Ottawa, Ontario (Sports Network) - The Ottawa Senators acquired center Bryan Smolinski from the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday in exchange for defensive prospect Tim Gleason.
The 31-year-old Smolinski, who has spent portions of 11 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders and Kings, has tallied 18 goals and 20 assists in 58 games this season.
His best season came during the 1995-96 campaign with the Penguins when he lit the lamp 24 times to go along with 40 assists.
Smolinski bolsters the center rotation of an Ottawa team that is battling with the Dallas Stars for the best record in the National Hockey League.
St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - The St. Louis Blues acquired forward Valeri Bure and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft from the Florida Panthers on Tuesday in exchange for defenseman Mike Van Ryn.
Bure, the younger brother of New York sniper Pavel, has just five goals and 21 assists this season. The 28-year-old right wing has struggled through knee troubles for a better part of the season and has not lit the lamp since November 9, a span of 31 games.
Joining his fourth club since entering the league in 1994, Bure has also spent time with Montreal and Calgary. He enjoyed his best season during the 1999-00 campaign with the Flames when he netted 35 goals and 40 assists in all 82 games.
Van Ryn has tallied three assists in 20 games for the Blues this season.
Scottsdale, AZ (Sports Network) - The Phoenix Coyotes acquired center Chris Gratton and a fourth-round draft choice from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Daniel Briere and the Coyotes' third-round draft choice in 2004.
The 27-year-old Gratton joins Phoenix on the same day that the Coyotes traded disappointing right wing Tony Amonte to the Philadelphia Flyers. The 32-year- old Amonte was dealt for minor league forward Guillaume Lefebvre, a third- round pick in this year's draft (previously acquired from Atlanta) and a second-round pick in 2004.
Gratton has accumulated 15 goals and 29 assists this season, very comparable to the 13 goals and 23 assists Amonte produced in 59 games this season with Phoenix.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Gratton has recorded 161 goals and 275 assists in 756 career games. He also brings some toughness over to Phoenix as he has amassed 1,219 career penalty minutes over his career with Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Philadelphia.
Briere heads over to the Sabres after playing 68 games with the Coyotes this season. He posted 17 goals and 29 assists for the Coyotes, who he has played for in all six years of his career. He was the drafted in the first-round of the 1996 Entry Draft by Phoenix.
Buffalo, who have been suffering from financial woes, also unloaded veteran enforcer Rob Ray and captain Stu Barnes earlier Monday.
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings have acquired offensive- minded defenseman Mathieu Schneider from the Los Angeles Kings for defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov, forward Sean Avery, a 2003 first-round pick and a second- round pick in 2004.
The 33-year-old Schneider played in 65 games for the Kings this season, recording 14 goals and 29 assists. He joins the best power-play unit in the league, as Detroit scores on 23.6-percent of its man-advantages.
Schneider, who is playing in his 15th NHL season, has also spent time with Montreal, Toronto and both New York clubs. He has played in 901 regular-season games over his career, and has totaled 152 goals, 347 assists and 891 penalty minutes.
Kuznetsov, 25, had three assists and 54 penalty minutes in 53 games for Detroit this season, while the 22-year-old Avery totaled five goals, six assists and 120 penalty minutes in 39 games for the Red Wings.
The Red Wings originally picked Kuznetsov 26th overall at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, while Avery was signed by Detroit as an undrafted free agent in 1999.
On Monday, the Kings gave defenseman Aaron Miller a four-year contract extension. Financial terms of the deal were not released.
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The 31-year-old Smolinski, who has spent portions of 11 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders and Kings, has tallied 18 goals and 20 assists in 58 games this season.
His best season came during the 1995-96 campaign with the Penguins when he lit the lamp 24 times to go along with 40 assists.
Smolinski bolsters the center rotation of an Ottawa team that is battling with the Dallas Stars for the best record in the National Hockey League.
St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - The St. Louis Blues acquired forward Valeri Bure and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft from the Florida Panthers on Tuesday in exchange for defenseman Mike Van Ryn.
Bure, the younger brother of New York sniper Pavel, has just five goals and 21 assists this season. The 28-year-old right wing has struggled through knee troubles for a better part of the season and has not lit the lamp since November 9, a span of 31 games.
Joining his fourth club since entering the league in 1994, Bure has also spent time with Montreal and Calgary. He enjoyed his best season during the 1999-00 campaign with the Flames when he netted 35 goals and 40 assists in all 82 games.
Van Ryn has tallied three assists in 20 games for the Blues this season.
Scottsdale, AZ (Sports Network) - The Phoenix Coyotes acquired center Chris Gratton and a fourth-round draft choice from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Daniel Briere and the Coyotes' third-round draft choice in 2004.
The 27-year-old Gratton joins Phoenix on the same day that the Coyotes traded disappointing right wing Tony Amonte to the Philadelphia Flyers. The 32-year- old Amonte was dealt for minor league forward Guillaume Lefebvre, a third- round pick in this year's draft (previously acquired from Atlanta) and a second-round pick in 2004.
Gratton has accumulated 15 goals and 29 assists this season, very comparable to the 13 goals and 23 assists Amonte produced in 59 games this season with Phoenix.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Gratton has recorded 161 goals and 275 assists in 756 career games. He also brings some toughness over to Phoenix as he has amassed 1,219 career penalty minutes over his career with Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Philadelphia.
Briere heads over to the Sabres after playing 68 games with the Coyotes this season. He posted 17 goals and 29 assists for the Coyotes, who he has played for in all six years of his career. He was the drafted in the first-round of the 1996 Entry Draft by Phoenix.
Buffalo, who have been suffering from financial woes, also unloaded veteran enforcer Rob Ray and captain Stu Barnes earlier Monday.
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings have acquired offensive- minded defenseman Mathieu Schneider from the Los Angeles Kings for defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov, forward Sean Avery, a 2003 first-round pick and a second- round pick in 2004.
The 33-year-old Schneider played in 65 games for the Kings this season, recording 14 goals and 29 assists. He joins the best power-play unit in the league, as Detroit scores on 23.6-percent of its man-advantages.
Schneider, who is playing in his 15th NHL season, has also spent time with Montreal, Toronto and both New York clubs. He has played in 901 regular-season games over his career, and has totaled 152 goals, 347 assists and 891 penalty minutes.
Kuznetsov, 25, had three assists and 54 penalty minutes in 53 games for Detroit this season, while the 22-year-old Avery totaled five goals, six assists and 120 penalty minutes in 39 games for the Red Wings.
The Red Wings originally picked Kuznetsov 26th overall at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, while Avery was signed by Detroit as an undrafted free agent in 1999.
On Monday, the Kings gave defenseman Aaron Miller a four-year contract extension. Financial terms of the deal were not released.
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