DENVER -- Colorado Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix has a history of acquiring top defensemen through trades. Normally he waits until the trade deadline, but this one was too good to pass up.

		Tuesday, October 1 I'm quite surprised that the Avalanche moved Chris Drury -- and Stephane Yelle, too, to be honest with you. I really think this deal goes Calgary's way right now. The Avalanche got a mobile, puck moving defenseman who can play the point on the power play in Derek Morris. He's on the smaller side, but seems to have plenty of upside in terms of offense. In Dean McAmmond and Jeff Shantz -- these two players were bubble players for the Calgary Flames, a team that didn't make the playoffs and isn't a Stanley Cup contender. McAmmond fell off Calgary's top line last year, and Shantz has played sparingly. Colorado's director of player personnel, Michel Goulet, knows Shantz from his Chicago days, so there is familiarity there. Stephane Yelle, in my mind, is a more complete centerman than Jeff Shantz. McAmmond adds speed and depth up front. Calgary solidified two center positions -- if they want Drury to play center, he can. Then, he can go out there with Jarome Iginla for two right-handed shots on the power play.

The Avalanche traded forwards Chris Drury and Stephane Yelle to the Calgary Flames for defenseman Derek Morris in a five-player deal Tuesday. Colorado also got forwards Dean McAmmond and Jeff Shantz.

"I think history speaks for itself,'' Lacroix said via a conference call. "Every time there's been a situation with our team that needed to be addressed in the eight years that we've been here, we've never been afraid of addressing it and fixing it.''

Lacroix brought in Ray Bourque, Rob Blake and Darius Kasparaitis at the trade deadline over the past three seasons, but Colorado's need for a top-line defenseman led to the preseason deal this year.

Kasparaitis signed with the New York Rangers in the offseason and Colorado did not replace him through free agency. The acquisition of Morris gives Colorado a two-way player who, at 24, is nearly six years younger than Kasparaitis.

Morris played just 61 games last season due to a wrist injury, but still led Calgary defensemen with 30 assists and 34 points. He said his wrist is healed and he's excited about going to a team that has won two Stanley Cups in the past five years.

"Maybe at the beginning of the season, we were optimistic about our team in Calgary, but it's a big difference when you're going to a team that's battling for first place and has an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup,'' Morris said.

The deal didn't come without a price for Colorado.

Drury, 26, was one of Colorado's best young players and had a knack for coming through in the clutch.

It started at an early age, when he led Trumbull, Conn., over Taiwan in the 1989 Little League World Series and continued at Boston University, where he was the national player of the year in 1998.

It didn't stop once he reached the NHL.

Drury won the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie in 1999 and has been at his best in the playoffs, where he has 26 goals in 80 games. He had three game-winning goals in the playoffs last season and has 11 in the past four postseasons -- most in the NHL.

"Chris Drury and winning are intertwined,'' Flames GM Craig Button said in a statement. "He is a very good player in all areas of the game and we are very excited about adding him and the elements he brings to the Calgary Flames.

Drury tied for second on the Avalanche with 21 goals and was the fourth-leading scorer last season with 46 points.

"It is difficult to lose a player like Chris Drury,'' Lacroix said. "Chris Drury is an exceptional player and in order to acquire an exceptional player, I think that it's totally normal that they request a top player.''

Yelle had been a solid a defensive center in his seven seasons with Colorado -- five goals and 12 assists last season -- but became expendable with the development of Riku Hahl and Brad Larsen.

Lacroix said Colorado did not plan to protect Yelle on its waiver protection list and wanted to get something in return instead of allowing him to become a free agent.

McAmmond has been a consistent scorer throughout his 10-year career, but has bounced around the league.

He started with Chicago in 1992, spent six seasons with Edmonton, was traded back to Chicago in 1999, then went to Philadelphia in a trade in the 2000-01 season.

"Everybody wants a little piece of me, I guess,'' McAmmond said.

McAmmond was Calgary's third-leading scorer last season, with 21 goals and 30 assists in 73 games.

Shantz, in his 10th season, said he wasn't surprised to be traded.

He was limited to 40 games last season because of injuries, finishing with three goals and three assists, and had been the subject of trade rumors all offseason.

"We were expecting it at some time,'' said Shantz, who played six seasons with Chicago before being traded to Calgary in 1998. "Today is an exciting day. We get to go, obviously, to a first-class team, so we're excited.''