Sockers Complete Trade for Usiyan’s Rights

That the Sockers threw in a first-round pick along with the rights to Branko Segota, the MSL’s second all-time leading scorer, to acquire the rights to a 35-year-old forward might suggest how much Segota’s stock dropped the past few years.

The trade was completed Monday morning: Segota and the Sockers’ first choice in the 1992 draft go to St. Louis for Thompson Usiyan.

Segota has piled up 416 goals and 353 assists in his 11-year career. But his production has fallen considerably the past three seasons. In 1988-89, Segota managed 29 goals in 31 games. The next year he scored 27 in 44 games and last year he scored 26 in 33 games.

Before the 1988-89 season--and discounting his rookie season in which he played sparingly--Segota averaged 51.5 goals.

Segota suffered several injuries in the past three seasons, but always pointed to other factors for his lack of scoring.

“The only thing that was wrong with me was up here,” he told St. Louis reporters Monday, pointing to his head. “Ron Newman and I never got along. They signed me and then put me aside. They never came to me, never talked or communicated. They put demands on me that I couldn’t take and in the end they drove me away.”

Popovic offered an explanation.

“Ron Newman is a great coach,” he said. “And Branko Segota is a great player. Sometimes that is a bad mix.”

Newman, on conference call from England with reporters in San Diego, cited salary cuts as the cause of Segota’s dissatisfaction.

“Branko had taken major cuts year after year,” Newman said. “Consequently, in many ways I think he would blame a poor performance on the fact that he had taken salary cuts. I think it was very difficult for him to play in that environment. My feeling is where ever he goes, he’s going to perform much better and I think he’ll come back to be a thorn in our side.”

Segota immediately signed with the Storm. The Sockers, who now hold right of first refusal on Usiyan, have not negotiated with him.

Because Usiyan received no offers, the Sockers can sign him for $42,500, the salary he earned last season.

Usiyan likely will receive a pay hike.

Before the trade, Usiyan refused to sign with the Storm because he considered their offer of a $2,500 raise inadequate.

“All I want is something reasonable,” Usiyan said. “And I know the constraints they’re under with the salary cap being lowered again. I’m not greedy, but I did well in St. Louis last season and I want something reasonable.”

Usiyan enjoyed the best season of his career in 1990-91, scoring 64 goals and making 38 assists to finish sixth in the league in scoring.

He has accumulated 252 goals and 204 assists during his nine-year career.

“Tomo has given me enough heartaches over the past several years because he is very unpredictable,” Newman said. “He’s a very good finisher with an enormous amount of experience now. And his size (6 feet, 165 pounds) gives us something we really haven’t had a lot of in the past.”

The Sockers had been resigned to losing Segota. By trading him, they ensured getting something in return for a player who insisted he was a free agent.

The Sockers argued he was not a free agent and exercised their right of first refusal on Segota in early July. They also let it be known that no other team could out-bid them because they were prepared to give him $60,000, the maximum allowable salary.

It was apparent to both sides the dispute was bound for arbitration. The trade makes that unnecessary.

“We could have been staring at getting nothing at all for Branko,” Newman said. “Nobody knew exactly which way it was going to bounce.”

Usiyan says he is worried about joining a team that has won nine championships in 10 years.

“It’s kind of scary, kind of nerve-wracking a little bit for me to come here,” he said. “It’s a challenge for me and I hope I can fulfill it. There have been some great players there and for me to fill the shoes of (Steve) Zungul and Branko and Juli Vee and (Kaz) Deyna . . .

He didn’t finish the thought.