The outcry in Edmonton over the trade of Ryan Smyth to the Islanders has nearly matched the response of media and fans nearly 20 years ago to when the Oilers sent Wayne Gretzky to the Kings.

Gretzky was considered a national treasure in Canada - still is - and Smyth is an Alberta guy whose scoring prowess and mullet made him the face of the Oilers for a dozen seasons.

Coincidentally, Smyth was traded a few hours before another Oilers icon, Mark Messier, was honored in a pregame ceremony at Rexall Place.

His No. 11 jersey was officially retired and raised to the rafters to join those of Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Grant Fuhr and Paul Coffey.

None of them played their entire careers in Edmonton, either, mainly because of economics. Curtis Joseph, Michael Peca and Doug Weight are other stars who eventually left for financial reasons, but the canceled 2004-05 season and salary cap in the new collective-bargaining agreement were supposed to help teams like the Oilers keep players like Smyth.

It sounds as though the Smyth saga was preventable. According to reports out of Edmonton, contract talks between the Oilers and Smyth's agent, Don Meehan, broke down over $100,000 per season on a five-year contract that would have included a no-trade clause.

The Oilers originally offered Smyth, who makes $3.5 million, a five-year, $25 million deal. Meehan wanted $27.5 million and the Oilers grudgingly bumped their offer to $27 million for Smyth, a four-time 30-goals scorer and terrific all-around player but one who never has had more than 70 points in a season.

It wasn't good enough.

"We were stuck in our cement and they were stuck in theirs," a sobbing Smyth said before leaving for Long Island.

Rather than take a chance of losing Smyth this summer without being compensated - he will be an unrestricted free agent July 1 - Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe sent the 31-year-old left wing to the Islanders in exchange for two prospects and a first-round draft pick.

The trade should give the Islanders a huge boost in their push for the playoffs, but there's nothing to prevent Smyth from returning to the Oilers after the season.

Except that $100,000-a-year gap and the fact 29 other teams would be able to put in hefty bids as well.

Blues get deeper

It was a good week for the Blues, who solidified what looks to be a very promising future.

Team president John Davidson re-signed defenseman Eric Brewer and goalie Manny Legace, and he acquired a pile of high draft picks for forwards Keith Tkachuk and Bill Guerin.

In exchange for trading Tkachuk to the Thrashers, the Blues received a useful forward in Glen Metropolit, first- and third-round picks in this year's draft and a second-rounder in 2008. The Blues will get a first- round pick in 2008 if Atlanta is able to sign Tkachuk, who will be a free agent.

The Blues got a first-round pick from the Sharks (previously acquired from the Devils) in the Guerin trade, along with forwards Jay Barriball (a University of Minnesota prospect) and the well-traveled Ville Nieminen.

The Kings, in yet another of their never-ending rebuilding efforts, stockpiled seven draft picks since Jan. 29 in trades involving Mattias Norstrom, Craig Conroy and Brent Sopel.

No rest in West

The only difference between this year's Western Conference arms race and those in past seasons was the Avalanche wasn't involved.

Except for the Wild and Ducks - Anaheim made its major move last summer with the acquisition of Chris Pronger - every Stanley Cup hopeful in the West made at least one deal in recent weeks involving a relatively big-name player.

The Predators (Peter Forsberg), Sharks (Guerin, Craig Rivet), Red Wings (Todd Bertuzzi, Kyle Calder), Flames (Brad Stuart, Conroy), Canucks (Bryan Smolin- ski, Sopel) and Stars (Norstrom) all helped themselves for the postseason run.

Ducks general manager Brian Burke acquired a first-round pick from the Lightning that he intended to use as bait for a power forward but decided the asking price was too high.

The best moves in the East: The Islanders' acquisition of Smyth gives them a gritty forward who scores big goals; the Penguins will be harder to play against with the additions of Gary Roberts and Georges Laraque; the injury-riddled Sabres picked up forward Dainius Zubrus for scoring depth; the Thrashers' acquisition of Tkachuk, even if they gave up too much and could have used help to shore up a porous defense.

Nowhere to hide

No, the Avalanche didn't acquire Scott Parker so he could duke it out with Bertuzzi in Detroit on Sunday.

Bertuzzi took part in some drills Thursday but still is recovering from back surgery and isn't expected to play for at least two more weeks.

One of the topics broached by Detroit reporters concerned Bertuzzi's attack against former Avalanche forward Steve Moore in March 2004 and the $19.5 million civil suit filed by Moore, whose career appears to be over.

"Three years ago," Bertuzzi responded. "The only people who talk about and discuss it is usually media and all that. You know, I got to respect that you guys have a job to do and I understand it.

"There's a lot of guys who live in glass houses, too. I'm the same as everyone else. I just got issues that will take care of themselves. It's not for Detroit to deal with. It's for me to deal with. It has no bearing on anything right now with me playing here."

Slap shots

• Sabres co-captain Chris Drury won't play tonight against Montreal or in Toronto on Saturday as he recovers from the concussion and forehead gash he suffered a week ago when blindsided by Ottawa's Chris Neil. The Avalanche plays in Buffalo on Wednesday.

• The Flyers want to sign goalie Martin Biron, who makes $2,128,000, to a new contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1. The Flyers gave up a second-round pick for Biron, who played in 19 games with the Sabres while stuck behind Ryan Miller.

Defensemen make their points

• The Ottawa Senators boast the highest-scoring group of defensemen in the NHL with 166 points on 37 goals and 129 assists. Montreal and Anaheim are next, each with 163 points, followed by Toronto (161), Detroit (159) and Nashville (155). Avalanche defensemen have recorded 124 points (27 goals, 97 assists).

sadowskir@RockyMountainNews.com

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