With slow start, Carolina receives offensive lift
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Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes moved to improve their offense Friday by acquiring Jan Hlavac and Harold Druken from the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Marek Malik and enforcer Darren Langdon.
The defending Eastern Conference champions started 5-4-1-1 this season, and general manager Jim Rutherford has been unhappy with the team's lack of scoring. The Hurricanes are averaging 2.4 goals.
"Let's not get too carried away with our first month,'' Rutherford said. "The fact of the matter is our goalie has carried this team to the record that we have. Quite frankly, I don't think our team has played very well. It's not like we're sitting here on a streak and everything is going great. It's a good time for a change.''
Rutherford said the deal had been in the works since the preseason and finally came together the last few days.
The 6-foot-5 Malik was one of just five players left on Carolina's roster from the team's days as the Hartford Whalers. The others are Ron Francis, Jeff O'Neill, Sami Kapanen and Glen Wesley.
Carolina has carried seven defensemen so far this year. Malik, who was in his eighth season with the franchise, became expendable by the development during last year's playoffs of roommate Niclas Wallin and depth in the minor leagues.
Malik played 317 career games for Carolina after being taken in the third round of the 1993 NHL draft.
"It's always hard to part with players,'' Rutherford said. "Every player here is part of this family and any time you make a trade you feel bad about having to move players out. But it's part of our game and we felt we had to get stronger in other areas and defense is where we have some depth.''
Malik shook hands with several teammates as he left the RBC Center following Friday's morning skate.
"It's weird,'' Malek said. "I'll have to close the door here. I got a chance to play in the NHL and got a chance to play in the Stanley Cup finals, and I played with a lot of great guys. There are a lot of things going on in my head right now.''
Langdon's move to Vancouver made sense since the Canucks are looking to get tougher and Jesse Boulerice made the Carolina roster out of training camp, meaning the Hurricanes were stuck with two enforcers.
Langdon came to Carolina in a 2000 trade with the New York Rangers.
Carolina will be Hlavac's fourth team in four years. The 28th overall pick in the 1995 draft by the New York Islanders has 139 points in 232 career games. His best season was with the Rangers in 2000-01 when he scored 28 goals and had 36 assists.
Druken, a second-round pick in the '97 draft, has played in just 118 NHL games, scoring 27 goals and adding 29 assists.
"In some ways we hope this will be a spark, bringing in some new guys,'' Carolina coach Paul Maurice said. "If anything, it kind of puts a stamp on the fact that this is a new year, we are moving past last season. We've made some decisions to go forward.''
Rutherford said Hlavac and Druken likely won't join the team for five days while their immigration status is cleared. The GM said he doesn't plan any callups before the two new players arrive.
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Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes moved to improve their offense Friday by acquiring Jan Hlavac and Harold Druken from the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Marek Malik and enforcer Darren Langdon.
The defending Eastern Conference champions started 5-4-1-1 this season, and general manager Jim Rutherford has been unhappy with the team's lack of scoring. The Hurricanes are averaging 2.4 goals.
"Let's not get too carried away with our first month,'' Rutherford said. "The fact of the matter is our goalie has carried this team to the record that we have. Quite frankly, I don't think our team has played very well. It's not like we're sitting here on a streak and everything is going great. It's a good time for a change.''
Rutherford said the deal had been in the works since the preseason and finally came together the last few days.
The 6-foot-5 Malik was one of just five players left on Carolina's roster from the team's days as the Hartford Whalers. The others are Ron Francis, Jeff O'Neill, Sami Kapanen and Glen Wesley.
Carolina has carried seven defensemen so far this year. Malik, who was in his eighth season with the franchise, became expendable by the development during last year's playoffs of roommate Niclas Wallin and depth in the minor leagues.
Malik played 317 career games for Carolina after being taken in the third round of the 1993 NHL draft.
"It's always hard to part with players,'' Rutherford said. "Every player here is part of this family and any time you make a trade you feel bad about having to move players out. But it's part of our game and we felt we had to get stronger in other areas and defense is where we have some depth.''
Malik shook hands with several teammates as he left the RBC Center following Friday's morning skate.
"It's weird,'' Malek said. "I'll have to close the door here. I got a chance to play in the NHL and got a chance to play in the Stanley Cup finals, and I played with a lot of great guys. There are a lot of things going on in my head right now.''
Langdon's move to Vancouver made sense since the Canucks are looking to get tougher and Jesse Boulerice made the Carolina roster out of training camp, meaning the Hurricanes were stuck with two enforcers.
Langdon came to Carolina in a 2000 trade with the New York Rangers.
Carolina will be Hlavac's fourth team in four years. The 28th overall pick in the 1995 draft by the New York Islanders has 139 points in 232 career games. His best season was with the Rangers in 2000-01 when he scored 28 goals and had 36 assists.
Druken, a second-round pick in the '97 draft, has played in just 118 NHL games, scoring 27 goals and adding 29 assists.
"In some ways we hope this will be a spark, bringing in some new guys,'' Carolina coach Paul Maurice said. "If anything, it kind of puts a stamp on the fact that this is a new year, we are moving past last season. We've made some decisions to go forward.''
Rutherford said Hlavac and Druken likely won't join the team for five days while their immigration status is cleared. The GM said he doesn't plan any callups before the two new players arrive.
