SAINT PAUL, Minn., June 12 -- The Minnesota Wild, who will play their inaugural NHL season in 2000-2001, made their first trades Monday.
The Wild acquired goaltender Manny Fernandez and defenseman Brad Lukowich from the Dallas Stars for a third-round pick in the 2000 draft and a fourth-round selection in 2002.
It marks the second straight year the Stars dealt their backup goalie before the expansion draft. Last season, they sent Roman Turek to St. Louis for a draft choice.
Fernandez, 25, served as the backup to Ed Belfour and went 11-8-3 with a 2.13 goals-against average this past season. He appeared in one postseason contest, playing the final 17 minutes of Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals after Belfour yielded six goals to the New Jersey Devils. In 33 games with Dallas, Fernandez went 12-11-4 with a 2.48 goals-against average.
Lukowich, 23, did not appear in the postseason after playing in 60 regular season games for Dallas. He had three goals and one assist with a plus-minus rating of minus-14.
The Wild also acquired defenseman Andy Sutton and a pair of draft picks -- a third-rounder in 2001 and a seventh-rounder in 2000 -- from the San Jose Sharks for an eighth-round pick in 2001 and future considerations.
Sutton, 25, played in 40 games for the Sharks and had one goal, one assist and 80 penalty minutes. The 6-6, 245-pound native of Ontario played in 31 games in 1998-99, posting three assists.NEWLN:
