Devils Reacquire Lemieux From Avalanche for Rolston

Claude Lemieux, a key ingredient of New Jersey’s Stanley Cup championship in 1995, was reacquired by the Devils on Wednesday night in a trade that sent forward Brian Rolston to the Colorado Avalanche.

The Devils also will have the option of trading first-round draft picks with Colorado next year and will get Colorado’s second-round pick next year.

Lemieux, a winger, is a free agent after this season. If the Devils re-sign him, they will give Colorado a third-round draft pick in 2001. If Lemieux goes elsewhere, New Jersey will keep the compensatory selection that year.

“Whenever you do something, you do it because you feel it will make your team better,” Devil General Manager Lou Lamoriello said in announcing the deal minutes before New Jersey played Montreal.

Lemieux, 34, spent the last four-plus years with Colorado.

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