Edmonton Oilers' Ryan Smyth celebrates his first goal of the game against the Anaheim Ducks during third period NHL action in Edmonton January 18, 2007. REUTERS/Dan RiedlhuberDAN RIEDLHUBER/Reuters
ST. PAUL - First, he was going to Edmonton, then to Calgary, then to Edmonton again ... but for now, Ryan Smyth is stuck in limbo, technically still a member of the Los Angeles Kings, but ready to move on as soon as the Kings can strike a deal with a trading partner, new or old, that works to their satisfaction.
At the moment, there is no such deal in place. The proposed deal that would have seen Gilbert Brule and a fourth-rounder go to the Kings for Smyth fell apart late Friday night/early Saturday morning, when questions were raised about Brule's health. The Kings were planning to buy out Brule's $1.85-million contract and because he is under 25, they could have done so for a third of the cost of his deal. However, concerns about Brule's health - he was limited to just 43 games last year - mean that a buyout likely wouldn't be permitted.
The Kings are unhappy on several months - at Smyth, for asking out; and at the Oilers, for offering up a player with health issues. Once Smyth's agent, Don Meehan, confirmed to The Canadian Press that his client had waived his no-trade clause to join the Oilers, it appeared as if the last piece of the puzzle was in place. It no longer is. And while the Flames' interest in Smyth diminished greatly after they locked up Alex Tanguay to a five-year, $17.5-million contract, sources suggest that L.A. called them up again to see if they could get their deal back on the rails.
In all likelihood, Calgary would only take Smyth's $6.25-million salary-cap hit (on a contract that pays him $4.5-million in the final year) if L.A. absorbed one of its unattractive contracts.