Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The NHL trading deadline came and went Tuesday with no blockbuster deals involving the Portland Pirates.
However, the parent Anaheim Ducks did move Portland goalie Mike Wall and defenseman Joe Rullier in separate trades.
The Ducks exchanged Wall with the Colorado Avalanche for center Brad May, a 15-year NHL veteran.
"Mike Wall was a very good prospect and a player who goes to a team that is in need of goaltending depth," Portland Coach Kevin Dineen said. "In return, Anaheim becomes stronger for its stretch run."
In his second professional season, Wall compiled a 3.13 goals-against average in 19 games with the Pirates and a 2.97 GAA in four games with the Ducks.
"Michael Wall is a solid prospect who will help the goaltending depth in our system," Avalanche General Manager Francois Giguere said, even though the acquisition of Wall makes for a logjam of goalies for Colorado, which already has Peter Budaj and Jose Theodore.
May came off the disabled list Feb. 8 after being sidelined the entire season by a shoulder injury. He had three assists in 10 games with the Avalanche.
Last weekend, Anaheim received goalie Gerald Coleman from the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the trade for former Pirates defenseman Shane O'Brien. Coleman participated in Tuesday morning's practice with the Pirates.
In an unrelated move Tuesday afternoon, Anaheim sent Rullier to the Springfield Falcons for Doug O'Brien, a 23-year-old defenseman in his third professional season.
Since coming to the Pirates in a Jan. 23 trade with Vancouver for Colby Genoway, the 27-year-old Rullier has played in six of 14 games.
"Joe never got a chance to get going here," Dineen said. "Now we have a younger player who has played very consistent hockey against us for the past two seasons."
In 127 games with the Falcons, O'Brien, who played five games in the NHL with the Lightning last season, had 13 goals and 38 assists.
The Associated Press
contributed to this report
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 725-8795 or at:
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Portland Pirates head coach Kevin Dineen has been suspended for one (1) regular-season game as a result of his actions following an AHL game vs. Lowell on Feb. 25. Dineen was assessed a gross misconduct under AHL Rule 24.3(ii).
Dineen will miss the Pirates’ game vs. Manchester on Saturday, Mar. 3.
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I do have to add that this is Kevin's 4th or 5th post-game misconduct in his time with Portland. He is a fiery competitor, both on and off the ice, but sometimes cooler heads will prevail...
Now for Mike Wall. So long! And don't think for a moment that he'll go up to Colorado. While he did well in his NHL call-up he struggled mightily while here in Portland. Tops he will be a starter for the expansion Lake Erie Monsters, provided he can prove a reason to be a starter.
It'll be interesting to see if D-OB can do better in Portland than he did in Springfield. He's a decent offensive-minded defensenman who can support defensive play.
I agree about Rulier though, he never really got a chance to get going. I was hoping to see him take off but he never got into a groove.
With the AHL Clear-Day deadline coming up, and an Anaheim team poised to make a deep playoff run, it'll be interesting to see what our roster composes of. Will Anaheim load the roster with ringers that will step in once the Ducks season comes to an end, or will they keep the Ducks in Anaheim and let the boys in Portland play?
Either way it'll make for some interesting gossip in the upcoming days!
GO PIRATES!report abuse
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