VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Former Vancouver captain Trevor Linden was re-acquired by the Canucks from the Washington Capitals Saturday night with a conditional second-round draft pick for a 2002 first-round pick.
Linden's career has sputtered since Vancouver traded him to the New York Islanders in February 1998. He has played for two teams since and had just a goal and two assists in 16 games for the Capitals this season.
"Trevor didn't ask to be traded, but rather his performance wasn't meeting his or our expectations," Washington general manager George McPhee said. "We didn't want an older player, so the first-round draft pick was the best option.
"It's all about performance. And if you're not performing, changes have to be made."
The second overall pick in the 1988 draft and a two-time All-Star, Linden had six 30-goal seasons with the Canucks and became a fan favorite. He was named team captain during the 1990-91 season but handed the captaincy to Mark Messier on the eve of the 1997-98 campaign and played just 42 more games in a Vancouver uniform.
Linden, 31, spent just one full season with the Islanders, totaling 18 goals and 29 assists in 1998-99. He was traded to Montreal for a first-round pick in May 1999 but spent two injury-plagued seasons with the Canadiens before moving on to Washington in a deal involving Dainius Zubrus, Jan Bulis and Richard Zednik.
With playmaker Andrew Cassels sidelined with a sprained MCL, Linden has a chance to step in as the Canucks' No. 2 center behind Brendan Morrison. The 14-year veteran remains the leading playoff scorer in Vancouver history with 30 goals and 50 assists in 79 games.
