ALL VETS ARE OFF KINGS DEAL SMOLINSKI, SCHNEIDER AT DEADLINE WITH EYE ON FUTURE.Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer TAMPA, Fla. - A week after it became clear they would not make the playoffs for the first time in four years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time Kings did what they said they would do: unload veterans and look toward the future. The club traded two of their cornerstones Tuesday, sending defenseman Mathieu Schneider Mathieu Schneider (June 12, 1969) is an American professional ice hockey defenceman. He currently plays for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. Early years to Detroit and center Bryan Smolinski Bryan Smolinski (b. December 27 1971 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American ice hockey centre currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL. Playing career Smolinski grew up in suburban Northwest Ohio and played for the Michigan State Spartans. to Ottawa. In return, the Kings received center Sean Avery Sean Avery (born April 10, 1980 in Pickering, Ontario, Canada) is a professional hockey player in the National Hockey League, currently playing for the New York Rangers. He had formerly played for the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. and defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov Maxim Kuznetsov (born March 27, 1977 in Pavlodar, USSR (now Pavlodar, Kazakhstan) is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for SKA Saint Petersburg of the Russian Super League. from the Red Wings red wings see combretum platypetalum. . From the Senators, they got the rights to defenseman Tim Gleason Tim Gleason (b. January 29 1983, Clawson, Michigan) is a professional ice hockey defenceman for the Carolina Hurricanes. Gleason was drafted twenty-third overall from the Windsor Spitfires in the first round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. , Ottawa's top pick two years ago. Detroit also gave up its first-round pick in the 2003 draft and second-round pick in 2004. The Kings now have three No. 1 picks in the upcoming draft, considered the deepest in NHL NHL Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, see there history. The Kings decided Schneider - who will make $3.75 million next season - was expendable when the Kings dropped out of the race, even though he was their best player the first four months of the season. Smolinski is an unrestricted free agent who probably would not have re-signed with the Kings. ``When I was on the bus coming to the hotel, it hit me how much different this team is today than it was yesterday,'' said defenseman Aaron Miller Aaron Miller (born August 11, 1971 in Buffalo, New York) is a professional ice hockey defenseman who currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. Playing career Miller was drafted in the 5th round, 88th overall by the New York Rangers in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. , who signed a four-year, $14 million contract extension with the club Monday. ``It is very disappointing to see them go. I really thought we had something good here. I still do, but it certainly is different.'' On one of the busiest trade deadlines in NHL history, 27 of the 30 teams made deals involving 46 players and 16 draft choices. One player who was not moved was Kings high-scoring winger Ziggy Palffy, who has an option year remaining on his contract for $7.25 million. The club, which claims it will lose $8 million-$10 million this season, never actively shopped Palffy, who scored 18 of his 31 goals in the second half, but did listen to offers. ``None of that was true,'' Palffy said. ``I'm just disappointed that we lost two of our best players today.'' Schneider, 33, was traded early Tuesday before the team left for Tampa, Fla., where it opens a three-game series tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning is a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida, USA. It is a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). . Schneider is expected to be in the lineup tonight for the Stanley Cup-champion Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. in Phoenix. A native New Yorker, Schneider came to Los Angeles two years ago as a free agent at the suggestion of former captain Rob Blake, who later was traded to Colorado. The Kings' loss to Edmonton on Thursday, which all but knocked the team out of the playoff race, was Schneider's 900th career game. After an injury-plagued 2001-02 season, Schneider was having one of his best years, with 14 goals and 43 points. He was one of the league's top defensemen on the power play. The Red Wings are his sixth team in 14 seasons. ``It is very difficult to leave,'' said Schneider, a member of Montreal's Stanley Cup team that beat the Kings in 1993. ``But if there is a place to go to win, it is Detroit.'' Smolinski, who joined the Kings with Palffy four years ago in a trade with the New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, a hamlet located on Long Island in Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. , flew with the team to Tampa and will join the Senators today in Ottawa. Two seasons ago, Smolinski was the Kings' best player, scoring 29 goals and helping the club reach the second round of the playoffs. But last year, he had a career-high 30-game goal- scoring drought. Smolinski, 31, started this season slowly but had 11 of his 18 goals in the past month. ``We were never real close,'' Kings general manager Dave Taylor said. ``They were looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. three or more years, a multiyear deal. We were not prepared to go into a long-term deal with Bryan. We made that clear to him.'' The Senators selected the 20-year-old Gleason in the first round of the 2001 draft. He has seven goals and 29 assists in 42 games for Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior "A" Tier I ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20. this season. The Kings have until June 1 to sign Gleason, who will be eligible to re-enter re·en·ter also re-en·ter v. re·en·tered, re·en·ter·ing, re·en·ters v.tr. 1. To enter or come in to again. 2. To record again on a list or ledger. v.intr. the NHL draft if he's unsigned by that time. ``He's a very dynamic skater, powerful build, and plays a gritty style as a defenseman in Windsor,'' Taylor said. ``We think he has some pretty good upside and a good future.'' TWO FAR GONE The Kings made two trades before Tuesday's NHL trade deadline. A look: Kings send to Detroit: MATHIEU SCHNEIDER Age: 33 Pos: Defenseman Years Pro: 16 Kings get from Detroit: SEAN AVERY Age: 22 Pos: Center Ht./Wt.: 5-foot-105/195 pounds This season: 39 games, 5 goals, 6 assists, 11 points. MAXIM KUZNETSOV Age: 25 Pos: Defenseman Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-5/235 pounds This season: 53 games, 3 assists, 3 points, 54 penalty minutes Also: Red Wings' first-round pick in 2003 NHL draft and second-round pick in 2004 NHL draft. Kings give to Ottawa: BRYAN SMOLINSKI Age: 31 Pos: Center Years Pro: 11 Kings get from Ottawa: TIM GLEASON Age: 20 Pos: Defenseman Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-1/214 pounds Current team: Windsor Spitfires, Ontario Hockey League Note: First-round pick by Senators (23rd overall) in the 1991 NHL draft. CAPTION(S): 4 photos, 4 boxes Photo: (1 -- 3 -- color) Mathieu Schneider was traded by the Kings to Detroit for center Sean Avery, pictured top left, and defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov. Also, Bryan Smolinski was dealt to Ottawa. Edna T. Simpson/Daily News (4 -- color) MAXIM KUZNETSOV Box: (1) TWO FAR GONE (see text) (2) MATHIEU SCHNEIDER: Kings stats (3) BRYAN SMOLINSKI: Kings stats (4) KINGS vs. TAMPA BAY - Matt McHale |
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