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T.S.N. Article

Chris Pronger, the biggest name on the summer trade block is going to California.

The Anaheim Ducks have traded one roster player, one non-roster player and several conditional high-end draft picks to the Oilers in exchange for Pronger.

Pronger, 31, put up 56 points and a plus-2 rating during the 2005-2006 regular season and was a stalwart for the Oilers during their playoff run to the Stanley Cup final, recording 21 points and a plus-10 rating in 24 games. The 2000 Hart and Norris Trophy winner is regarded as one of the very best defenders in the league, and joins a Ducks defence corps that includes 2004 Norris Trophy winner Scott Niedermayer.

Pronger has 456 points and a plus-127 rating in an 802-game career that has seen him play in Hartford, St. Louis and Edmonton. He also has 72 points and a plus-25 rating in 109 career playoff games.

The 6-foot-6, 220 pound defenceman signed a five-year, $31.25-million contract with the Oilers last August, then surprised the team with his request for a trade shortly after the season due to personal reasons.

 

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Update!!

TSN.ca Staff
7/3/2006 1:33:14 PM

Chris Pronger, the biggest name on the summer trade block, is going to California.

The Anaheim Ducks have traded Joffrey Lupul, top prospect Ladislav Smid, Anaheim's first-round choice in 2007, a conditional first-round pick and Anaheim's second-round pick in 2008 to the Oilers in exchange for Pronger.

Pronger, 31, put up 56 points and a plus-2 rating during the 2005-2006 regular season and was a stalwart for the Oilers during their playoff run to the Stanley Cup final, recording 21 points and a plus-10 rating in 24 games. The 2000 Hart and Norris Trophy winner is regarded as one of the very best defenders in the league, and joins a Ducks defence corps that includes 2004 Norris Trophy winner Scott Niedermayer.

Pronger has 456 points and a plus-127 rating in an 802-game career that has seen him play in Hartford, St. Louis and Edmonton. He also has 72 points and a plus-25 rating in 109 career playoff games.

The 6-foot-6, 220 pound defenceman signed a five-year, $31.25-million contract with the Oilers last August, then surprised the team with his request for a trade shortly after the season due to personal reasons.

Lpul, 22, is an Edmonton native who is just coming into his own offensively. Drafted 7th overall in 2002, Lupul tallied 28 goals and 53 points this past season, a solid improvement on his 34-point rookie season of 2003-2004.

Lupul added nine goals and 11 points in 16 playoff games this past season, including a four-goal game against Colorado in the second-round series.

Lupul's grandfather, Tom Mayson, is also part of the Oilers' ownership group.

A restricted free agent, Lupul earned $900,600 last season.

Smid, 20, was the Ducks' top defence prospect and was rated as the 10th-best prospect in The Hockey News Future Watch issue. The Czech native also has good size at 6-foot-3, 204 pounds.

The 9th overall pick in 2004, Smid had 28 points and a plus-14 rating with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League last season.

 

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Edmonton Oilers Press Release

Oilers acquire Lupul, Smid and draft choices

The Edmonton Oilers have acquired right wing Joffrey Lupul and defenceman Ladislav Smid from the Anaheim Ducks, along with Anaheim’s first round draft choice in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, a conditional first round draft choice and their second round draft choice in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for defenceman Chris Pronger.

Lupul, the Ducks’ first round draft choice (7th overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, just completed his third professional season and second in the NHL, posting NHL career-highs in several offensive categories including goals (28), assists (25), points (53), power-play goals (12) and short-handed goals (2).

The 25-year-old Edmontonian made history earlier this year as he scored four goals in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals against Colorado, becoming the first player in NHL history to score four goals in a playoff game, including the overtime winner.

Smid, originally drafted by the Ducks in the first round (9th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, played his first season in North America with the AHL’s Portland Pirates after playing three seasons with HC Liberec in the Czech Elite League. The 20-year-old native of Frydlant, Czech Republic notched career-highs in points (28), goals (3) and assists (25) in 71 games with the Pirates in 2005-06.