After losing in the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Boston Bruins decided it was time to move on from their young forward Tyler Seguin. Though he was certainly not the reason for the Bruins falling short in their Stanley Cup quest, questions about Seguin’s commitment to the team and to his craft were raised as the young sniper struggled to perform in the postseason.

Drafted in 2010 with the second overall pick, the right-handed talisman was beginning to come in to his own. With his scoring touch apparent in his sophomore season with Boston, Seguin posted 18 goals in the 2013 season. However, a missing persons alert was sent out in the postseason as Seguin found the twine only once in the Bruin’s 22 playoff games.

There were rumors and speculation about Seguin and his potential availability in the trade market. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli fanned the flames with a very public dressing down of his young star following the Stanley Cup Final exit. Words like “maturity” and “commitment” were tossed around adding to speculation that Boston was shopping the 20-year old (at the time).

After signing him to a six year-$34.5 million extension in September 2012, the Bruins decided less than a year later to trade Seguin, Rich Peverley and Ryan Button to the Dallas Stars for Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, Joe Morrow and Matt Fraser. It was the mid-summer blockbuster that everyone wants but rarely gets. Seguin and Eriksson were the centerpiece of the deal, basically an exchange of goal scorers, with Boston receiving the more polished, mature Swede in Eriksson.

It was a welcome change of scenery for the embattled Seguin, who at 21 was chronologically entering the prime of his career. So far this season, the Stars look like they have made the right decision with Seguin producing the numbers he was expected to put up in Boston. Through 33 games in his new Dallas green, Seguin has 18 goals and 17 assists.

Back in Boston, Eriksson has received two concussions while posting only five goals and 14 points in 26 games. Smith meanwhile has been busy in Boston, scoring 11 goals while adding 14 helpers playing in all 35 games. On the surface it appeared that Dallas has made out better, but the X-factor in the trade has been Smith. A 2009 draft pick with only 40 NHL games to his credit before this season, Smith has been a revelation for the Bruins.

While he is hardly the flashy, glamour boy that the first-round pick Seguin was, the gritty 69th overall draft pick in 2009 seems to excel in the Boston style of play. It certainly isn’t fair to expect Smith to step in to the void left by the injured Eriksson, but he seems to have done exactly that, projecting to an Eriksson-esque 25 goals and 32 assists over a full 82 game season.

It is still only December and there is plenty of hockey to play, but it looks like the once-troubled Tyler Seguin has found a home in Big “D”. On pace for career highs in every offensive category, it looks like something, possibly a former employer, has gotten through to the talented player. Boston may be sitting higher in the standings now, and probably again in April, when it matters the most, but it’s looking like the Stars have gotten the better of their deal.