Ducks Continue Wheeling, Dealing

Another day, another deal for the Mighty Ducks, who have halted their off-season inertia with a series of significant trades and signings since failing to advance to the Stanley Cup playoffs in April.

Actually, there were two deals for the Ducks on Monday. They acquired hard-nosed defenseman Patrick Traverse from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for minor-league defenseman Joel Kwiatkowski only hours before a noon trade deadline. They also sent winger Ed Ward to the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils for a seventh-round pick in the 2001 draft.

The trades were the Ducks’ second and third in three days, moves prompted by concerns about the upcoming expansion draft.

Ottawa decided it could not protect Traverse and dealt with the Ducks rather than lose him without gaining something in return. The Ducks did not plan to protect Ward. Saturday, the Calgary Flames sent backup goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere to Anaheim for a second-round draft pick.

Twenty-six teams (recent expansion teams Atlanta and Nashville are exempt) can protect up to one goaltender, five defensemen and nine forwards or two goalies, three defensemen and seven forwards. The lists of protected players were submitted to the NHL office Monday and will be released today.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild will each select 26 players June 23 in Calgary.

“These were opportunities that usually don’t happen but did because of expansion,” said Pierre Gauthier, Duck president and general manager. “We were very aggressive. We played general manager of the other clubs and put ourselves in their shoes and determined who they would protect and wouldn’t protect.”

Gauthier indicated Giguere and Traverse were on his list of protected players, but he refused further comment.

“It’s all speculation at this point,” Gauthier said. “You’ll find out [today].”

Traverse, 6 feet 4 and 200 pounds, had a breakthrough season with the Senators, scoring six goals and 23 points in 66 games in 1999-2000.

Kwiatkowski toiled exclusively in the minors last season and didn’t appear to be a part of the Ducks’ plans for 2000-01. He had four goals and 26 points in 70 games for Cincinnati of the American Hockey League.

Gauthier has made it clear in the past that he’s not a fan of signing unrestricted free agents to fat “retirement” contracts, as he calls them. However, since April, Gauthier proved he is willing to upgrade the roster through trades.

Taken individually, Gauthier’s moves aren’t all that impressive. Only when grouped together do they indicate his desire to improve the club after a last-place finish in the Pacific Division.

He recently agreed to terms with Finnish rookie defenseman Antti-Jussi Niemi. Gauthier also traded unsigned defenseman Stephen Peat to the Washington Capitals for a fourth-round draft pick.

Gauthier also traded the rights to center Espen Knutsen to Columbus for a fourth-round pick in the 2001 draft, sent unsigned right wing Trent Hunter to the New York Islanders for a fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft and signed Czech right wing Petr Tenkrat, who was playing in Finland.

In April, he signed free-agent center Andy McDonald, a Hobey Baker finalist who had 25 goals and 58 points for Colgate last season.

“We had our organizational meetings at the end of the year,” Gauthier said. “We’re not coming back with the same team. We’re now in the active phase. It’s only the beginning.”