Trades Finalized to Help Offense

The Mighty Ducks, looking to put some offense in their offense, made two trades Thursday.

They acquired right wing Patric Kjellberg, 32, from Nashville for right wing Petr Tenkrat. They also picked up right wing Sergei Krivokrasov, 27, from Minnesota for a seventh-round pick in the 2002 draft and future considerations.

So much for a youth movement.

But, then, the Ducks need immediate help. They average slightly more than two goals a game. Only Florida and Columbus average fewer.

“We were looking at the short term,” General Manager Pierre Gauthier said. “With a lot of young players on the team, we preferred to add veterans.”

The Ducks’ third line has been a black hole this season, as Coach Bryan Murray has tried several combinations and received little offensive production in return.

“You need three lines in this league,” Murray said before the trade. “We just don’t have [a third line].”

The Ducks hope the deals will solve that problem.

Kjellberg has one goal and four points this season, but had 14 goals and 45 points last season.

Krivokrasov has one goal this season, but had seven goals and 22 points last season.

“They are two established NHL forwards,” Gauthier said. “They improve our three lines. You look at the successful teams in the league and they have the seventh, eighth and ninth forwards contributing. Sergei and Patric have done that consistently in the league in the past.”

They add little to the payroll. Kjellberg is believed to be making $1 million and Krivokrasov $600,000 this season.

Both came cheap. Tenkrat, 24, had fallen from favor after creating an initial stir last season. He scored four goals in an eight-game span after being called up last December, but scored only one more the rest of the season. He had no goals when he was sent to Cincinnati on Friday.

The Ducks could no longer afford to carry a third line of non-producers, such as free agent bust German Titov. Where Titov fits in now remains to be seen. He is in the second year of a three-year, $4.6-million contract and has scored 10 goals in 82 games as a Duck.

And goals are what the Ducks (4-7-1-0) need.

TONIGHT

vs. Chicago, 7:30,

Fox Sports Net 2

Site--Arrowhead Pond.

Radio--XTRA (690).

Records--Ducks 4-7-1-0; Blackhawks 8-3-3-0.

Record vs. Chicago--(2000-01) 2-2.

Update--Defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky missed Thursday’s practice with a sore back, according to Murray. Tverdovsky has played in 302 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak in the NHL. He will play tonight, Murray said. The Ducks sent Andy McDonald to Cincinnati after acquiring Kjellberg and Krivokrasov.