Carolina made a big trade yesterday afternoon, acquiring Doug Weight from the St. Louis Blues for 2 players off our NHL roster and 3 draft picks including our 2006 first round pick.  The 2 players we gave up were Jesse Boulerice, an enforcer who has little skill and has been a healthy scratch most of the time this season, and Mike Zigomanis.  Ziggy is a 25 year old 2nd round draft pick (2001) and is a decent prospect, but had only scored 1 point in 21 games this year.

Doug Weight (for those of you who don't know) is a 15 year veteran, 4 time all star, who somehow managed to get 44 points in 47 games playing for the worst team in the NHL.  He was St. Louis' leading scorer.  Weight is also a Team USA Olympian, so he'll now get an extra week or so of coaching from Team USA coach Peter Laviolette and some extra skate time with Team USA teammate Erik Cole.

I'm excited about this trade.  We gave up a lot to get this guy, who probably won't be hear next year.  But our GM and coach think he'll fit into the system very well, he's a class act and a professional and a skilled skater.

It's a sign that Jim Rutherford realizes what Carolina has got right now, and he wants to build some depth for the playoff run.  And the Canes have so many solid young players on the team and in the system that giving up a few draft picks for this guy isn't a bad thing.  It's not like trading John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander ;)