Red Wings, Avalanche, Lightning, in Three Way Trade

Published: 21st Feb 12 4:00 pm
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by Derek Kessinger
Colorado Blogger
Red Wings, Avalanche, Lightning, in Three Way Trade
Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

Two teams out of the playoffs and “The Best of the West” made a three-team trade this afternoon. Colorado traded defenseman Kyle Quincey to Tampa Bay for forward Steve Downie. Then Tampa Bay turned around and traded Quincey to Detroit for their first round pick and a prospect.

Quincey is in the last year of his deal. He has struggled with injuries over the last year and thought his career was over last November. He returned and been a strong contributor for the Avalanche. Quincey is a solid defenseman on a team with a lot of players on the back end. He obviously did not fit into the Avalanche’s plans.

Steve Downie is also in the final year of his contract. He is an average player with 28 points this year, but he is not very popular around the league. Semyon Varlamov, the Avalanche’s goalie, called Downie a dirty player after an International game between Canada and Russia. He has 121 penalty minutes this year. He does not seem to be a big asset for the Avs future as he fits into a third line role that is already full.

The Red Wings are already the hottest team in hockey. They currently possess the top spot in the league with 84 points and have won record 23 home games in a row. The Red Wings drafted Kyle Quincey, but his career did not take off until he went to Los Angeles. The Avalanche originally traded Ryan Smyth to LA for Quincey. The Red Wings will probably have a low first round pick

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