On May 29, the Whalers acquired defenseman Brad Shaw from the Detroit Red Wings for an eighth round draft pick in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. Shaw played with the Ottawa 67's during the 1983–84 season, scoring 12 goals and 78 points in 63 games. Shaw also participated with Canada at the 1984 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he had two assists in seven games. Shaw was a fifth round draft pick for Detroit at the 1982 NHL Entry Draft.