Ducks Get Defensive in Trade for Veteran

The Mighty Ducks have been trying to earn a playoff spot with a defense that isn’t quite major league, so General Manager Jack Ferreira moved to shore it up Friday by acquiring veteran defenseman J.J. Daigneault from Pittsburgh for winger Garry Valk.

The Ducks have played with only two veteran defensemen and as many as three rookies after recent injuries to Dave Karpa and Ken Baumgartner--and their defense was shallow to begin with.

In Daigneault, 31, they get a proven player in his 12th NHL season, best known in Southern California for the role he played in helping Montreal win the Stanley Cup over the Kings in 1993.

Daigneault will be a free agent after the season and has appeared in 53 games for the Penguins. He has 17 points and a plus-minus rating of minus-five. He couldn’t be reached Friday night because he was trying to catch a plane to Southern California in order to arrive for today’s game against Phoenix, though it’s not certain he will play.

Daigneault is a two-way player but is more offensive than defensive, and the Ducks believe he’ll solve some of their problems getting the puck out of their own end. They also hope he’ll help a power play that has been a disappointment for most of the team’s four years.

“We needed a little more experience,” Ferreira said. “He can make the first outlet pass, and hopefully he’s someone for our power play. [But] I’ve been saying that for two years.”

In Valk, who had eight goals this season, the Ducks give up a usually dependable grinder and another player who had been with the team from its opening game in 1993. Only Guy Hebert, Joe Sacco and Bobby Dollas remain.

“That’s the one thing I really wanted to do here was to make the playoffs,” Valk said. “Now I guess I’m guaranteed to get there. I really wanted to be part of it, especially because it would be a first for this team. I felt it was really attainable this year.”

Because he has been with the team since the first season, Valk ranks high on several franchise lists. He’s third in games played with 246 behind Dollas and Sacco, and fourth in goals with 40 behind Paul Kariya, Sacco and Teemu Selanne.

“Garry’s done a good job for us,” Ferreira said. “He’s a good guy, a good character guy in the room.”

The deal came together quickly. Ferreira said he talked with Pittsburgh General Manager Craig Patrick several weeks ago, then Patrick called Friday morning and was ready to make a trade right away.

Daigneault was available in part because former Duck Fredrik Olausson is coming off injured reserve. The Ducks traded Olausson to Pittsburgh earlier this season along with center Alex Hicks in the deal that brought defenseman Dmitri Mironov to Anaheim along with Shawn Antoski.

This time, Pittsburgh was looking for a role-playing forward.

“I’m excited about it,” said Valk, who had a career-high 18 goals during the Ducks’ inaugural season but had gone 21 games without a goal before scoring the Ducks’ only goal in a 3-1 loss to the Kings on Thursday. “[The Penguins] were looking for a guy to fill the same role I do here, and they’re definitely more offensive.

“[The Ducks] needed a defenseman here. It’s going to be close. Every game is like a playoff game for them now.”

Facts and Figures:

J.J. Daigneault

Pos: Defense; Shoots: Left

Height: 5-10; Weight: 186

Age: 31; Born: Montreal

Drafted: First round (10th overall) by Vancouver in 1984.

NHL teams: Vancouver, Philadelphia, Montreal, St. Louis, Pittsburgh.

1996-97: Scored three goals with 14 assists in 53 games for the Penguins this season.

Career: Scored 46 goals with 152 assists in 691 games.