TSN.ca Staff with CP files
1/30/2006 3:17:41 PM
The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired
Doug Weight and 27-year-old Finnish forward
Erkki Rajamaki from the St. Louis Blues.
In exchange, Carolina gave to the Blues three draft picks and three players. The package includes:
- Carolina's first-round pick in 2006.
- Toronto's fourth-round pick in 2006, previously acquired by the Hurricanes.
- Chicago's fourth-round pick in 2007, previously acquired by the Hurricanes.
- Tough guy forward
Jesse Boulerice, a 27-year-old eighth-year pro
- Forward
Mike Zigomanis, a 25-year-old fifth-year pro
-
Magnus Kahnberg, 25, an unsigned Carolina draftee from Sweden who will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1
Weight is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. At this point in time, Weight is considered by both the Hurricanes and himself to be a "rental" for the balance of this season
It was important for us not to take any of our top nine forwards, or (top) defencemen or goalies out of the lineup to make a trade like this," Rutherford said. "One of the reasons you try to accumulate extra draft picks is, one, to either use that in the future to draft that player or as an asset for a deal like this.
<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><!--drop width--><tbody><tr height="8"><td>
</td></tr><tr><td> <!-- Begin Ad --> <script type="text/javascript"> if(!sops){if(p.sops){var sops=p.sops;}else{var sops="";}} if(dUnitBox==true){boxAd=true;} if(boxAd){if((!dUnitSky)||(dUnitBox)){place300x250();}} </script> <!--- End Ad --> </td></tr><tr><td> </td></tr> </tbody></table> "We had the extra picks because of the (Jeff) O'Neill trade and the (Radim) Vrbata trade. To get a quality player like Doug, you have to step up and we did by giving our first-round pick."
"When we watch at the players who were traded just at the deadline, sometimes they have a tough time adjusting to their team," Rutherford said. "There's not enough time. If we were going to do this, we wanted to do it where we had at least 30 games left. It gives him and his teammates time to fit together."
Although the Weight trade is not related to the ongoing ownership issues with the Blues, sources tell TSN it finally looks as though the franchise will be sold to a group headed by former New York Ranger executive Dave Checketts, who has been in on-again, off-again negotiations to buy the team for months now.
Sources say the deal was supposed to be finalized over the weekend, but that did not happen. Whether it's just a minor delay or yet another snag that could cause problems remains to be seen, but the sense is that Checketts' group will be able to close the deal to purchase the franchise
Weight, 35, is the Blues' leading scorer with 44 points in 47 games this season. A productive offensive centre throughout his career, Weight will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end. He's earning $5.7-million this year.
In 960 career games with the Blues, Oilers and Rangers, Weight has 235 goals and 637 assists for 872 points, adding 55 points in 68 career playoff games.
Boulerice, an enforcer, has zero points and 51 penalty minutes in 26 games this year. He has 10 points and 291 penalty minutes in 153 career games with the Flyers and Hurricanes. He's earning $501,600 this year.
Zigomanis has not been able to stick with the Hurricanes this year and has one goal in 21 NHL games, while putting up 13 points in 11 games with the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL. He has seven points in 57 career NHL games and makes $450,000.
Kahnberg, a 6-foot-2, 192-pound winger, is playing for Vastra Frolunda in Sweden He was a seventh round pick of the Hurricanes in 2000 and has 14 goals and 25 points in 37 games this season.
Rajamaki was reassigned on December 20 from Peoria in the AHL to the Espoo Blues in Finland, where he has two points and 65 penalty minutes in 12 games.
