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Maple Leafs acquire Brian Leetch

Canadian Press - 3/3/2004

TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Maple Leafs finally made their move Wednesday night, acquiring veteran defenceman Brian Leetch from the New York Rangers after losing out in the Sergei Gonchar sweepstakes.

But he didn't come cheap. While the Leafs also got a conditional draft pick, they gave up their first-round selection in this June's NHL entry draft, a second-round draft pick in 2005 as well as prospects Maxim Kondratiev and Jarko Immonen.

The 36-year-old Leetch, who was also coveted by the Dallas Stars, is an excellent puck-moving blue-liner with star offensive skills although his best years are definitely behind him. The Leafs hope he's got one more great playoff in him as the club attempts to end a 36-year Stanley Cup drought.

``Brian has been a premier defenceman in this league since first coming into the league,'' Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. said in a statement. ``We look forward to having a player with his great credentials joining our group.''

Leetch is not a rental. He's making $6.6 million this season and has another year on his contract next season paying him $6.4 million.

The pressure for Ferguson had intensified over the last 24 hours after Gonchar went to the Boston Bruins and star winger Alexei Kovalev landed with the Montreal Canadiens as the Rangers got their fire sale going. They also sent centre Peter Nedved to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday as Glen Sather picked apart a disappointing outfit.

``It's never easy to make moves of this magnitude,'' Sather said during a conference call. ``But the state that we're in now, we are obviously rebuilding and trying do what we can to make this club successful in the future.''

Earlier Wednesday, the Washington Capitals sent Gonchar to Boston for defenceman Shaone Morrisonn as well as a first- and second-round draft picks. Sather said that deal helped set the stage for the Leafs deal.

``I think that the market was really set by what happened with Gonchar,'' said Sather. ``We didn't agree with (Washington's) assessment but as we proceeded down the path we thought we did very well with the players we got and draft picks we got.

``Brian is a great player, he's a few years older than Gonchar but they're very comparable in a lot of the things they do. Brian is outstanding in his leadership and qualities on the ice, his endurance. We tried to get more than what Washington did with Gonchar.''

Toronto's other rival clubs in the Eastern Conference had also made moves in the last two months, Ottawa with Peter Bondra, Philadelphia with Sean Burke, Danny Markov and Alexei Zhamnov, the Devils with Viktor Kozlov and Tampa with Darryl Sydor.

But the Leafs finally got their man, adding a quality top-four defender to a blue-line that sorely needed it. Leetch gives Toronto a third left-handed point man on the power play along with Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe.

"Obviously he's going to make our team a lot better and help our young defencemen," said Maple Leafs winger Tie Domi on the NHL on TSN Wednesday. "More than anything, I think he's going to help our powerplay quite a bit. He's just a smooth guy and he never panics with the puck."

Leetch, a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL's top defenceman, has 13 goals and 23 assists in 57 games this season, his 16th in the NHL - all with the Rangers. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP when leading the Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup championship.

Leetch has played 1,129 career games for Rangers collecting 981 points (240 goals, 741 assists) with 525 penalty minutes. He was the Rangers' first choice, ninth overall in the 1986 entry draft.


http://www.tsn.ca

Oilers acquire Nedved and Markkanen

Canadian Press - 3/3/2004

EDMONTON (CP) - Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe signalled to his players and fans that the team isn't out of the playoff hunt yet by acquiring sniper Petr Nedved from the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

The Oilers picked up Nedved and goaltender Jussi Markkanen for forward Dwight Helminen, goalie Stephen Valiquette and a 2004 second-round pick.

Edmonton is six points behind Los Angeles for the last Western Conference playoff spot heading into action Wednesday. But the Oilers aren't giving up hope.

``These guys believe and we wanted to try to give them something that would help out,'' Lowe told reporters Wednesday.

Fans generally liked the trade, but some told sports radio talk shows that they hoped it worked out better than the deal that brought veteran Adam Oates to the Oilers earlier this year. Oates has two goals and nine assists in 43 games.

It was Lowe's first foray into the trade market but he said the club can't afford to wait for the return of forwards Mike York, Marty Reasoner and Brad Isbister and goaltender Ty Conklin from the injured ranks.

``We felt we were a little bit thin at centre ice,'' he said.

Nedved and Markkanen will join the Oilers in St. Louis in time for Thursday's game versus the Blues.

``Petr is a good guy and a good player and will fit and the price was well within our ability to step out and do something,'' Lowe said. ``We've only lost three games since Feb.1 in regulation.

``I am convinced our guys will keep playing that way.''

Lowe wouldn't comment on details of the deal, but the Rangers are expected to pick up the remainder of Nedved's $4.75-million salary for this season. He has a club option for next year at $5 million, meaning the Oilers have the choice whether to keep Nedved.

Markkanen returns to the team that traded him for unrestricted free agent Brian Leetch last summer. The Oilers received a compensatory pick from the Rangers in that deal when Leetch re-signed in New York. Lowe conceded it could wind up being the same pick they send back to New York.

But he said the Oilers needed a solid NHL backup for Salo, who appeared tired in the team's 5-4 overtime win over Phoenix on Tuesday. It was Salo's ninth consecutive game since Conklin broke his hand.

The Oilers had traded for Tyler Moss to back up Salo, but Lowe wanted Markkanen back when he learned Tuesday that Conklin's return may not be as soon as first thought.

``We probably wouldn't have done the deal without Jussi involved,'' he said.

Moss is headed to Toronto to join the Oilers farm team.

It was Lowe's third consecutive March trade deadline deal with Ranger's general manager Glen Sather, who presided over the Oilers during their glory years in the late 1980s and early 1990s when they won five Stanley Cups.

``By and large our deals with New York have worked out pretty well for both teams,'' Lowe said.

Nedved will likely be reunited with Radek Dvorak, whom the Oilers acquired from the Rangers last year.

Lowe called Nedved someone who got lost in the shuffle among the bigger names on the Rangers squad.

``We know he can still skate,'' Lowe said. ``We know he's a competitive guy.''

He said he told Nedved there's no guarantee the club will make the playoffs but they would love to have him playing playoff hockey this spring.

``He said: I hope I remember how,'' Lowe said.

The deal scuttles rumours Salo may be on his way out of town at the trade deadline, but Lowe said how his starter plays the rest of the year will determine whether he will be in an Oiler uniform next year.

Salo is in the last year of his contract, but the club has the option of picking him up another year.<

Nedved, 32, has appeared in 65 games for the Rangers this season, registering 14 goals and 17 assists.

In 478 career games with the Rangers, Nedved collected 149 goals and 202 assists for 351 points.

Markkanen, a former Oiler, has appeared in 26 games with New York this season. He posted a 8-12-1 record with a 2.56 goals against average.

Helminen, 20, has played 32 games this season for the University of Michigan Wolverines of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). He has accumulated 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points, along with four penalty minutes.

The native of Hancock, Mich., was originally Edmonton's eighth-round selection, 244th overall, in the 2002.

Valiquette, 26, has made 35 appearances with the AHL's Toronto Roadrunners this year, posting a 14-14-5 record and 2.59 GAA. He also dressed for one game with Edmonton this season.


http://www.tsn.ca

Du meinst Kovalev geht nach Montreal ! :wink:

Und Viktor Kozlov geht von den Florida Panthers zu den Devils !! Dafür kommt Christian Berglund nach Florida + ein draftround pick runde k.a.

Ein besserer Einstand geht kaum für Brian Leetch! Nach 17 Jahren im Ranger$-Trikot trug er vergangene Nacht das erste Mal ein anderes NHL-Trikot und konnte in seinen ersten NHL-spiel für die Toronto Maple Leafs gleich mal 3 Assists verbuchen und wurde 1st Star of the Game !!!

So langsam könntest du das $ -Zeichen bei den Rangers rauslassen. :wink:

" hat geschrieben:So langsam könntest du das $ -Zeichen bei den Rangers rauslassen. :wink:

Auch wenn sie es so langsam kapirt haben und ihre Payroll senken, wird das $ - Zeichen bei den Ranger$ immer drin sein, solange Glen Sather an der Macht ist...

... und jetzt verlieren sie sogar gegen Pittsburgh

" hat geschrieben:... und jetzt verlieren sie sogar gegen Pittsburgh

Hättest ruhig auch dazuschreiben können, dass es auch noch zu Hause war! Und dann gleich mit 4-7 !!!

" hat geschrieben:

" hat geschrieben:... und jetzt verlieren sie sogar gegen Pittsburgh

Hättest ruhig auch dazuschreiben können, dass es auch noch zu Hause war! Und dann gleich mit 4-7 !!!

Was will man von dem Rumpfteam noch erwarten, außerdem ist die Saison sowieso schon abgehackt. Schaut mal die vorherigen Ergebnisse gegen die Penguins an, lauter klare Siege.

Der Ausverkauf geht weiter...


Vladimir Malakhov wechselt nach Philly!

The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired defenceman Vladimir Malakhov from the New York Rangers. In exchange the Rangers receive prospect Rick Kozak of the Kamloops Blazers and a second-round draft pick.

The 35-year-old Malakhov has three goals and 15 assists in 18 games with the Rangers this season.

Malakhov, who was originally drafted by the New York Islanders in the 10th round (191st overall) in 1989, made his NHL debut in 1992-93.

In 1994-95, the smooth skating blueliner was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens, where he spent five full seasons. The New Jersey Devils acquired Malakhov for their Stanley Cup run in 1999-2000 and he chipped in with one goal and four assists in 23 games.

The following summer, Malakhov signed with the Rangers as an unrestricted free agent.

Over his 11-year NHL career, Malakhov has scored 82 goals and added 254 assists for 336 points in 667 games.


http://www.tsn.ca

Was geht denn mit den NYR ab ?

Kotzt mich wenig an. Alle meine Lieblingsspieler weg.
Wie soll ich jetzt denn bei NHL04 gegen meine Kumpels bestehen ?