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Posted By	Discussion Topic: Doug Weight no longer in Edmonton
BaLLooN NoT	posted on 07-02-2001 @ 1:55 AM
O&A Board Regular Registered: Oct. 00	Money matters force Oilers to trade Weight -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Brian A. Shactman ESPN.com The St. Louis Blues acquired All-Star center Doug Weight and right wing Michel Riesen from the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday in exchange for left winger Jochen Hecht, center Marty Reasoner and defenseman Jan Horacek. According to sources within the St. Louis organization, Weight signed a contract with the team. The deal is reportedly for five years and will pay him $9 million in the first year, according to Sportsnet.ca. He made $4.3 million last season. "I feel very fortunate for my family and for myself," said Weight, who acknowledged the difficulty of leaving the Oilers franchise but relieved that it came via a trade and that he's going to a contender. "I've been impressed with them (St. Louis) the last three-four years. Seeing the roster, we have a great chance to win. "I'd love to help bring a Stanley Cup to this city." The Blues were weak at center after trading Michal Handzus and Ladislav Nagy to Phoenix and Craig Conroy to Calgary at the trade deadline last season. With centers Alexei Yashin, Michael Peca and Jeremy Roenick already off the market, the Blues were looking to solidify the position should they lose unrestricted free agent Pierre Turgeon. Weight was set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this season and an unrestricted free agent in 2002. Had he filed for arbitration, Weight would have been awarded upwards of $6 million, making it difficult for the budget-conscious Oilers to keep him long term. "I thought it would have gone the arbitration trail, and I was pretty surprised," Weight said. "They (Oilers) couldn't offer me more than $6 million." Oilers GM Kevin Lowe commended Weight but said, under the current economic circumstances in the NHL, keeping Weight wasn't possible. "We have charted a course for the Oilers to remain competitive within the framework of a budget. That plan will allow us to reach the year 2004, when a new Collective Bargaining Agreement can be negotiated which will establish a more equitable process under which the players will be compensated," Lowe said in a statement released by the Oilers. "As is evidenced by the contract Doug received from the Blues, it is obvious we could not afford him. "Dougie was an exemplary Edmonton Oiler. He was a leader on the ice, in the dressing room and in the community." The 5-foot-11 center finished eighth in the league in scoring last season with 90 points on 25 goals and 65 assists in 82 games. Weight, one of the league's premier playmakers, has 647 career points (180 goals, 467 assists) in 706 games. Weight might skate on a line with fellow All-Star and U.S. Olympian Keith Tkachuk. "I talked to Keith last night, and we're very excited about playing together," Weight said. Riesen was Edmonton's first-round draft choice (14th overall) in the 1997 entry draft. Last season, Riesen (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) finished fourth with 26 goals and 28 assists for the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs and recorded one assist in 12 games in making his NHL debut with the Oilers. Hecht scored 19 goals and added 25 assists in 72 regular-season games while adding two goals and six points in 15 postseason games. Reasoner amassed four goals and nine assists in 41 regular-season games. He added three goals and one assist in 10 postseason games. Horacek is a 6-foot-3 defenseman and was selected by the Blues in the fourth-round (98th overall) of the 1997 entry draft. Sat., June 30 The Blues made an outstanding deal. I'm a big Doug Weight fan. He is a very underrated player; people in the U.S. don't know much about him since he played in Edmonton. He received no publicity except maybe in the playoffs when no one wanted to play the Oilers. Weight is one of the best two-way players in the game. He has speed, he's an excellent leader, and he's capable defensively. Weight will fit in fine with St. Louis because the Blues play an uptempo game. For a top-flight team, Weight makes sense, and the Blues will be more than happy with him. It's like the Oilers to trade a high-priced player for youth. Jochen Hecht is a good young player who has a great career ahead of him. Marty Reasoner just needs playing time. He was in the doghouse for a bit, and there was no room for him on the Blues' first two lines, where he had to play because he's not a checker. He needs a slot to play. With the loss of Pierre Turgeon on the horizon, they probably wondered if Reasoner could be as big a force. The answer is no because he needs time. SIG PIC CREATED BY AUSTIN 3:16 E-Mail Me METS will go ALL THE WAY THIS YEAR !!!!!!!!!!! (ok maybe not this year but i aint chainging this) Yankees & the Braves SUCK !!!!!!!! Resident Strip Club Pimp

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