The Anaheim Ducks have traded defenceman Chris Pronger and forward Ryan Dingle to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenceman Luca Sbisa, forward Joffrey Lupul, two first-round picks and a conditional third-round pick in 2010 or 2011. The Pronger trade comes following reports that Ducks' defenceman Scott Niedermayer will return for the 2009-2010 season.
Pronger, a native of Dryden, Ontario, was originally drafted second overall by the Hartford Whalers in 1993, but was traded two years later to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Brendan Shanahan.
In nine seasons with the Blues, the 34-year-old flourished into the outstanding defenceman many expected he would become out of junior, winning the Hart and Norris Trophies in the 1999-2000 campaign.
Following the 2004-05 lockout, and with the Blues facing financial hardships, Pronger was dealt to Edmonton for a package that included defenceman Eric Brewer.
Pronger signed a long-term deal with the Oilers but following one season in which he led the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final, the enigmatic blueliner demanded a trade. Pronger was subsequently traded to the Ducks in exchange for Joffrey Lupul, Ladislav Smid and three early round draft picks.
Pronger spent three seasons with the Ducks, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006-07.
Last season, the 6'5 blueliner had 11 goals and 37 assists in 82 games for Anaheim. He will make $6.25 million this season. Pronger didn't seem particularly taken aback by the news.
"I wouldn't say I'm surprised," he said. "When you hear it once, you brush it off, You hear it twice, you brush it off, when you hear it persistently over and over again, you start to think it's going to be a reality and you start planning and preparing yourself and family that you're going to be moving."
Dingle, 25, was signed by the Ducks as an unrestricted free agent in 2007. The 5'10, 190-pound forward had 11 goals and 7 assists in 70 games last season with the Iowa Chops of the AHL.
25-year-old Lupul had 25 goals and 25 assists for the Flyers in 2008-09. He was originally selected by the Ducks seventh overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
Sbisa, 19, had seven assists in 39 games with the Flyers last season, also spending time with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL and the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL.
