The Penguins today traded right winger Alexei Kovalev and three others to the New York Rangers for four players.
Right winger Dan LaCouture and defensemen Janne Laukkanen and Mike Wilson also were sent to the Rangers.
The Penguins received right wingers Mikael Samuelsson and Rico Fata and defensemen Joel Bouchard and Richard Lintner.
This is the third star player the Penguins have lost because of financial problems since July 2001. They traded winger Jaromir Jagr to the Washington Capitals for three prospects, then lost free agent Robert Lang to Washington before this season.
Kovalev's salary is $4.6 million this year. He can be a free agent after the 2003-2004 season and is seeking a salary of $9 million annually.
Samuelsson, had eight goals and 14 assists in 58 games with the Rangers this year. Originally the property of San Jose, the 26-year-old Swede has 38 points in 129 career NHL games.
Fata, 22, has seven points in 73 career NHL games. He played for the Rangers and their AHL affiliate in Hartford this year.
Bouchard, 29, has played in 304 career games with the Rangers, Calgary, Nashville, Dallas, Phoenix and New Jersey, recording 20 goals and 37 assists.
Lintner, 25, scored a goal in 10 games with the Rangers. He played in 26 games for Hartford.
Kovalev, 29, returns to the team which first signed him. Kovalev played for the Rangers from 1992 to 1998. His highest point total was 58 in 1995-96 and he was often criticized by former Rangers officials for not being productive enough.
The Rangers sent Kovalev to the Penguins in 1998 for holdout center Petr Nedved. He blossomed with the Penguins, scoring 44 goals and 51 assists in 2000-2001 and 32 goals and 44 assists last year. This year he is fourth in the league with 64 points (27 goals, 37 assists).
LaCouture, 25, had two goals and two assists in 44 games this year. The Penguins had acquired the checking line winger from the Edmonton organization two years ago.
Laukkanen, 32, has played in only 17 games this year. The Penguins acquired him from Ottawa in March 2000 in the Tom Barrasso trade. He has plagued by injuries the last two years.
Wilson, 27, has played for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL all season.
Find more details in tomorrow's print editions of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Penguins trade Kovalev, three others to Rangers for four players 
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