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Weight gain Blues land All-Star center in five-player trade with Oilers
Updated: Sunday July 01, 2001 11:09 PM
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Doug Weight was traded by Edmonton to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday in a five-player deal the Oilers made because they could not afford their All-Star center. Weight, the Oilers' top scorer for seven of the last eight seasons, and forward Michel Riesen were sent to St. Louis for winger Jochen Hecht, center Marty Reasoner and defenseman Jan Horacek. "It was emotional last night and it continues to be as I talk to my teammates," Weight said during a conference call Sunday. "Nine years is a third of my life." "But I don't want to stress my disappointment," he added. "I'm going to a wonderful organization." The 30-year-old Weight is a restricted free agent who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in 2002. Weight has a five-year contract with St. Louis that will pay him $9 million the first year, Sportsnet.ca reported. His salary was $4.3 million in 2000-01. "As is evidenced by the contract Doug received from the Blues, it is obvious we could not afford him," Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe said. "Dougie was going to have to take a lot less than market value. "Dougie was an exemplary Oiler. He was a leader on the ice, in the dressing room and in the community. Naturally, we will all miss him, but we are convinced we will have an exciting and competitive team this season, and our new young players will all make major contributions." Weight, of Warren, Mich., played nine seasons for the Oilers. He appeared in all 82 regular-season games last season and finished with 25 goals and 65 assists. He had a goal and five assists in six playoff games. Weight was the New York Rangers' second draft pick in 1990. he played almost two seasons there before going to Edmonton for Esa Tikkanen in 1993.
Riesen was Edmonton first pick in the 1997 draft. The 22-year-old Swiss prospect had 26 goals and 28 assists in 69 games with Hamilton of the AHL. The 24-year-old Reasoner was a first-round draft pick by the Blues in 1996. He has split his last three seasons between the Blues and their AHL affiliate in Worcester. Reasoner, of Rochester, N.Y., appeared in 41 games with the Blues last season and had four goals and nine assists. Hecht, a 24-year-old German left wing, had 19 goals and 25 assists for the Blues last season.
Horacek, 22, is a defenseman who has spent the last three
seasons in Worcester. He was limited to 17 games last season
because of a wrist injury.
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