Here is the rest of the coverage from tonight's trade
Brian Burke Interview - Link
Official Coverage(repost)
The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired center Doug Weight, left wing Michal Birner and a seventh round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for center Andy McDonald.
“Andy McDonald has been a great contributor for us over the last few seasons, and we thank him for the tremendous work ethic and character he brought to our club,” said Executive Vice President/General Manager Brian Burke. “At the same time, we are pleased to add one of the most dynamic passers in the NHL today with Doug Weight. His production and leadership during his NHL and international career speak for themselves.”
Weight, 36 (1/21/71), scored 4-7=11 points with a +4 rating and 12 penalty minutes (PIM) in 29 games with the Blues this season. The four-time NHL All-Star (1996, 1998, 2001, 2003) has scored 4-1=5 points in his last four games.
Read the rest here - Link
OC Register Coverage
This transaction also enabled the Ducks to keep what will now become their “big four” of Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Mathieu Schneider and Francois Beauchemin together on defense. That group figures to stack up favorably with any in NHL history.
As difficult as it is to watch the departure of McDonald, who had been the team’s longest-tenured player, the move makes a lot of practical sense. Here’s wishing McDonald nothing but the best in St. Louis, where he will be reunited with former Ducks captain Paul Kariya. Those two could very well make some beautiful music together.
Read the rest here - Link
AP Coverage
Andy McDonald, a key member of the Anaheim Ducks' Stanley Cup championship team last season, was traded Friday to the St. Louis Blues for Doug Weight, Michal Birner and a seventh-round pick in next year's NHL entry draft.
McDonald, in the second year of a three-year, $10 million contract, had 27 goals and 51 assists in 82 games last season and played in his first NHL All-Star Game. He has four goals and 12 assists in 33 games this season.
The 30-year-old center played in 391 games with the Ducks after signing as a free agent before the 2000-01 season.
Read the rest here - Link
Mirtle Coverage
Well, that's not quite what I expected.
After back-to-back outstanding seasons, McDonald had struggled this year and is on pace for just 10 goals and 40 points. He was due $3.33-million both this season and next, and it's the 2008-09 figure that matters here.
As in, Weight doesn't have one.Read the rest here - Link
NHL Coverage
The Anaheim Ducks created the cap room needed to bring back All-Star defenseman Scott Niedermayer on Friday by sending center Andy McDonald to the St. Louis Blues for center Doug Weight, left wing Michal Birner and a seventh-round pick in the 2008 Entry Draft.
The trade allows the Ducks to make enough room under the cap for Niedermayer, who announced earlier this week he was returning to the Ducks after considering retirement. Anaheim would have been over the cap next season had it not shed significant salary.Read the rest here - Link
TSN Video - Link
TSN Coverage
The 36-year old centre had been struggling this season with four goals and seven assists in 29 games, however he seemed to have a breakout game this past Tuesday against his former club, the Edmonton Oilers where he scored twice and picked up an assist. In order to get the deal done, Weight waived the no-trade clause in his contract.
"It's good to be a Duck," Weight said during a conference call from his home. "It's been a strange turn of events over the past couple of days."
Read the rest here - Link
The Hockey News Coverage
There are a couple of questions you have to ask yourself when assessing the trade the Anaheim Ducks made Friday.
No. 1, are the Ducks a better team with Scott Niedermayer and Doug Weight than they were without Niedermayer and with Andy McDonald in the lineup?
No. 2, is this part of a bigger series of moves for the Ducks?
What we do know is that in order to get the tagging money they needed to get Niedermayer back into the lineup, they had to acquire a contract that was due to expire after the season. As it turns out, Weight's deal is up after this season, which gives the Ducks an additional $3.5 million in tagging room, far more than the $900,000 they needed to activate Niedermayer.Read the rest here - Link
