Flyers Secure Oates From Capitals

The Philadelphia Flyers didn't waste time feeling sorry for themselves because of injuries. <br><br>Instead, they took care of the problem by getting Adam Oates at the NHL trade deadline. <br><br>The

Wednesday, March 20th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The Philadelphia Flyers didn't waste time feeling sorry for themselves because of injuries.

Instead, they took care of the problem by getting Adam Oates at the NHL trade deadline.

The Flyers secured Oates from Washington in a deal completed hours after Jeremy Roenick and captain Keith Primeau were lost, and shortly before the afternoon deadline.

In all, 17 trades were made Tuesday involving 35 players.

``We didn't plan on trading Adam Oates 24 hours ago,'' Capitals general manager George McPhee said. ``But when Philadelphia lost Jeremy Roenick, they had a need for a playmaking center.

``Given Adam's unrestricted free-agent status, it was uncertain if he was going be a Capital next year.''

Roenick, the Flyers' leading scorer, will miss 2-to-4 weeks because of a knee injury, and Primeau is expected to be out the rest of the week after hurting his ribs.

The Flyers, who slipped into a second-place tie in the Eastern Conference, gave the Capitals goalie prospect Maxime Ouellet and first-, second- and third-round picks in this year's draft.

Oates, who leads the NHL with 57 assists and is fourth with 68 points, will help Philadelphia's power play. Before recording a man-advantage goal Monday, the Flyers failed to score on 12 straight opportunities and 25 of 26 in 10 games.

``Obviously, he's a tremendous playmaker,'' GM Bob Clarke said.

Two years after Jason Arnott took the Stanley Cup out of Dallas, the Stars hope he'll help them bring it back.

Arnott, who scored the Cup-clinching goal for New Jersey in Game 6 of the 2000 finals against Dallas, was traded to the Stars along with Randy McKay and a first-round pick for forwards Joe Nieuwendyk and Jamie Langenbrunner.

The Devils returned to the finals last year, but lost in seven games to Colorado. This season has been a struggle for them and the Stars, who won the Cup in 1999.

``All those nostalgic things go through your mind, but you're just trying to do something for your team,'' Devils president Lou Lamoriello said of the Eastern Conference's seventh-place team. ``We needed to make a change.''

That's what Boston did, making three trades.

The Bruins acquired defenseman Jeff Norton from Florida for a sixth-round pick in this year's draft; defenseman Sean Brown from Edmonton for defenseman Bobby Allen; and center Darryl Laplante from Minnesota for left wing Greg Crozier.

Florida also traded defenseman Darren Van Impe to the New York Islanders for a fifth-round pick in next year's draft.

The Islanders made another move with Anaheim to acquire center Dave Roche for right wing Ben Guite and the rights to right wing Bjorn Melin.

The New York Rangers didn't rest after grabbing Pavel Bure from Florida on Monday night.

Happy that they didn't have to include Mike York in that trade, the Rangers instead shipped the 24-year-old center to Edmonton along with a fourth-round pick in this year's draft for defenseman Tom Poti and center Rem Murray.

``It's always tough being traded,'' York said. ``But I have some friends up there. It's a great hockey city, so it'll be fun. But it's also shocking.''

York skated with Bure in Tuesday morning's gameday practice, prepared to be his linemate that night against Vancouver. Hours later, he was no longer on the team.

The Rangers weren't done, sending minor league defenseman Peter Smrek to Nashville for defenseman Richard Lintner.

Pittsburgh, beset by injuries that will probably keep them out of the playoffs for the first time since 1990, unloaded some high-priced talent.

Rugged defenseman Darius Kasparaitis, highly coveted and very available because of his upcoming free-agent status, was sent to Colorado for left wing Ville Nieminen and defenseman Rick Berry.

``I was ready for it, I was prepared for it,'' Kasparaitis said. ``I've been hearing now for three years I was going to be traded. But I'm surprised it was Colorado.''

It was the third straight year Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix acquired a high-profile defenseman at the trade deadline. The Avalanche got Rob Blake last year en route to the Stanley Cup title. The previous year, it was Ray Bourque moving to Denver from Boston.

``I don't think there is anything different this year,'' Lacroix said. ``I think in the past this organization has proven that we have one goal in mind, and it is no different this year.''

Pittsburgh also sent 35-year-old forward Stephane Richer to the Devils for a conditional pick in next year's draft.

Still not going anywhere in their second NHL season, Columbus made two trades for the future.

The Blue Jackets, last in the Western Conference, traded defenseman Lyle Odelein to Chicago, and forward Blake Sloan to Calgary.

In return for Odelein, the Blue Jackets' only captain in their brief history, the Blackhawks gave Columbus defenseman Jaroslav Spacek and a second-round pick in the 2003 draft.

Sloan brought back defenseman Jamie Allison.

``Chicago obviously feels that their time is now,'' Columbus assistant GM Jim Clark said. ``It doesn't take a genius to look at where we are in the standings and understand that it's still going to be a few years.''

Atlanta, the NHL's worst team, made three deals.

The Thrashers sent defenseman Jiri Slegr to Detroit for center Yuri Butsayev and the Red Wings' third-round pick in this June's draft; left wing Darcy Hordichuk and 2002 fourth- and fifth-round draft picks to Phoenix for defenseman Kirill Safronov, the rights to right wing Ruslan Zainullin and a fourth-round draft pick this year; and center Bob Corkum to Buffalo for the Sabres' upcoming fifth-round draft pick.

Montreal _ in an effort to give workhorse goalie Jose Theodore a chance for some rest _ acquired Stephane Fiset from Los Angeles.