Money and chemistry played key roles in trades at the NHL draft.
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher continued his post-season dumping of big salaries, sending veteran Mike Gartner to Phoenix and Dave Gagner to Calgary for players picked up in Saturday's Entry Draft.For Gartner, the Maple Leafs received Russian forward Vladimir Antipov, a fourth-round pick. For Gagner, the Maple Leafs got defenseman Mike Lankshear, who was the Flames' third-round pick.
Fletcher is picking up part of Gartner's and Gagner's salaries, $1.5 million apiece.
Earlier in the week, Fletcher sent defenseman Todd Gill to the San Jose Sharks for forward Jamie Baker. That means he has lightened his payroll by approximately $3 million.
Fletcher has plans for the money.
"We will look at free agents," he said. "There is one we are trying to sign now."
Besides having one of the highest payrolls in the NHL, Fletcher had one of the oldest teams. He's managed to attack both problem areas.
By trading Gartner, Gill and Gagner, Fletcher dumped three of his elder statesmen.
"We are a little younger," Fletcher said.
Gagner, 31, became expendable with Baker's arrival.
"And you have to remember he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season, so that also factored into our decision-making process," Fletcher said.
Phoenix GM John Paddock was looking for speed and Gartner fit the bill. He won the fastest skater contest at the NHL skills competition at the All-Star game in January.
"We were looking for some speed on the wings," Paddock said. "And we need to be a little faster."
Gartner, 36, had 35 goals and 19 assists in 82 games this season. It was the 16th time - an NHL record - he has scored more than 30 goals in a season.
Both Dallas and Pittsburgh solved some problems when they swapped defensemen, with Kevin Hatcher going to the Penguins for Sergei Zubov.
Dallas GM Bob Gainey said that Hatcher wasn't working out.
"This year was an opportunity for him to be more comfortable with us, to have last summer to prepare, to come into training camp and try to make the kind of impact on our club that we needed and we wanted," Gainey said. "When we have gone through a second disappointing season (of Hatcher) in succession, we have to look to ways either to change our team or shake up the team, which we have."
Zubov reportedly wasn't a favorite of Mario Lemieux's and Lemieux has hinted he might retire unless Pittsburgh GM Craig Patrick made some changes this summer.
Patrick said Lemieux didn't run Zubov out of town.
"It is a coincidence," Patrick said.
"We feel Kevin Hatcher gives us the same offense as Sergei Zubov gave us and he also is a more physical presence in our lineup, which we are looking to improve."
In other trades at the draft, the Ottawa Senators acquired Shawn McEachern from the Boston Bruins for Trent McCleary and a third-round pick, and Tampa Bay acquired Corey Schwab from New Jersey for Jeff Reese in a swap of backup goaltenders.