Hockey Trade Rumors Don’t Make Sense

An open letter to Pierre Gauthier and Dave Taylor:

The recent trade rumors swirling around the Ducks and Kings have me believing you gentlemen have suffered some sort of head trauma. Allow me to assist in regaining your faculties.

Pierre, breaking up what is arguably the best tandem in the NHL will not solve your offensive woes; having Craig Hartsburg adjust his “system” to take full advantage of Selanne and Kariya will. You don’t turn your thoroughbreds into plow horses. Work on getting better play from (or better players for) your second and third lines.

Dave, trading your top free agent or some of your young defensemen for an aged, injury-prone, Hasek (who will probably retire or turn free agent at the end of the season) is not an improvement. Haven’t the Kings been down this road before? Your stars are healthy again. Have Andy Murray simply return the team to the early-season system of sound, fundamental hockey from which they’ve obviously strayed.

Should any of these trade thoughts recur, please reread this letter, take two aspirin and lie down until such thoughts go away.

MATTHEW L. DADAY

Rowland Heights

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Regarding Randy Harvey’s comments Tuesday about Gretzky, et al, passing the torch to Kariya, Jagr and company, I don’t get it. He says it would mean more to the future if Kariya, Jagr, Lindros and Bure had won more than two Stanley Cups versus the 10 won by the former group.

If they had won more, there would be no torch to pass. They would already have it.

GREGORY P. WILLIAMS

Long Beach