BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Dominik Hasek was traded by the Buffalo
Sabres to the Detroit Red Wings late Saturday night for left wing
Vyacheslav Kozlov, a 2002 first-round draft choice and future
considerations.
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Sabres spokesman Michael Gilbert announced the trade of the
six-time Vezina Trophy winner just before 1:30 a.m. ET Sunday,
adding the team would have no further comment until later in the
day.
Detroit then made its own deal with Hasek, agreeing to pay him
$8 million next season which is on par with captain Steve Yzerman
and star defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. Hasek's contract also has two
option years at $8 million each.
"It's not often you can get a goaltender that matches his
record," Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman said.
The team will hold a news conference Monday to introduce Hasek.
The Sabres had until the end of Saturday to pick up Hasek's
one-year, $9 million option, trade him or lose him to unrestricted
free agency.
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Sat., June 30
This changes the shape of the Western Conference. When you think of contenders in the West you think of the two goalies that have won the most -- Patrick Roy in Colorado and Ed Belfour in Dallas. Now, it's Dominik Hasek in Detroit. Hasek has the ability to beat any goalie now in the West in a seven-game series.
The team's commitment to defense hasn't been up to par for the Wings, and certainly Chris Osgood isn't the main culprit. Anyone who has watched Hasek practice or play knows the impact he has on a team's success. He has the ability to turn a team on its heels into a team with forward momentum -- all in one game -- because the team knows he'll stand on his head.
Red Wings players now know that come playoff time not many teams will be thrilled to play them.
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The move was made a week after Buffalo settled another roster
problem, trading former captain Michael Peca to the New York Islanders.
Peca sat out all of last season after failing to negotiate a deal.
Hasek made a base salary of $7.5 million last season, the
10th largest contract in the league according to NHL Players'
Association records.
The announcement ends almost two months of speculation involving
Hasek, who said he wants to play for at least one more year -- but
only with a contending team.
Hasek, who toyed with retirement the past two seasons, said part
of his decision to remain in the NHL is to gear up for the Winter Olympics next year to help the Czech Republic defend its 1998
gold-medal victory.
Kozlov just completed his eighth season with Detroit. He had
only 20 goals and 38 points in 72 games, but had a team-high four
goals in the Red Wings' surprising first-round playoff defeat against Los
Angeles.
By acquiring Hasek, it's not clear what the Red Wings will do
with their starting goalie Chris Osgood.
The Sabres, however, have two young players, Martin Biron and
Mika Noronen, who are ready to step into Hasek's starting position
in Buffalo.
Biron, who appeared in just 18 games last season, filled in
admirably in the 1999-2000 campaign, when Hasek missed almost half
the season with a groin injury.
Despite struggling in the first part of this past season, Hasek
bounced back to have a stellar campaign.
By going 18-8 down the stretch with five shutouts, Hasek
finished with a 37-26-4 record, matching a career high for
victories.
Hasek finished fourth with a 2.11 goals-against average and led
the league with 11 shutouts and was rewarded with his sixth Vezina
Trophy as the NHL's top goalie, one short of the record set by
Jacques Plante.
In nine seasons with the Sabres, Hasek, who led Buffalo to the
1999 Stanley Cup finals, also won the Hart Trophy in 1997 and 1998
as NHL most valuable player. He was acquired on Aug. 7, 1992, in a trade with the
Chicago Blackhawks -- the team Hasek spent his first two NHL
seasons.
The Sabres declined to comment on the status of their other
unsigned players.
It appears, however, that Dave Andreychuk's days might be over
in Buffalo, while Rob Ray will likely return to the team, according
to agent Roland Thompson, who represents both players.
Thompson said the Sabres informed him Saturday night they
wouldn't pick up Andreychuk's $1.1 million one-year option by the
midnight deadline, allowing him to become an unrestricted free
agent.
As for Ray, the Sabres' career penalty minutes leader, Thompson
said a deal was in the works.
The Sabres, who last week retained the rights to 12 players,
also faced losing four other unsigned players to unrestricted free
agency, including late-season acquisitions Steve Heinze and Donald
Audette.
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