After eight-and-a-half seasons with the Sharks, he was traded to the Boston Bruins as part of a package deal for Joe Thornton in November 2005.

He signed with the Vancouver Canucks as an unrestricted free agent in July 2011, but was quickly traded to the Florida Panthers less than a month into the subsequent season.

After playing in EV Landshut's junior program in Germany, he joined the club's premier Deutsche Eishockey Liga team for the 1995–96 season.

Returning to Germany for one more season with EV Landshut, he improved to 16 goals and 43 points over 46 games, ranking fourth in team scoring.

[13] The following campaign, he recorded 28 goals and 48 points, his highest totals as a Shark, earning him a two-year contract with the team, signed on July 16, 2003.

In Sturm's absence, the Sharks qualified for the Western Conference Finals during the 2004 playoffs for the first time in team history, but lost to the Calgary Flames in six games.

Due to the NHL lockout, Sturm played the 2004–05 season back in Germany with ERC Ingolstadt of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

Returning to the Sharks as NHL play resumed for the 2005–06 season, Sturm was then traded to the Boston Bruins on November 30, 2005, along with defenceman Brad Stuart and forward Wayne Primeau for All-Star centre Joe Thornton.

With 273 points in 553 games over nearly eight-and-a-half seasons in San Jose, he left the Sharks ranked sixth in all-time team scoring.

The following month, he opted for surgery to repair his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL),[13] ending his season at 19 games, during which time he tallied 7 goals and 13 points.

During the 2010 Winter Classic, which the Bruins hosted against the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park on January 1, 2010, Sturm scored the game-winning goal in overtime.

During the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Flyers, Sturm injured his knee 21 seconds into Game 1, sidelining him for the remainder of the playoffs.

With a torn ACL and medial collateral ligament (MCL), he underwent his second knee surgery in three years and missed nearly half of the ensuing 2010–11 season due to rehabilitation.

While his recovery from knee surgery was nearly complete, Sturm was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on December 11, 2010, in exchange for future considerations.

[citation needed] On December 21, Sturm was activated from injured reserve and joined his new team wearing the #10 jersey, as his usual #16 was retired by the Kings for Hockey Hall of Fame centre Marcel Dionne.

He consulted with countryman Christian Ehrhoff, who had played defence with Vancouver for two years before signing with the Buffalo Sabres that summer.

The Canucks had been Stanley Cup finalists the previous season and Sturm later explained he believed Vancouver was his "best chance" to win a championship.

[4] General manager Mike Gillis acknowledged the risk in signing Sturm, given his two knee surgeries in the past three years.

Following the NHL lockout Sturm began the season as an unrestricted free agent before eventually signing with Kölner Haie in the Deutsche Eishockey League.