Wing Kohn Is Traded to Thrashers

Pierre Gauthier, Duck president and general manager, did more addition by subtraction Friday. Gauthier sent ineffective right wing Ladislav Kohn to the Atlanta Thrashers for defenseman Sergei Vyshedkevich and goaltender Scott Langkow.

Vyshedkevich, 26, and Langkow, 25, were immediately assigned to Cincinnati of the American Hockey League.

Kohn had only four goals and seven points in 51 games and had been scratched by Coach Guy Charron the last two games. With left wing Mike Leclerc back in the lineup after sitting out six weeks because of damaged knee cartilage, Kohn figured to be the odd man out for the rest of the season.

It’s not far-fetched to expect to soon see Vyshedkevich, who is 6 feet 1 and 195 pounds, in a Duck uniform. He had one goal and three points in 23 games for Atlanta.

Langkow has played only 20 NHL games since he was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the second round of the 1993 draft. He has a career record of 3-12-1 with a 4.33 goals-against average.

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It’s looking more and more like center Steve Rucchin will not play again this season. Rucchin, sidelined for 25 of the last 27 games after suffering a broken nose and cheekbone, was ordered to stop skating. It’s hoped staying off the ice will end the headaches, dizziness and inability to concentrate stemming from his injuries.

Rucchin, the Ducks’ top center, was injured when Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ray Bourque cross-checked him into the path of a Teemu Selanne slap shot Nov. 15.

“He’s off the ice for now,” Charron said of Rucchin, who has three goals and eight points in 16 games.

“There’s been no improvement. There’s nothing we can do, I guess. I think we should shut him down until there’s something positive to report.”