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North Stars swing two deals

By MICHAEL BARRETT

BUFFALO -- The best young players acquired on draft day are not always acquired through the draft.

Minnesota North Stars General Manager Bob Clarke made two deals during the draft Saturday, with an eye to getting players who can help right away.

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Clarke completed a four-for-one trade to acquire center Todd Elik from Los Angeles, and then swinging a three-way trade of veteran defensemen with Vancouver and the New York Islanders.

In the first deal, forward Randy Gilhen, defenseman Charlie Huddy, right winger Jim Thomson and a fourth-round pick were sent to Los Angeles for Elik.

All three players were obtained by Minnesota in the expansion draft last month. Gilhen formerly played for Pittsburgh, Huddy for Edmonton and Thomson for Washington.

After completing that deal, Minnesota sent defenseman Dave Babych, also acquired in the expansion draft to VAncouver for Tom Kurvers. Minnesota then dealt Kurvers to the New York Islanders for Craig Ludwig.

'When you look at our team, with the ages of (Bobby) Smith and (Neal) Broten, you have to have younger players coming in who can play right now, not two or three years from now,' Clarke said.

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Elik, 25, scored 21 goals and 58 points for Los Angeles last season. Gilhen had 15 goals and 10 assists with the Stanley Cup champions last year, while Huddy missed a large part of the season with injuries. Huddy, 31, was a key member of five Stanley Cup winning teams in Edmonton.

Los Angeles coach Tom Webster said Huddy was obtained to play alongside Rob Blake on defense.

Babych has been injured much of the past two years, playing in just eight games last year. Kurvers will be moving to his fourth team in three years, and is known for his offensive skills. He had 30 points in 51 games last year.

Ludwig was a long-time member of the Montreal Canadiens before he was sent to New York earlier this year.

Clarke said they had arranged a Babych-Kurvers swap Friday and had planned to keep Kurvers.

'Then (Islanders GM) Bill Torrey called and offered Ludwig,' Clarke said.'He's a big strong guy, good in front of the net.'

In another draft-day deal, the Quebec Nordiques sent a second round pick acquired earlier from Toronto to Washington in exchange for defenseman Mikhail Tatarinov.

Tatarinov, who joined the Capitals last year from the Soviet Union, will re-unite in Quebec with former defense parter Alexei Gusarov, who joined the Nordiques last year.

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Tatarinov had 23 points in 65 games with Washington last year.

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