Rangers Trade Leetch to Toronto

The New York Rangers traded star defenseman Brian Leetch to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, ending his 17-season run in New York.

Leetch, the second-highest scoring U.S.-born defenseman in NHL history, joined the Rangers in 1988, immediately after playing for the United States in the Calgary Olympics.

“There’s a lot of tough deals you have to make,” Ranger General Manager Glen Sather said. “This certainly ranks right up there with the toughest.”

The Rangers acquired defenseman Maxim Kondratiev, forward Jarkko Immonen, a first-round pick in this year’s draft and a second-round choice in 2005. The Maple Leafs also received a conditional pick.

The Rangers are well on their way to missing the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year and fourth since Sather joined the organization in 2000. Sather served only as president and general manager until he took over as coach 54 games into last season when he fired rookie Bryan Trottier.

Leetch, a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenseman, helped lead New York to the 1994 Stanley Cup title, the club’s first since 1940. He had 11 goals and 23 assists in 23 playoff games to earn the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

He is second in team history in games played (1,129), and is the leader among defensemen in goals (240), assists (741) and points (981).

The former Boston College star has 13 goals and 23 assists in 57 games this season.

Earlier Wednesday, the Rangers traded center Petr Nedved and goalie Jussi Markkanen to Edmonton for forward Dwight Helminen, goalie Stephen Valiquette and a second-round pick this year.

The Rangers have dealt their biggest available chips but could still move veteran defenseman Vladimir Malakhov and center Eric Lindros if he is cleared to play after his eighth career concussion.

“We’ve been very busy for the last week and I think we’re going to continue to be busy,” Sather said.

*

The Boston Bruins acquired defenseman Sergei Gonchar from the Washington Capitals in a bid to add scoring punch to their power play.

The Bruins dealt Shaone Morrisonn and first- and second-round selections in the 2004 draft for the 29-year-old Gonchar, General Manager Mike O’Connell announced.

“The addition of Sergei makes us a better hockey club,” O’Connell said. “He is one of the premier offensive defensemen in the game and that was an element that we felt needed upgrading on our team.”

The Bruins rank 14th in the league in power-play scoring with 39 goals in 242 opportunities (16.1%).

Gonchar was leading the Capitals with 42 assists and 49 points in 56 games. He had four power-play goals and 11 multiple-point games. Morrisonn had one goal and six assists for Boston in 27 games this season.

*

Detroit Red Wing center Kris Draper is expected to be sidelined four weeks after partially tearing his rotator cuff during practice. Draper has a career-high 24 goals and leads Detroit in plus-minus with a plus-22.... The San Jose Sharks acquired defenseman Jason Marshall from Minnesota for a fifth-round pick in the 2004 draft. Marshall, a 10-year NHL veteran, split time between the Wild and its American Hockey League affiliate in Houston this season.