Montreal, QC (CP) -- The rumors were running wild. Speculation had hit its peak. Was it true? Did it happen? Were the Montreal Canadiens on the verge of a blockbuster trade?
After the conference room at the Bell Centre sobered up from a night of partying, at approximately 2:15am ET Tuesday morning, Canadiens GM Dave Pagnotta made the announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, today is a huge day for the Montreal Canadiens,” an almost-sober Pagnotta said. “It is with great pleasure that I announce we have completed a seven-player trade with the Los Angeles Kings.”
And with that, history was made.
The Canadiens, as anticipated, traded winger Pierre Dagenais, defenseman Tom Poti and the recently acquired Petr Sykora to the Kings.
Heading to the Habs are superstar Zigmund Palffy, gritty forward Ian Laperriere and Derek Armstrong, and defensive prospect Denis Grebeshkov.
“We are very excited about this deal,” Pagnotta said. “We feel this deal has put us into an all-new category. Ziggy’s speed and offensive game, along with Ian’s gritty style of play, has put our team among the league’s elite.”
While the trade does immediately make the Habs a better team this season, Palffy, Laperriere and Armstrong have one year left on their current contracts.
“Understanding the situation we’ve put ourselves in, we’re going to do all we can to keep these boys in the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge,” Pagnotta said.
The Canadiens have apparently begun preliminary discussions with Palffy’s agent, however the Pagnotta would confirm nor deny those reports.
Palffy is expected to man the team’s top-line duties, along with Richard Zednik and Pavol Demitra, while fellow right-winger Alexei Kovalev will head the second line with center Saku Koivu and forward Mike Ribeiro. Incidentally, Ribeiro’s name has been popping up in trade rumors.
Laperriere, a Montreal native, is expected to play a big role in the team’s success playing against the opposition’s top units and he couldn’t be happier.
“I’m so excited,” Laperriere said. “I can’t wait to put on that jersey. It’s like a dream come true.”
Palffy, Laperriere and Armstrong are expected to fly in to Montreal tomorrow.