| | EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Right wing Claude Lemieux, who helped the New Jersey Devils win the Stanley Cup in 1995 before leaving amid a salary dispute, was reacquired Wednesday from the Colorado Avalanche for speedy left wing Brian Rolston.
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MORRISON WANTS OUT
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Devils forward Brendan Morrision went public on Wednesday with his desire to be traded. Morrison was a contract holdout before recently signing a one-year, $500,000 contract. He remains bitter about the process.
Ironically, the last Devils player to ask for a trade in the same manner was John MacLean, who was traded less than a week later. It was Morrison who received the call from the minors to replace him.
"If that was his motive, it doesn't mean the results will be the same. Every situation is unique," GM Lou Lamoriello told The Newark Star-Ledger. "No player will determine when they are traded or where they are traded." |
The Devils also obtained a 2000 second-round pick and the option of swapping first-round picks with Colorado.
Lemieux is a free agent after this season. If the Devils re-sign
him, they will give Colorado a third-round draft pick in 2001. If
Lemieux goes elsewhere, New Jersey will keep the compensatory selection that year.
"Whenever you do something, you do it because you feel it will
make your team better," Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said
in announcing the deal minutes before New Jersey was to play Montreal.
Lamoriello said the Devils have so many young players they were
bound to lose some in next year's expansion draft that will stock
Minnesota and Columbus with players, so it was better to make the move.
What makes Lemieux so desirable is that he has always raised his game in the playoffs, in which he has 76 career goals in 198 games. Lemieux is a proven playoff performer, something New Jersey has lacked since he was traded to the Avalanche as part of a three-team deal just before the 1995-96 season. That trade came only three months after Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Since then, the Devils have won just one playoff series, failing to get past the first round each of the past two seasons as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
|  | | Claude Lemieux returns to New Jersey, where he picked up the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1995. |
"I have talked to Claude and he is delighted about coming back," Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said.
Lemieux, 34, was tied for fifth on the Avalanche in scoring with three goals and six assists in 13 games. Last season, he had 27 goals, 24 assists and 102 penalty minutes while playing all 82 games. He led the team with eight game-winning goals and was second with 11 power-play tallies.
"I had an outstanding relationship in a tremendous sports town," Lemieux said during a news conference in Denver. "I have no complaints with my time here. I guess they have decided to go in another direction.
"I totally understand the situation they're in with the salary structure. They made the decision to go the route they're going and if I felt sorry for myself, I could say I'm paying the price for that decision.
"But I've never been the type of person to feel sorry for myself, and I'm looking forward to the move."
Lemieux's salary is reportedly $2.4 million a year, about $1 million more than Rolston.
"I was surprised that New Jersey showed interest," said Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix. "New Jersey was
willing to pay. It was a clear-cut situation that they wanted Claude back."
In Rolston, Colorado gets a versatile forward who is one of the
NHL's best skaters. He has played the point on the power play,
is an exceptional penalty-killer and is eight years younger than Lemieux.
"He is eight years younger, so he has yet to reach Claude's
status," Lacroix said. "It is a clear-cut situation. Claude is
getting older and understands. He sees the (Milan) Hejduks,
(Chris) Drurys and (Alex) Tanguays coming in demanding more ice time. He is very professional."
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| Rolston |
A 1991 first-round draft pick, 11th overall, Rolston has three goals and an assist in 11 games. He is coming off the finest season of his five-year career, totaling 24 goals and 33 assists while playing all 82 games. He has appeared in 239 games over the past three seasons, scoring 58 goals.
"The unfortunate thing is when you have a player like Brian
Rolston for the number of years we've had. It's a very difficult
thing to do because he is a quality player and quality individual.
But we felt we had some players of that style and we needed a different type of player."
Lemieux played five seasons in New Jersey, scoring 125 goals. His best year was in 1991-92 when had 41 goals and 27 assists. He had 13 goals and three assists in the Devils' '95 Stanley Cup run.
While disappointed leaving his friends, Rolston was happy to be
heading to Colorado.
"If I wanted to be traded that would be the top team I wanted
to be traded to," Rolston said.
Rolston, one of the best skaters on the team, didn't find out
about the trade until 15 minutes before the opening faceoff.
"I really do think I needed a fresh start," he added. "I was
kind of coined as a defensive player here and I didn't think that
would change. Colorado's style of play is going to suit me." | |
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