Flyers Acquire Zelepukin

Looking to upgrade their speed and skill level, the Philadelphia Flyers acquired left wing Valeri Zelepukin from the Edmonton Oilers for center Daniel Lacroix.

Zelepukin, 30, split last season with the New Jersey Devils and Oilers. He had two goals and 10 points in 35 games with New Jersey, and two goals and 12 points in 33 games with Edmonton.

Flyer General Manager Bob Clarke said he has liked Zelepukin since his early days with the Devils.

“When he was in New Jersey, he was a feisty player,” Clarke said. “[The trade] gives us a little more speed and skill in the lineup.”

Zelepukin’s best seasons in the NHL came in 1992-93 and 1993-94 with New Jersey when he scored 23 and 26 goals, respectively.

A serious eye injury limited him to only four games in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season but he came back to score 14 goals in 71 games two years later.

Lacroix, 29, played in 56 games last season and had one goal and four assists with 135 penalty minutes.

Also, the Flyers assigned defenseman Chris Joseph to Cincinnati of the International Hockey League. Clarke said Russian rookie defenseman Dimitri Tertyshny will be with the Flyers when they open their season Friday night.

*

Holdout forward Jamie Langenbrunner signed a two-year deal with the Dallas Stars.

Langenbrunner, 23, had 23 goals and 29 assists with 61 penalty minutes in 81 games last season, helping Dallas accumulate a league-best 109 points.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it is likely to be a substantial raise for the blossoming goal scorer. He made only $300,000 last season and reportedly turned down an earlier offer valued at $1 million per season.

*

Brett Hull maintained his torrid preseason scoring pace with two goals, giving him five in six exhibition games, to pace the Dallas Stars to a 7-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas.