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Flyers send Roenick to Kings
By ROB MAADDI, AP Sports Writer
August 4, 2005
VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) -- The Philadelphia Flyers made salary-cap room for Peter Forsberg by trading Jeremy Roenick to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
Los Angeles also receives a 2006 third-round draft pick the Flyers acquired from Nashville. Philadelphia gets future considerations from the Kings and space under the $39 million cap to clear the way for Forsberg.
A former NHL MVP originally drafted by the Flyers, Forsberg agreed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract Wednesday night.
``They came in pretty late, but when they came in, I was very interested and excited,'' Forsberg said in a conference call from Sweden. ``It's an organization that always shows they want to win. It's a class organization.''
Flyers general manager Bob Clarke said the decision to sign Forsberg was ``an easy one.''
``When you talk about a player like Forsberg, sometimes you convince yourself this player is so good that he wasn't going to come here, but he gave us a chance,'' Clarke said.
Forsberg said several teams, including Colorado, pursued him, and he declined a better offer from another club he wouldn't name.
Roenick, who will earn $4.94 million this season, waived his no-trade clause to return to the West Coast. The 35-year-old center had 67 goals and 106 assists for 173 points in three seasons with Philadelphia.
A nine-time All-Star, Roenick has 475 goals and 645 assists for 1,120 points in 1,124 regular-season games over 16 seasons with Chicago, Phoenix and the Flyers.
One of the most colorful personalities in the league, Roenick is best remembered in Philadelphia for returning to the lineup just six weeks after breaking his jaw and sustaining a concussion after getting hit in the face with the puck in 2004. He helped lead the Flyers to within a game of the Stanley Cup finals a few months later.
Roenick said in a radio interview Wednesday night that he would've liked to remain with the Flyers, but wouldn't stand in the way of letting the team acquire ``the best player in the world.''
Forsberg was part of the deal that brought Eric Lindros to the Flyers in 1992. Philadelphia sent Forsberg, four other players, two draft picks and $15 million to Quebec to get Lindros.
While Lindros never lived up to high expectations in Philadelphia and feuded with management, Forsberg became a five-time All-Star and was the league's most valuable player with the Avalanche in 2003.
Forsberg led Colorado to Stanley Cup championships in 1996 and 2001. The Flyers haven't won a title since capturing consecutive championships in 1974-75.
Philadelphia has been very active, drastically changing the face of a team that has been a perennial Cup contender.
The Flyers signed hulking defensemen Derian Hatcher, Mike Rathje and Chris Therien to free-agent contracts on Tuesday. They previously created room under the cap by buying out the contracts of veteran forwards John LeClair and Tony Amonte.
``We've improved on defense immensely and we've improved our center ice immensely,'' Clarke said. ``What that translates to, I don't know.''
By ROB MAADDI, AP Sports Writer
August 4, 2005
VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) -- The Philadelphia Flyers made salary-cap room for Peter Forsberg by trading Jeremy Roenick to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
Los Angeles also receives a 2006 third-round draft pick the Flyers acquired from Nashville. Philadelphia gets future considerations from the Kings and space under the $39 million cap to clear the way for Forsberg.
A former NHL MVP originally drafted by the Flyers, Forsberg agreed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract Wednesday night.
``They came in pretty late, but when they came in, I was very interested and excited,'' Forsberg said in a conference call from Sweden. ``It's an organization that always shows they want to win. It's a class organization.''
Flyers general manager Bob Clarke said the decision to sign Forsberg was ``an easy one.''
``When you talk about a player like Forsberg, sometimes you convince yourself this player is so good that he wasn't going to come here, but he gave us a chance,'' Clarke said.
Forsberg said several teams, including Colorado, pursued him, and he declined a better offer from another club he wouldn't name.
Roenick, who will earn $4.94 million this season, waived his no-trade clause to return to the West Coast. The 35-year-old center had 67 goals and 106 assists for 173 points in three seasons with Philadelphia.
A nine-time All-Star, Roenick has 475 goals and 645 assists for 1,120 points in 1,124 regular-season games over 16 seasons with Chicago, Phoenix and the Flyers.
One of the most colorful personalities in the league, Roenick is best remembered in Philadelphia for returning to the lineup just six weeks after breaking his jaw and sustaining a concussion after getting hit in the face with the puck in 2004. He helped lead the Flyers to within a game of the Stanley Cup finals a few months later.
Roenick said in a radio interview Wednesday night that he would've liked to remain with the Flyers, but wouldn't stand in the way of letting the team acquire ``the best player in the world.''
Forsberg was part of the deal that brought Eric Lindros to the Flyers in 1992. Philadelphia sent Forsberg, four other players, two draft picks and $15 million to Quebec to get Lindros.
While Lindros never lived up to high expectations in Philadelphia and feuded with management, Forsberg became a five-time All-Star and was the league's most valuable player with the Avalanche in 2003.
Forsberg led Colorado to Stanley Cup championships in 1996 and 2001. The Flyers haven't won a title since capturing consecutive championships in 1974-75.
Philadelphia has been very active, drastically changing the face of a team that has been a perennial Cup contender.
The Flyers signed hulking defensemen Derian Hatcher, Mike Rathje and Chris Therien to free-agent contracts on Tuesday. They previously created room under the cap by buying out the contracts of veteran forwards John LeClair and Tony Amonte.
``We've improved on defense immensely and we've improved our center ice immensely,'' Clarke said. ``What that translates to, I don't know.''
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