Wednesday, March 19, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Kirk Muller is hoping the Stanley Cup is heading south this year. He is.
In a move to youth, the Toronto Maple Leafs sent the 31-year-old Muller to the Florida Panthers for right wing Jason Podollan as the NHL engaged in its annual trade deadline carrousel.
"I'm very excited about going to Florida," said Muller, a hard-working center, "to go to a team that's a great hockey team, and where I fit their style.
"(The Panthers) remind me of the team in Montreal (1993) where you just go out and play hard every night, there's good goaltending, and that type of situation carries you a long way. It gives me a chance to go for a (Stanley) Cup."
With the acquisition, Florida fills the void left by an injury to Brian Skrudland.
Muller has 20 goals and 17 assists this season, but the Maple Leafs are looking to the future. Toronto also traded high-priced defenseman Larry Murphy to Detroit for future considerations and sent Podollan, goalie Marcel Cousineau and right wing Zdenek Nedved to the minors.
Toronto wasn't alone in the trade deadline frenzy.
In separate deals, the New York Islanders traded forwards Derek King to Hartford and Marty McInnis to Calgary.
The Islanders obtained a fifth-round 1997 draft pick from the Whalers for King and got center Robert Reichel from the Flames in exchange for McInnis, goalie prospect Tyrone Garner and a sixth-round pick.
"We desperately needed someone in the middle to play on one of our first two lines," Islanders general manager Mike Milbury said. "Robert Reichel at center could give us some options."
King was the second-leading scorer for the Islanders with 23 goals and 30 assists, while McInnis had 20 goals and 22 assists.
Reichel, who played last season in Europe following a contract dispute with Calgary, had 16 goals and 27 assists this season for the Flames.
The Edmonton Oilers sent defenseman Jeff Norton to Tampa Bay for defenseman Drew Bannister.
Edmonton defenseman Jeff Norton, the fifth-highest paid Oiler this season at $1.25 million, was traded to Tampa Bay for defenseman Drew Bannister. Norton has two goals and 11 assists this season, while Bannister, who earns $350,000, has four goals and 13 assists.
"Unfortunately, I didn't play up to the way I expected," Norton said. "I'm glad to be going to a team that's in the hunt and looking to make the playoffs. I could have ended up somewhere else and not even be given a chance."
The Oilers also sent forward Miroslav Satan to Buffalo for defenseman Craig Millar and left-winger Barrie Moore, then sent Moore to the minors.
The Anaheim Mighty Ducks acquired center Richard Park from the Pittsburgh Penguins for right-winger Roman Oksiuta and sent left wing Jon Battaglia and a 1998 fourth-round draft pick to Hartford for center Mark Janssens.
Hartford also sent defenseman Alexander Godynyuk to the minors.
The Montreal Canadiens made two trades with the Phoenix Coyotes.
They swapped defenseman Murray Baron and right wing Chris Murray to the Coyotes for bruising defenseman Dave Manson, then sent No. 3 goalie Pat Jablonski to Phoenix for minor-league defenseman Steve Cheredaryk, who was immediately assigned to Fredericton of the AHL.
Phoenix then turned around and sent Murray to Hartford for defenseman Gerald Diduck.
Manson, 30, who regularly tops 200 penalty minutes per season, had three goals, 17 assists and 167 penalty minutes in 66 games this season, his 11th in the NHL.
"I like guys who are crackpots," Canadiens coach Mario Tremblay said, referring to Manson's reputation for on-ice violence.
Jablonski, 29, had a 4-6-2 record with a 3.98 goals-against average in 17 games for Montreal this season. He has been idle since the end of January when the Canadiens sent him home in order to call up rookie Jose Theodore from the minors.
Cheredaryk, 21, was playing for the Coyotes' Springfield farm club in the AHL.
The Los Angeles Kings sent veteran center Eddie Olczyk to Pittsburgh for right wing Glen Murray and recalled right wing Brad Smyth from the minors.
The Vancouver Canucks claimed defenseman Steve Staios on waivers from the Boston Bruins. He has been playing with Providence of the AHL. The Canucks also traded forward Josef Beranek, who has been playing in Europe, to Pittsburgh for future considerations. They traded defenseman Frantisek Kucera to Philadelphia for future considerations and recalled centers Larry Courville and Lonny Bohonos from the minors.
The Calgary Flames traded defenseman Jamie Huscroft to Tampa Bay for goaltender Tyler Moss, sent defenseman Marc Hussey to Chicago for left wing Ravil Gusmanov and assigned center Ravil Yakubov to Utah of the International Hockey League.
San Jose claimed defenseman Chris LiPuma off waivers from New Jersey; the Washington Capitals returned left wing Andrew Brunnette and right wing Richard Zednick to Portland of the AHL, while recalling defenseman Stewart Malgunas from the minors.
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