Scouting the Detroit Red Wings: Brad Stuart

August 16, 12:56 PMDetroit Red Wings ExaminerMike Mouat

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Brad Stuart

Today's profile: Brad Stuart

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 213
Birthdate: November 6, 1979 (29 years old)
Position: Defense
Shoots: Left
Uniform #: 23
Contract status: Signed through 2011-12
Salary Cap Figure: $3,750,000
Salary in 2009-10: $3,750,000

2008-09

Despite missing 14 games due to an injury to his ribs, Brad Stuart still led the Red Wings in hits with 157 in 2008-09. His 20:13 of ice time per game was fourth behind Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski and his defense partner Niklas Kronwall, and he was third in shorthanded time on ice per game with 2:49 (Lidstrom, Andreas Lilja). This was Stuart's first full season with Detroit and despite his position on the second line, his role with the Red Wings is more defensive in nature than it has been on previous teams. The injury to Lilja toward the end of the season further increased Stuart's role as a primary shut down defenseman and led to Stuart posting career lows in goals (2) assists (13) and points (15).

Since being drafted third overall by the San Jose Sharks in 1998, Stuart has been cast as an offensive defenseman, but in Detroit his offensive responsibilities have been reduced and he seems to have found the ideal role for himself. Capable of playing an offensive game (career high 43 points in 2005-06), he is the perfect foil to the more offensive minded Kronwall, and provides the safety net that allows Kronwall to take offensive risks. The Red Wings have given him the opportunity to focus on his underrated defensive game and showcase his shut-down abilities. Often in the playoffs and especially when Lidstrom was injured, Stuart led the team in ice-time, and finished second to the captain in average ice-time per game in the poast season with 24:08 per game. Also in the playoffs Stuart refound his scoring touch posting 3-6-9 total in 23 games. That being said, The Wings would benefit if Stuart were able to bounce back offensively in 2009-10 to his career average of six goals and 30 assists.  

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• Dan Cleary  Pavel Datsyuk  Kris Draper  Patrick Eaves  Jonathan Ericsson  Valtteri Filppula  Johan Franzen  Darren Helm  Tomas Holmstrom  Niklas Kronwall   Brett Lebda   Ville Leino  Nicklas Lidstrom  Andreas Lilja  Kirk Maltby  Derek Meech  Chris Osgood  Brian Rafalski  Brad Stuart  Jason Williams  Henrik Zetterberg