Bure traded to Rangers

**RangerFan4Life** · 03-18-2002, 08:44 PM

Anybody not like this trade? The Rangers gave up WAY to much, what do you think?

Bure traded to Rangers for 2 players, draft picks

NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers acquired forward Pavel Bure in a trade with the Florida Panthers on Monday night.

New York, which also acquired a second-round pick, sends disappointing defenseman Igor Ulanov and young defenseman Filip Novak to Florida along with the Rangers' first and second-round picks in this June's draft, and a fourth-round pick next year.

The Rangers, who have fallen into ninth place in the Eastern Conference, missed the playoffs the last four seasons. New York trails Montreal in the race for the final playoff spot in the East.

Bure, who will turn 31 later this month, has two years left on a contract that will pay him $10 million per season, as well as an option in the 2004-05 season for $11 million.

The "Russian Rocket" led the NHL in goals each of the last two seasons, but since being traded to Florida from Vancouver in 1999, he has not won a playoff game with the Panthers.

The speedy All-Star right wing has 22 goals in 56 games this season. He had 59 last season and 58 in 1999-00, and established a modern league record last season by accounting for 29.5 percent of his team's production.

Bure has at least 51 goals in each of the five seasons in which he played at least 70 games. He has 406 goals and 323 assists in 11 NHL seasons. Bure is a six-time NHL All-Star and two-time Olympian -- playing for Russia.

Ulanov, signed as an unrestricted free agent last summer, managed only six assists in 39 games this season with the Rangers. He was a healthy scratch in 15 games this season and was sent to Hartford of the AHL on March 2.

He was recalled from the Wolf Pack, where he had one goal and one assist, on Wednesday but didn't play in New York's loss at home to Detroit on Sunday.

The 30-year-old Ulanov, in his 11th NHL season, has also played with Winnipeg, Washington, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Montreal and Edmonton.

Novak, 19, has 12 goals and 46 assists in 60 games this season with Regina of the Western Hockey League. He was a second-round pick of the Rangers in 2000.

**P.J Stock** · 03-18-2002, 10:03 PM

I think florida got robbed! I definitly like the trade.

Count Cane · 03-18-2002, 10:20 PM

I think you guys got a good deal also, but I still think what you really need is defensive help. The Rangers don't need draft picks anyway the way they spend money.