6:28 PM EST, 01/26/2006
Oilers get busy: acquire defencemen Jaroslav Spacek and Dick Tarnstrom
LOS ANGELES (CP) - The Edmonton Oilers got serious about winning this year, adding defencemen Jaroslav Spacek and Dick Tarnstrom in separate deals Thursday.
The Oilers first acquired Tarnstrom, who will help their power play, from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Jani Rita and defenceman Cory Cross. Then GM Kevin Lowe acquired Czech Olympian Spacek from the Chicago Blackhawks for forward Tony Salmelainen.
Spacek, 31, had 24 points (7-14) in 45 games with Chicago this season. He's earning $2.25 million US this season and will be an unrestricted free agent July 1.
He has 186 points (46-140) in 465 career games with Chicago, Columbus and Florida. He had a career-high of 45 points (9-36) with the Blue Jackets in 2002-03.
Tarnstrom, who turned 31 last week, had a career-high 52 points (16-36) in 2003-04 with the Pens but lost his spot as the top offensive point man in Pittsburgh after Sergei Gonchar was signed last summer.
Tarnstrom has only 10 points (5-5) in 33 games this season while sporting a minus-10 rating on the struggling Penguins.
He also put up 41 points (7-34) in 61 games in 2002-03. For his career, he has 31 goals and 91 assists in 236 games with Pittsburgh and the New York Islanders. Tarnstrom is earning $1.6 million US this season and will be an unrestricted free agent July 1.
Lowe was slated to meet the media in Edmonton at 6 p.m. ET. The Oilers played at the Kings on Thursday night.
Rita, 24, was Edmonton's first pick, 13th overall, in the 1999 NHL entry draft. He had three goals in 21 games this season and has struggled to crack the full-time lineup. He has six goals and one assist in 36 career games in the NHL. Rita is making the minimum $450,000 this season and will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Cross, 35, had two goals, three assists and a minus-5 rating in 34 games this season. The 12-year NHL veteran has 33 goals, 95 assists and 663 penalty minutes in 637 NHL games with Edmonton, N.Y. Rangers, Toronto and Tampa Bay. He's earning $874,000 this season and has another year left on his deal at $912,000 for 2006-07.
Salmelainen, 24, was Edmonton's third choice, 41st overall in the 1999 draft. A teammate of current Blackhawk Tuomo Ruutu in their early playing years in Finland, Salmelainen has been playing for HIFK in Finland this season where he has appeared in 41 games scoring 22 goals while adding 19 assists. His 41 points currently lead the Finnish League in scoring.
"We're trying to get more skill and speed in our lineup," Hawks GM Dale Tallon said in a statement. "Salmelainen possesses breakaway speed and has great offensive ability."
Well Cross is gone. Yay. Ditch Ulanov and maybe we can do something with 8th place.