Dallas Stars General Manager Doug Armstrong made a big deal right at the NHL trade deadline on Tuesday, acquiring veteran defenseman and Kings team captain Mattias Norstrom from Los Angeles, along with right wing Konstantin Pushkarev, a third round pick in 2007 and a fourth round pick in 2007. In exchange the Stars send LA defenseman Jaroslav Modry, the rights to defenseman Johan Fransson, a first round pick in 2008, a second round pick in 2007 and a third pick in 2007.

"Mattias solidifies our defensive group and also adds character and veteran leadership to our locker room," said Armstrong. "He is an outstanding NHL defenseman and we are extremely happy to have acquired him today. We look for him to make an immediate impact on this hockey club as we push towards the playoffs."

Norstrom, who turned 35 last month, has played in 62 games with the Kings this season, registering nine points (2-7-9) and 40 penalty minutes. The 6-2, 210-pound native of Stockholm, Sweden, is the Kings' all-time leader in games played among defensemen (780) and he is the fourth overall in games played in franchise history. He was also the 12th captain in club history and had worn the "C" for the Kings since the 2001-02 season.

"When you look at our defensive group, they are all skaters, puck movers and two-way players. We felt we needed to get a shutdown type of defenseman and Mattias is somebody that is not just a rental, but a guy that will be here next season as well. He's familiar with some people on our team and we definitely are familiar with him playing him so many times in the past and is a good fit for us. He will come to Dallas and meet the team here when they return from Florida on Friday. He has a grade-one sprain in his knee that is a 7-10 day injury for which he is in day four of."

A veteran of 823 career NHL games with the Kings (1996-2007) and the New York Rangers (1994-1996), Norstrom has registered 149 points (16-133-149) with 613 penalty minutes. Acquired by the Kings from the Rangers on March 14, 1996, with Ian Laperriere, Ray Ferraro, Nathan LaFayette and a fourth round draft pick (Sean Blanchard) in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Marty McSorley, Jari Kurri and Shane Churla, Norstrom was originally selected by the Rangers in the second round (48th overall) in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.

A two-time NHL All-Star (1999, 2004) and two-time Olympian for Team Sweden (1998, 2002), Norstrom was selected to play at the 2006 Winter Olympics but missed the tournament for health reasons. In 31 career playoff games, he has recorded two assists and 30 penalty minutes.

Norstrom is under contract through the 2007-08 season.

Pushkarev, 22, has played in 16 games with the Kings this season, recording four points (2-2-4) with eight penalty minutes. He also has played in 35 games with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season, recording 15 points (4-11=15) and 29 penalty minutes. Most recently assigned by the Kings to the Monarchs on February 17, Pushkarvev, a 6-0, 180-pound native of Ust Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan, has played in 17 career regular season NHL games, all with the Kings, and has five points (2-3=5) and eight penalty minutes. He was originally selected by Los Angeles in the second-round (44th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Pushkarev was immediately assigned to to Iowa, Dallas' primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League.