Dallas Stars acquired Ben Lovejoy from New Jersey Devils

The Dallas Stars acquired veteran Ben Lovejoy from the New Jersey Devils on Saturday in exchange for Connor Carrick and a third-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft Lovejoy, 35, had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 51 games with the Devils, and on the penalty kill, he is averaging 3:46 of ice time and has 28 blocked shots and 11 hits.

The defenseman is in the final year of a three-year contract and can become an unrestricted free agent in July. He will bring a veteran presence to a Stars team that is firmly in the mix for a Western Conference playoff spot and has a Stanley Cup (Pittsburgh, 2015-16) on his resume. "Ben is a top-end penalty killing defenseman and he brings a good mix of both physicality and mobility to our backend," Stars general manager Jim Nill said in a statement. "Getting an experienced, battle-tested player who has a track record of performing in meaningful late-season games is important for our group, and we feel that he will help balance our blueline."

Lovejoy has 99 points (20 goals, 79 points) in 524 NHL games with the Penguins, Devils and Anaheim Ducks. Carrick, a 24-year-old defenseman, tallied four points (one goal, three assists) in 14 games with the Stars this season. A fifth-round pick by Washington in the 2012 NHL Draft, he has played 181 games with the Capitals, Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs.