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LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Kings traded defenseman
Mattias Norstrom, right wing Konstantin Pushkarev and two draft
picks to the Dallas Stars for defenseman Jaroslav Modry and three
draft choices Tuesday.
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Mattias Norstrom |  Defense
Los Angeles Kings
Profile | | 2007 SEASON STATISTICS | | GM | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | | 62 | 2 | 7 | 9 | -20 | 40 |
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The moves were the latest in a series by general manager Dean
Lombardi to unload players before Tuesday's trade deadline as part
of his efforts to rebuild the slumping Kings, who will not make the
playoffs this season. Norstrom, the Kings captain since 2002, is the team's career
leader in games played among defensemen with 780. He has two goals,
seven assists and 40 penalty minutes in 62 games this season.
"Mattias solidifies our defensive group and also adds character
and veteran leadership to our locker room," Stars general manager
Doug Armstrong said. "We look for him to make an immediate impact
on this hockey club as we push towards the playoffs."
In separate trades, the Kings acquired defenseman Jamie Heward
from the Washington Capitals for a conditional fifth-round pick in
2008, and they sent little-used forward Jason Ward to Tampa Bay for
a fifth-round pick in 2007.
Heward has four goals, 12 assists and 27 penalty minutes in 52
games. Ward had an assist and four penalty minutes in seven games.
Tuesday's deals were the Kings' sixth in a month. In January,
Craig Conroy was shipped to Calgary for center Jamie Lundmark along
with a fourth-round draft pick in 2007 and a second-round pick in
2008. Earlier this month, Sean Avery went to the New York Rangers
for Ward, plus two prospects. On Monday, Brent Sopel was traded to
Vancouver for conditional second- and fourth-round picks.
Modry will begin his second stint with the Kings, where he
played from 1996-2004. He was an All-Star with the team in 2002.
He has one goal, nine assists and 32 penalty minutes in 57 games
with the Stars this season. He's also played for Atlanta, Ottawa
and New Jersey during his 12-year NHL career.
The Kings also acquired the rights to Johan Fransson from the
Stars. The 22-year-old defenseman has an assist and two penalty
minutes in six games with Assat Pori of the Finnish League this
season. He played 140 games for Lulea HF of the Swedish Elite
League from 2002-06.
"Like with most trades, this was a very difficult decision to
make," Lombardi said. "Matty has been a tremendous player for
this club for a number of a years and he has been a very respected
captain as well. The ability, however, to get two high draft picks
will be of great benefit for our organization as we move forward
and help build our reserve list and team."
Fransson was drafted in the second round by the Stars in the
2004 NHL entry draft. He played for Sweden in the 2005 and 2006
world junior championships.
Pushkarev has two goals, two assists and eight penalty minutes
in 16 games with the Kings. The 22-year-old defenseman also has
played in 35 games with Manchester of the AHL this season.
The Kings will get three draft picks from the Stars -- a
first-rounder in 2008, and picks in the second and third rounds in
2007.
Dallas will receive a third- and fourth-round picks in the 2007
draft from the Kings.
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