On-time arrivals

Sporting News, The, March 27, 2000 by Larry Wigge

New Jersey makes trades to get talented Alexander Mogilny and Vladimir Malakhov, but the only sure thing about the NHL's many deadline deals is that the most devilishly delicious show is still to come.

He was a superstar at an early stage in his career. And while he's still capable of carrying a team for short stints, injuries and indifference have transformed Alexander Mogilny from game breaker to enigma.

He's gone from being one of eight players in NHL history to score 70 or more goals (76 with Buffalo in 1992-93) to a guy who has had just 84 goals in his last 3 3/4 seasons. In between he scored 55 goals for Vancouver in 1995-96.

But when he is asked if the 55-goal scorer is still out there somewhere, the dark-haired, sometimes moody Mogilny barks back: "That guy didn't go anywhere. I've still got it. I know I've got it to score 30-40 goals in a season again."

Trouble is, goal-scoring is an art not too many can master. It's sort of like painting the Mona Lisa--you can have the talent, but it takes a commitment to make a painter an artist. And some artists starve you know.

For the Devils, though, acquiring Mogilny two weeks after obtaining defenseman Vladimir Malakhov (another enigma) from Montreal is a good gamble.

"Both players bring us a dimension of explosiveness," Devils G.M. Lou Lamoriello says. "Mogilny is special because he has the ability to break a game open at any time."

If, of course, he's healthy--and motivated.

Mogilny, 31, averaged 40 goals per season from 1990-9t through 1996-97. "I was hoping for a change," Mogilny says. "I had lost my confidence in Vancouver--and the mind is a powerful ally. Coming here after not being in the playoffs the last three years will be good for me. It's a chance to be with a contender.

"It's been a tough couple of years. I was questioning myself because I didn't seem to be in the Canucks' future plans. Being here, it's a chance to get my fire going again--loosen up and have fun."

Mogilny and Malakhov give the Devils players who could provide monster rewards if they can rediscover their immense talents.

"He's always played to the beat of a different drummer," Red Wings center Igor Larionov says of Mogilny. "When they were growing up in Moscow, Alex clearly was the goal scorer on the line with Sergei Fedorov and Pavel Bure.

"He's always had that gift to find a hole and score a goal--when he wanted to."

"He can really put us ... I don't want to say at another level, because that's going too far," says Devils center Bobby Holik. "But he gives us something we don't have. Patrik Elias has the potential to be a game-breaking scorer. ... But that's something Mogilny has already proven."

Some might say the trade is similar to Dallas' signing of Brett Hull, another moody goal scorer, who proved to be the final piece to the Stars' Stanley Cup puzzle. But then, Mogilny helping the Devils win a Stanley Cup would go against all right-thinking people who know that the Western Conference still plays superior hockey.

It's always interesting to see how teams react with one last opportunity to improve before the stretch run--with the March trading deadline facing them.

The NHL's version of March madness includes the trades leading up to the deadline--and the talk of trades that never happened.

For instance:

The Flyers didn't find a goaltender and now likely will go with rookie Brian Boucher in the playoffs.

Mark Messier didn't find a contender who could convince him to leave the beautiful climate in Vancouver.

The Blues couldn't acquire a No. 3 defenseman who could help Al MacInnis and Chris Pronger give the team more quality minutes--and young blue-chip center Marty Reasoner, the player everyone wanted, celebrated with a four-assist effort one night after the deadline.

The defending champion Stars' only move was claiming journeyman defenseman Joel Bouchard off waivers from Nashville, but they made their big move earlier in getting veteran defensemen Sylvain Cote and Dave Manson from Chicago.

Even the Red Wings, who broke the bank with deals for defensemen Chris Chelios and Ulf Samuelsson, left winger Wendel Clark and goalie Bill Ranford last spring, were relatively quiet--picking up only ordinary defenseman Todd Gill.

"Detroit's deals last year proved there are no guarantees--and no matter how much money you spend, you can't buy the Stanley Cup," Oilers G.M. Glen Sather says.

But history shows a lot of deadline deals that packed memorable impact, especially:

* One day before the 1980 deadline, the Islanders acquired Butch Goring for Billy Harris and Dave Lewis. The Isles finished the season 8-0-4 and won the first of their four Cups.

* In 1991, Pittsburgh received Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson from Hartford for John Cullen and Zarley Zalapski and went on to win the first of two Cups.

* In three deals on March 21, 1994, the Rangers obtained Stephane Matteau, Brian Noonan, Glenn Anderson and Craig MacTavish and won the Cup for the first time since 1940.

* Defenseman Larry Murphy, who had been booed out of Toronto, landed in Detroit for future considerations in March, 1997--and Murphy was a standout for the Red Wings, who won their first Cup since 1955.