Jeff Friesen traded to Capitals as Devils get under the Cap

WASHINGTON (AP) - Left wing Jeff Friesen was traded to the Washington
Capitals by the New Jersey Devils on Monday for a conditional 2006
draft pick.

The deal gives the Capitals a proven forward and allows the Devils to
trim salary so they can get under the NHL's new $39 million US cap.
Friesen is set to make $2.28 million this season.

''Jeff brings speed, Stanley Cup-winning experience and leadership to
our locker room,'' Capitals general manager George McPhee said. ''We
look forward to having him on our hockey club.''

New Jersey went an allowed amount over the salary cap when they signed
forward Alexander Mogilny last month but faced an Oct. 1 deadline to
get under the threshold.

The six-foot-one, 205-pound Friesen has 208 goals and 285 assists in
10 seasons for San Jose, Anaheim and New Jersey.
His best season was 1997-98 with the Sharks, when he scored 31 goals
and had 63 points. He has five 20-goal seasons.

In the 2003-04 season, Friesen had 17 goals and 20 assists in 81 games
for the Devils. A year earlier, he helped New Jersey win the Stanley
Cup, recording 10 goals and four assists in 24 post-season games.
Friesen scored the winning goals in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference
finals and Stanley Cup finals.

''It was a combination of things,'' Devils general manager Lou
Lamoriello said of the trade. ''His salary was certainly at a level
that was, quite frankly, too high. And we felt comfortable that we had
a good group of young players.

''We certainly appreciate what Jeff gave us. He was fantastic for his
whole tenure here.''

A first-round pick in 1994, Friesen made the NHL's all-rookie team
after making his debut with the Sharks.

-thanks to www.tsn.ca for report