Goodbye Olli
Posted Feb 2, 2010 7:37 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Calgary Flames have made a second big trade in as many days.
Olli Jokinen is officially making his way to Manhattan after days of rumours and speculation.
The Flames have confirmed a deal has been made with the New York Rangers that will see the Finnish player and Brandon Prust make their way to the Big Apple.
The trade was announced shortly after a 3-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at the Saddledome last night.
In return, the Flames acquire Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins.
There had been talk of this trade since Sunday, when Dion Phaneuf was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a seven-player deal.
Jokinen believes he was shipped from the team because he couldn’t live up to expectations.
“I make 5 million dollars and 11 goals is not going to cut it. So it’s definitely a slap in the face,” Jokinen told the Fan 960 after being told about the trade.
Jokinen added that he wished he could have spent the rest of his career with the Flames, but this is a brutal business.
Brandon Prust called the move ‘bittersweet.’
“I’m sad to leave, (I’m) leaving all my buddies here. It’s a city that’s become my home, but at the same time I’m moving forward and looking forward to it,” Prust tells the Fan 960.
The team may be losing a popular name, but it’s also gaining some new skills in our new Flames players.
“Higgins can play well up the middle and Kotalik is an older player who has a heavy shot,” Rob Kerr with the Fan 960 tells 660News.
Kerr adds, there’s now a surplus of forwards with the team and he wouldn’t be surprised if GM Darryl Sutter makes another package deal before the trade deadline.
Meanwhile, it seems the new Flames from the Phaneuf trade didn’t change the fortunes of our boys in red.
Ian White, Niklas Hagman, Matt Stajan and Jamal Mayers couldn’t help put the puck in the net.
The Flames lost their tenth in eleven games, shut out 3-0 by the Flyers. The team hits the ice Wednesday against Carolina.
