A blockbuster NHL trade occurred that was not preceded by weeks of speculation and wild rumours- a rare thing in the NHL.
The LA. Kings dealt Norris Trophy-winning defenceman Rob Blake and rookie center Steve Reinprecht to Colorado in a blockbuster NHL trade that clearly tipped the balance of power in the powerful Western Conference in favor of the Avalanche. For the third straight year, the Av's landed the most coveted of free-agent rental players on the market. In 2000, it was Ray Bourque, who joined the Avalanche prior to the trade deadline, and the year before it was Theoren Fleury. Bourque remained in Colorado while Fleury signed with the Rangers.
Gritty forward Adam Deadmarsh, solid defenceman Aaron Miller and a collection of draft picks and prospects went to the Kings in the deal: 2001 1st round pick (#30-David Steckel), a 2003 1st round pick (#26-Brian Boyle) and a player to be named later (Jared Aulin).
A Blake trade had been expected for weeks after it became clear the Kings could not afford to re-sign the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent.
The Kings hoped Deadmarsh would add a much-needed dash of heart and toughness. He was told about the trade after scoring twice in the Avalanche's 8-2 thrashing of the Bruins.
‘“It hit home pretty hard,” said the 25-year-old Deadmarsh, who was in Denver with his wife and two baby girls, who remain hospitalized after being born prematurely on Feb. 9.
Kings GM Dave Taylor played with Blake when the defenceman broke into the league 11 years prior and wanted to re-sign him. But Blake was likely going to cash in when he became a UFA and probably the team speculated he could get offers of up to $10 million on the open market.
When the Kings stumbled out of the playoff race, Taylor's hand was forced somewhat.
Taylor said he took calls from teams in both conferences but would not say which teams had inquired about Blake. Even though he would have preferred to send Blake to the East, he decided on the best deal available. The Toronto Maple Leafs were reportedly very interested in signing Blake.