, but the Bruins are getting a very good prospect in this deal who is just 20 years old. The Stars acquired Morrow from the Penguins in the Brenden Morrow trade.

Smith is a 22 year old RW who split time between the Stars and their Texas Stars AHL affiliate last season. In 37 games in the NHL he had 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points. At the AHL level he played 45 games scoring 14 goals and 35 points.

Fraser is as 23 year old LW who has played 13 games for the Dallas Stars (12 last season). He has 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points.

In Seguin the Stars acquire a 21-year-old forward, capable of playing both centre and wing. The 2nd overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Seguin has played three years for the Bruins, helping them to win the Stanley Cup in 2010. He scored 16 goals and 32 points in 48 games last season. Overall Seguin has played 201 NHL games, totaling 56 goals, 65 assists, and 121 career points. Last summer, Seguin signed a 6 year $34.5 million contract that begins in the 2013-14 season. His cap hit will be $5.75 million.

In Peverley the Stars acquire another versatile forward who can play both centre and wing. The 30-year-old had 6 goals and 12 points for the Bruins last season. He has two years remaining on his contract at a cap hit of $3.25 million. Peverley was also part of the 2011 Bruins Cup winning team.

Button is a 22 year old defenceman who split the year between the AHL and ECHL last season.

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Photo Credit: Dan4th Nicholas from Cambridge, MA, USA; Wiki Commons, CC