Ducks lead after one period; find some cap room
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Highlights-at-11 goals by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry allowed the Ducks to take a 2-1 lead over the Minnesota Wild after one period. A little maneuvering during the day gave them a little salary-cap breathing space.
The Ducks traded Brian Sutherby to the Dallas Stars for David McIntyre and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2010. With McIntyre still playing at Colgate, the Ducks were able to wipe Sutherby’s contract off the books, leaving them about $1.1-million under the $56.7-million salary cap. Here’s what General Manager Bob Murray had to say:
‘This was about cap space. There is no sense in sugarcoating it. This is the fact of life in the NHL now. This gives us a little breathing room.’
Sutherby had a one-way contract, meaning he was owed $700,000 this season whether he played in the NHL or minor leagues. He became expendable in part because of the play of center Ryan Carter in recent weeks.
‘We had too many one-way contracts,’ Murray said. ‘Someone in that group had to go.’
--Chris Foster
