Stewart has seen his fair share of NHL action (71 points in 262 games) with stops in Florida, Atlanta and Carolina before joining the Kings organization. He'll give the team some organizational depth and some experience down in the AHL, but that's about it.
Stewart, a former first-round selection from 2003's draft, had less-than-desirable offensive numbers his first season with Carolina, posting nine goals and 11 assists in 77 games. The Hurricanes were probably hoping for closer to the 14 goals he grabbed with Atlanta in 2010-11. Stewart does not have the scoring potential his brother, Chris, possesses, but he can be a solid third-line player for Carolina
Stewart enjoyed a breakout season last year for Atlanta, reaching career highs in goals (14) assists (25) and games played (80). If the power forward can build off this campaign in Raleigh, then the two-year, $1.8 million dollar contract will be a great bargain for general manager Jim Rutherford and the Hurricanes.
The former first-round pick hasn't really panned out so far, earning only spot time at the NHL level over the last three years. The Panthers aren't giving up on him, though, bringing him back for another season in hopes of maturation yielding better results. The consensus seems to be that if Stewart improves his work ethic, he'll re-emerge as a prospect.
Stewart was inconsistent last season, sometimes even failing to crack the lineup in AHL Rochester. He'll have a chance to break camp with the Panthers this season, but will need to start showing improvement quickly before other prospects are given opportunities above him.
Stewart got a taste of the NHL last season, but isn't expected to see the big time again anytime soon. The Panthers have increased their depth offensively, which should afford Stewart the luxury of developing in AHL Rochester while logging significant minutes in key situations.
Stewart is similiar to Nathan Horton - a power forward selected in the first round of the draft. However, don't expect Stewart to make an immediate impact like Horton did in his rookie season. There's a decent chance Stewart will make the big club out of camp, but it will take a while for him to get used to the bigger competition. His roto value will be minimal, but remember him for the future.
