Avs Trade Drury To Flames

NHL teams

"Chris Drury and winning are intertwined," Flames GM Craig Button said in a statement. "He is a very good player in all areas of the game and we are very excited about adding him and the elements he brings to the Calgary Flames."

"It is difficult to lose a player like Chris Drury," Colorado general manager Pierre Lacroix said. "Chris Drury is an exceptional player and in order to acquire an exceptional player, I think that it's totally normal that they request a top player."

Lacroix has a history of acquiring top defensemen like Ray Bourque, Rob Blake and Darius Kasparaitis through trades. This time it seems he gave too much for a player like Morris.

"I think history speaks for itself," Lacroix said via a conference call. "Every time there's been a situation with our team that needed to be addressed in the eight years that we've been here, we've never been afraid of addressing it and fixing it."

Morris played just 61 games last season due to a wrist injury, but still led Calgary defensemen with 30 assists and 34 points. He said his wrist is healed and he's excited about going to a team that has won two Stanley Cups in the past five years.