Blues pick up Osgood in hope of goalie boost

ST. LOUIS -- The Blues' search for a goalie took a big next step Tuesday when they acquired veteran Chris Osgood from the New York Islanders.

The Blues are fifth in the Western Conference and just six points behind Central Divison-leading Detroit despite often shaky goaltending from Brent Johnson and Fred Brathwaite. Rookie Curtis Sanford played well in three straight recent games after Johnson was injured, but was pulled after giving up three quick goals in a 7-2 loss to Detroit on Friday.

In another deal hours before Tuesday's trade deadline, the Blues acquired forward Valeri Bure from the Florida Panthers for prospect defenseman Mike Van Ryn.

In exchange for Osgood, the Blues gave the Islanders prospect Justin Papineau and a second-round pick in this year's draft. The Blues also received a 2003 third-round pick from the Islanders.

In 37 games this season, Osgood was 17-14-4 with a 2.92 goals-against average and .894 save percentage. He has missed much of the season with an ankle injury but returned last week. Last season, he was 32-25-6 with a 2.50 goals-against average while leading the Islanders to their first playoff appearance since 1993.

Osgood, 30, is earning $4 million this year and can be a restricted free agent after this season.

He helped lead Detroit to the Stanley Cup championship in 1998, going 16-6 during that postseason. In 10 NHL seasons, Osgood is 270-149-56 with a 2.45 goals-against average and 36 shutouts. He is a three-time all-star.

Papineau, a 23-year-old center, had two goals and one assist in 11 games for St. Louis this season and had 20 goals and 16 assists in 42 games with Worcester of the AHL.

In addition to Bure, the Blues received a conditional draft pick in 2004 in the trade with Florida.

The 28-year-old Bure has just five goals and 21 assists this season and has been out for about a month with a sprained knee. He resumed skating Saturday, and it is not clear when he'll be able to play.

"I don't know how close I am to coming back," Bure said. "The doctors haven't given me a timeframe."

Bure's best season was with Calgary in 1999-00, when he had 35 goals and 40 assists. That season he and brother, Pavel, set a league record for goals by siblings with 93.

Bure has 152 goals and 194 assists in 548 career games.

Van Ryn had three assists in 20 games with the Blues this season, where he spent a chunk of time in the minors. He had two goals and eight assists in 48 games last season.

"He is a first-round draft pick and a great skater with a huge upside," Panthers general manager Rick Dudley said. "He is another young defenseman with an inordinate amount of talent."

Dudley said the emergence of Matt Cullen, Jaroslav Bednar and Stephen Weiss made the trade possible.

"Giving up Valeri was tough because he is such a good man. I personally like him a lot, but this was ultimately in the best interest of the hockey club," Dudley said.

The Panthers are 11th in the East.

Teams seal deals just before trade deadline

NEW YORK --In the final 24 hours before the NHL trade deadline, all 30 teams got into the act, making it one of the busiest dealing days in league history.

All but three clubs made deals Tuesday, when 46 players and at least 16 draft picks were swapped in a flurry of 24 trades before the 3 p.m. EST deadline.

The NHL said it was the most number of deals and players moved since at least 1980.

On Monday, eight trades were made, including deals involving New Jersey, Buffalo and Columbus -- the only teams to keep their rosters intact Tuesday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were very busy as they try to build a team capable of winning their first Stanley Cup since 1967. On the heels of deals that brought Owen Nolan and Glen Wesley to Toronto leading up to the deadline, the Maple Leafs added veterans Doug Gilmour and Phil Housley in the final hours trading was allowed.

Gilmour, a forward, was a popular captain of the Maple Leafs from 1992-97. He was reacquired from Montreal for future considerations. Housley was brought in from Chicago for Toronto's fourth- and ninth-round draft picks.

The veteran pair has combined for 2,967 games of NHL experience.

Detroit also was at work in an attempt to keep the Cup where it is. The Red Wings shored up their defense by trading for Los Angeles' Mathieu Schneider, a former champion with Montreal in 1993.

-- From wire reports