Ducks acquire Keith Carney

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Tuesday filled a glaring void in their defense corps by acquiring dependable veteran Keith Carney from the Phoenix Coyotes for a second-round draft pick.

Former UMaine star Carney, 31, gives the Ducks more experience and, at 6-foot-2 and 214 pounds, adds size and strength. What’s more, he has the NHL’s fourth-longest streak of consecutive games played (247). Carney, signed for the next three seasons with an option for two more, played all 82 games in 2000-01 for the Coyotes, scoring two goals and 16 points.

“We like our mix better now,” said Pierre Gauthier, Duck president and general manager. “We’ve got a top offensive guy with Oleg Tverdovsky, a big hitter with Vitaly Vishnevski, a gritty guy with Ruslan Salei, a great skater with Niclas Havelid and now we have a veteran guy with Carney.”

Carney will play with another former UMaine star, Paul Kariya.

Opponents exploited the Ducks’ lack of experience on defense last season. The team gave up 245 goals, second most in the Western Conference behind the Chicago Blackhawks’ 246.

“This was our biggest need for the summer,” recently-hired Coach Bryan Murray said. “There was no doubt that it was the first thing on the list.”

The Ducks have six picks in the first four rounds of the draft, which will be held Saturday and Sunday in Sunrise, Fla. Gauthier dealt the 41st overall pick to the Coyotes, but kept his other second-round pick (35th overall). He also has the fifth pick in the opening round and three selections in the fourth round (102, 105 and 118).