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Brown an ex-Shark; Chicago signs center


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Brown an ex-Shark; Chicago signs center

 

By David Pollak, Mercury News

 

Curtis Brown's stint as a Shark came to an end Friday.

 

The 28-year-old center acquired from Buffalo at last spring's trade deadline signed a reported four-year, $6.8 million contract with Chicago one day after becoming an unrestricted free agent.

 

The Sharks could have retained the rights to Brown with a $1.76 million qualifying offer but chose not to. General Manager Doug Wilson indicated earlier in the week that the team was hoping to structure a contract "based on opportunity and fair market value" similar to Alyn McCauley's. McCauley will earn $1.3 million next season.

 

Wilson said Brown's departure could lead to the acquisition of an unrestricted free agent, and he didn't rule out any of three forwards the Sharks put on the open market -- Vincent Damphousse, Mike Ricci and Todd Harvey. But, the G.M. added, players in the organization, like Mark Smith, were ready to move up the depth chart.

 

Motivated by Marco Sturm's season-ending injury, the Sharks obtained Brown in a three-way trade in which they sent prospect Brad Boyes, obtained a year earlier in the Owen Nolan deal, to Boston.

 

Brown had two goals and four assists in 29 regular-season and playoff games with the Sharks. Wilson said Brown "did a great job when we needed him" and expressed no regrets.

 

"We moved Brad Boyes to acquire Curtis because it was something this team needed at the time, but it was also to give Marcel Goc the increased ice time in Cleveland," Wilson said, noting Goc's progress was reflected in his playoff contributions.

 

If Goc hadn't performed well, there might have been more urgency to sign Brown, Wilson acknowledged.

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