PR - Wheat Kings

OFF-SEASON BEGINS FOR CHAMPS WITH TWO DEALS

Following their cinderella run to the cup, Trade Ty went at it again, pulling off two significant deals.

In the first, the Kings sent the Bobcats 1st rounder (22nd overall), a 5th in TFHL20, Sandis Ozolinsh, Dan Snyder, and Mark Bell to the Pontiacs in return for Patrick Dwyer, Ben Ulmer and a 3rd. The Wheaties then swapped Ulmer, the 3rd along with Brian Willsie and Matt Ellison to the Misconduct for Rostislav Olesz, Dan Bertram, Cam Barker and Roberto Luongo.

"These deals, I think, help significantly to round-out our team for both the near and long-term future" GM Tyler Young said. "We get a collection of good young supporting players in Dwyer, Olesz, Bertram and Barker, all of whom are in the general range of our core."

Some might criticize the moves for disrupting a group of players which gelled on their way to the Cup.

"I don't really think it will hurt team chemistry," Mr. Young responded. "Matt and Sandis were certainly key components of our run. But although Sandis was playing phenomenal, you could see he was losing a step. I didn't think he would continue to be so effective over the course of another full season. Matt played well for us at times, but he was never entirely reliable. He's got top 6 skills, but by the end of the playoffs he was unseated by Steve Weiss and Mike Frolik and religated to the 3rd line. For his salary, 3rd line wasn't good enough - and with Dwyer we didn't even need Matt there. It will probably do him good to go to the Misconduct, we wish him well."

The deals also serve to fill out the team, which is expected to lose unrestricted free agents Craig Conroy, Glenn Murray, and Scott Niedermayer.

The Kings have over $20 million dollars in cap space and when asked what he plans to use the money on, the GM was tentative:

"With these deals we really don't need anything, so we'll see. We do have a lot of RFAs, and that space gives us the luxury not to be held by the balls at any point - so that's good. We'll see, we might try adding one player if the price is right, but we're good either way."

The deal with the Misconduct brought back three one-time Wheaties in Dan Bertram, Cam Barker, and a former great, Roberto Luongo. This is the fourth time the Kings have acquired Luongo, though this time he comes to Saskatoon as back-up to Jimmy Howard.

"Jimmy is the man," Young declared, "there is no doubt about that. However, Roberto gives us a good back up in net, which is important. It's also good for the team to have Luggie back. He's got three years more on his contract and it might be nice for him to play out his career here."