NHL: San Jose Sharks Get Missing Piece of the Puzzle for Cheap in Mike Brown

The San Jose Sharks added an element that had been lacking on their roster Monday night when they acquired forward Mike Brown from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2014 NHL draft.

Brown gives the Sharks an enforcer, something the club did not have on their roster. In 289 career NHL games, the Northbrook, Ill., native has scored 15 goals and 26 points. The former University of Michigan star has also accumulated 591 career penalty minutes.

At 5'11" and 205, Brown is a middleweight. He is capable of dropping the gloves when called on, but he was acquired to do more than that. With both Raffi Torres and Adam Burish out of the lineup for an extended period of time, Brown will add grit to the San Jose lineup and make Team Teal tougher for opponents to play against. He is likely to join the fourth line and will see more ice time when the Sharks face a larger and more physical opponents.

General manager Doug Wilson made it clear he acquired Brown to do more than just fight. "Mike plays a speed game and fits the 'Fast, Hard and Supportive' mantra that our team wants to play with," Wilson said in a press release on the Sharks' official website. "He is a player with tremendous character, knows the Western Conference and brings a tough, physical ingredient to our lineup."

Wilson also told David Pollak of The San Jose Mercury News, "This guy can skate and he fits exactly how we want to play. We think he fits with our group. You want to have people on your team that the other team is aware of." Wilson also indicated that Brown should help on the penalty kill as well.

The cost for this short-term addition is small. San Jose gave up a fourth-round pick in the trade, which Wilson hopes will be late in the round. Meanwhile, Brown is only signed through the end of this season and carries a cap hit of only $736,667 according to CapGeek.com.

Overall, this was a low-risk deal that could pay benefits once Brown joins the Sharks for their next game in Boston later this week.

Brown's style of play should make him popular with fans at the Shark Tank. It doesn't hurt that he has one of the best mustaches in the NHL, either.