Flyers acquire Comrie from Oilers
TSN.ca Staff
12/16/2003
LOS ANGELES (CP) - The Edmonton Oilers have finally traded Mike Comrie, shipping the unsigned centre to the Philadelphia Flyers.
In return, the Oilers get promising young defencemen Jeff Woywitka as well as a first-round pick in the 2004 NHL entry draft and a third-round pick in 2005.
``Jeff is a player that we have liked since we first saw him play with the Red Deer Rebels and he has improved each year,'' Oilers GM Kevin Lowe said in a statement. ``He was rated high on our 2001 draft list along with Ales Hemsky, and we would have liked to have drafted him that season.
``We feel that Jeff will solidify our defence for the future. There seems to be a huge premium on defencemen in the NHL and when you can get a solid defenceman that has the upside that Woywitka does, you go after him.''
Lowe was in Los Angeles with the Oilers, who played the Kings later on Tuesday night.
Comrie, 23, had 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) in 69 games with the Oilers last season, down from the 60 points (33-27) in 2001-2002. He also helped Canada win gold at the 2003 world hockey championship in Helsinki.
``We believe that this really strengthens our club down the middle,'' Flyers GM Bob Clarke said in a statement. ``It gives us a very creative and quick centre man and these types of players make the players around them better.''
The Flyers still have to come to terms with Comrie, a restricted free agent.
``Mike is unsigned,'' Clarke said. ``He is a free agent at this time whose rights we now own.
``We're going to work hard to get him signed and get him into our lineup.''
Woywitka, 20, had six assists and 51 penalty minutes in 29 games for the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms. He played for Canada world junior team last year and was Philadelphia's first pick, 27th overall, in 2001.
That Comrie ended up in Philadelphia is somewhat of a surprise.
Rumours swirled of a deal with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks last week that would send OHL prospect Corey Perry and a first-round draft pick to Edmonton.
The Ducks, who came to contract terms with Comrie last week, thought they had a deal with Edmonton as early Monday. But Lowe threw a wrench into negotiations when he asked Comrie for $2.5 million US in cash to top up the transaction.
Comrie and agent Ritch Winter refused Lowe's unusual request and the trade was put on hold.
Comrie, Edmonton's fifth choice and 91st overall in the 1999 NHL draft, had Edmonton over a barrel when he jumped from college to junior hockey in 2000, opening the door to unrestricted free agency.
The Oilers signed the Kootenay Ice centre Dec. 20, 2000, to a three-year contract that paid him about $1 million US annually. The deal was loaded with bonuses to boost his salary to $10 million over the term and he earned most of them.
The 38-member Oilers ownership group paid because they saw Comrie as a player who fans would continue coming to see year after year.
But a thumb injury limited Comrie's production last year and he was publicly criticized by Lowe for a sub-par playoff performance last spring.
When it came time to negotiate a new deal, the Oilers played hardball, limiting Comrie to a 10 per cent increase on his $1 million base salary, which is all that is required for restricted free agents under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
Comrie, the son of Brick Furniture millionaire Bill Comrie, refused to accept the offer. The Oilers didn't negotiate and told him not to come to camp.
Comrie responded by demanding a trade, even offering to take less money to play somewhere else to facilitate a deal. But the Oilers refused to be goaded and let him stew.
The contract situation created a rift between the Comrie family - long-time Oilers supporters - and the club's management.
TSN.ca Staff
12/16/2003
LOS ANGELES (CP) - The Edmonton Oilers have finally traded Mike Comrie, shipping the unsigned centre to the Philadelphia Flyers.
In return, the Oilers get promising young defencemen Jeff Woywitka as well as a first-round pick in the 2004 NHL entry draft and a third-round pick in 2005.
``Jeff is a player that we have liked since we first saw him play with the Red Deer Rebels and he has improved each year,'' Oilers GM Kevin Lowe said in a statement. ``He was rated high on our 2001 draft list along with Ales Hemsky, and we would have liked to have drafted him that season.
``We feel that Jeff will solidify our defence for the future. There seems to be a huge premium on defencemen in the NHL and when you can get a solid defenceman that has the upside that Woywitka does, you go after him.''
Lowe was in Los Angeles with the Oilers, who played the Kings later on Tuesday night.
Comrie, 23, had 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) in 69 games with the Oilers last season, down from the 60 points (33-27) in 2001-2002. He also helped Canada win gold at the 2003 world hockey championship in Helsinki.
``We believe that this really strengthens our club down the middle,'' Flyers GM Bob Clarke said in a statement. ``It gives us a very creative and quick centre man and these types of players make the players around them better.''
The Flyers still have to come to terms with Comrie, a restricted free agent.
``Mike is unsigned,'' Clarke said. ``He is a free agent at this time whose rights we now own.
``We're going to work hard to get him signed and get him into our lineup.''
Woywitka, 20, had six assists and 51 penalty minutes in 29 games for the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms. He played for Canada world junior team last year and was Philadelphia's first pick, 27th overall, in 2001.
That Comrie ended up in Philadelphia is somewhat of a surprise.
Rumours swirled of a deal with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks last week that would send OHL prospect Corey Perry and a first-round draft pick to Edmonton.
The Ducks, who came to contract terms with Comrie last week, thought they had a deal with Edmonton as early Monday. But Lowe threw a wrench into negotiations when he asked Comrie for $2.5 million US in cash to top up the transaction.
Comrie and agent Ritch Winter refused Lowe's unusual request and the trade was put on hold.
Comrie, Edmonton's fifth choice and 91st overall in the 1999 NHL draft, had Edmonton over a barrel when he jumped from college to junior hockey in 2000, opening the door to unrestricted free agency.
The Oilers signed the Kootenay Ice centre Dec. 20, 2000, to a three-year contract that paid him about $1 million US annually. The deal was loaded with bonuses to boost his salary to $10 million over the term and he earned most of them.
The 38-member Oilers ownership group paid because they saw Comrie as a player who fans would continue coming to see year after year.
But a thumb injury limited Comrie's production last year and he was publicly criticized by Lowe for a sub-par playoff performance last spring.
When it came time to negotiate a new deal, the Oilers played hardball, limiting Comrie to a 10 per cent increase on his $1 million base salary, which is all that is required for restricted free agents under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
Comrie, the son of Brick Furniture millionaire Bill Comrie, refused to accept the offer. The Oilers didn't negotiate and told him not to come to camp.
Comrie responded by demanding a trade, even offering to take less money to play somewhere else to facilitate a deal. But the Oilers refused to be goaded and let him stew.
The contract situation created a rift between the Comrie family - long-time Oilers supporters - and the club's management.
