Ziggy Stardust
Master Debater
It was 14 years ago today, June 20, 1999, where the Kings were finally able to acquire the superstar winger they had been coveting for years. After having failed to acquire Pavel Bure, then Theo Fleury during the 1998-99 season, the Kings aggressively pursued Islanders holdout Zigmund Palffy.
Initially, the Islanders had dealt Palffy to the Rangers in what was perceived to be a cash transaction. This was not permitted in the NHL and Bettman ended up vetoing the trade. The league also vetoed the initial Palffy trade to Los Angeles as it appeared to be a cost cutting trade for the Islanders.
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/item_6rWclVX04dP9zLYCOhoPnI
Palffy's trade to Los Angeles was finally completed and accepted by the NHL once Olli Jokinen was included as part of the package going to Long Island.
http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jun/21/sports/sp-48759
Although Palffy's tenure with the Kings lasted for only five seasons, he was one of the most exciting players to don a Kings uniform.
Imagine having a winger like Palffy in his prime playing with a center like Kopitar or Richards. Adding a gamebreaking forward like that to the offense would propel the Kings scoring to the upper ranks of the NHL. Here's to you Ziggy!
Initially, the Islanders had dealt Palffy to the Rangers in what was perceived to be a cash transaction. This was not permitted in the NHL and Bettman ended up vetoing the trade. The league also vetoed the initial Palffy trade to Los Angeles as it appeared to be a cost cutting trade for the Islanders.
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/item_6rWclVX04dP9zLYCOhoPnI
Irate over ownership's attempts to negotiate side deals with Cablevision that would have undermined guidelines regarding cash involved in player transactions, the commissioner summoned Howard Milstein and Steve Gluckstern to Manhattan to inform them that he would now not permit the inclusion of any amount of cash in any trade for Zigmund Palffy, The Post has learned.
In addition, the league yesterday did not approve an informally-submitted deal that would have sent Palffy, Brian Smolinski, Mike Watt and minor league goaltender Marcel Cousineau to the Kings for B-level prospects Mathieu Biron, Scott Barney and Josh Green, minor league forward Jason Podollan, and the eighth overall pick in the June 26 Entry Draft.
Palffy's trade to Los Angeles was finally completed and accepted by the NHL once Olli Jokinen was included as part of the package going to Long Island.
http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jun/21/sports/sp-48759
Taylor, the Kings' senior vice president and general manager, was finally made to realize that, even under the New York Islanders' fire-sale terms, the only way to get right winger Zigmund Palffy for the Staples Center marquee was to part with Jokinen, a center who was the team's first choice in the 1997 entry draft.
That the Kings did, agreeing to send Jokinen, left wing prospect Josh Green, defenseman prospect Mathieu Biron and their 1999 first-round draft choice--No. 8 overall--to the Islanders for Palffy, center Bryan Smolinski, backup goalie Marcel Cousineau and a fourth-round draft choice in a deal that gives the Kings a present at the possible expense of a future.
"Olli was the first player that I drafted," Taylor said. "It was difficult to trade him. I think we've given up a significant package of young assets. But with the opportunity to acquire Ziggy Palffy and the others in the package, we had to do it."
In effect, the trade gave the Islanders the Kings' No. 1 choice in 1997 (Jokinen), '98 (Biron) and Saturday's entry draft.
But the Kings, who were 25th in scoring in 1998-99 with 189 goals, have Palffy, a 27-year-old right winger who scored 43, 48 and 45 goals in three full NHL seasons beginning in 1995-96 and had 50 points in as many games this past season.
He also is a power-play factor, twice having scored 17 man-advantage goals in a season. The Kings were 24th in the power play this season.
"He's a marquee player, one of most exciting players in the game," Taylor said. "Every time he touches the puck he does something clever. . . . We've added a very exciting player to the lineup and a No. 2 center [Smolinski]. There is a possibility we've added 50 or 60 goals to the lineup."
The trade was completed just before the 2 p.m. PDT Sunday deadline, after which rosters were frozen for the expansion draft. It was approved by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who had said he would review any transaction involving the Islanders.
The Islanders are trying to jettison some of their payroll after losing more than $20 million this season, and they are being rebuffed by government officials in the team's attempt to get a new arena.
Although Palffy's tenure with the Kings lasted for only five seasons, he was one of the most exciting players to don a Kings uniform.
Imagine having a winger like Palffy in his prime playing with a center like Kopitar or Richards. Adding a gamebreaking forward like that to the offense would propel the Kings scoring to the upper ranks of the NHL. Here's to you Ziggy!
