Sunday, July 07, 2002
Mighty Ducks acquire Sykora
Three others involved in trade with New Jersey
Enquirer staff and news services
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Petr Sykora, a 20-goal scorer the last four seasons, was among four players acquired by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Saturday night in a trade with the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky, forward Jeff Friesen and another player.
The Mighty Ducks also acquired forward Igor Pohanka, defenseman Mike Commodore and goaltender J.F. Damphousse in the seven-player deal, while New Jersey also received forward Maxim Balmochnykh.
NHL CALENDAR
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July 15 — Deadline for Group II players to enter salary arbitration and Group V players to enter free agency.
Aug. 1-15 — Salary arbitration hearings.
Aug. 17 — Final date for salary arbitration decisions.
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“This is a big trade for the Mighty Ducks,” Anaheim general manager Bryan Murray said. “We're not starting on a clean slate but a new slate. Hopefully these people will make a huge difference to the organization.”
Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said the trade has improved his team.
“We're a better team today with the acquisition of these players,” he said.
Sykora, 25, had 48 points in 73 games with the Devils last season and was a member of New Jersey's 2000 Stanley Cup championship team.
“We think he'll make a huge difference in our power plays,” Murray said. “We think he'll score 70 to 80 points for us.”
Sykora replaces Friesen in an exchange Murray said was partly due to salary restrictions.
“We did him a favor as much as anything else,” Murray said. “Jeff Friesen needs to play with people with his style of play. He was the guy with speed, it seemed we couldn't provide it for him. A lot of nights he wasn't happy out there.”
Friesen, who had 17 goals last season and has scored 168 in his eight NHL seasons, said he expected the trade, given the way the season went for him.
“The last two years were tough,” he said. “My focus got away from me, I wanted to focus on defense and winning and putting the team first. I wasn't as greedy around the net.
“I'm ready to fulfill my potential” with the Devils, he said.
Commodore has played in 57 games — 37 last season — since being picked by New Jersey in the second round of the 1999 NHL entry draft.
Damphousse, 22, was a 1997 first-round pick for New Jersey and last season appeared in his first six NHL games as a goaltender.
Pohanka, 19, played in 57 games last season with Prince Albert of the Western Hockey League.
Murray said he hopes the addition of these young players will offer a new energy for the Ducks.
“I'm trying to get together and build up a stockpile of young players that we haven't had in a few years. We've got to help the people who have been there for a while,” Murray said.
Tverdovsky, who had 32 points last season after consecutive 50-
plus seasons, was acquired by Anaheim from Phoenix in June 1999 for Travis Green and a 1999 first-round draft pick. Friesen was acquired in March 2001 from San Jose along with Steve Shields for Teemu Selanne.
Balmochnykh, a second-round pick by Anaheim in 1997, had 21 goals and 25 assists in 128 games in parts of three seasons (1999-2002) with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League.
In addition to acquiring some young players, the Ducks recently signed playmaking center Adam Oates as a free agent. The 39-year-old was traded from Washington to Philadelphia last season, finishing with 14 goals and a league-high 64 assists.
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Mighty Ducks acquire Sykora
