Now that Ryan Smyth has been traded, he backed away from his previous denials about requesting a trade in the first place. TSN reported about a week ago that he asked the Los Angeles Kings to trade him to Edmonton, which is where he's spent the majority of his NHL career. In response to the report, Smyth said, "Holy Cow ... I have no idea where that's coming from. I have not asked for a trade." However, after Smyth was sent to Edmonton, he publicly thanked the Kings "for accepting my wish to come back and be an Oiler." The moral of the story is that while you shouldn't just shrug off a player or teams denials, there are times where their initial statements and actions don't sync up.

After the deal seemingly fell apart on Saturday, the Edmonton Oilers acquired Ryan Smyth from the Kings on Sunday. The Oilers will send Colin Fraser and a 2012 7th round pick to Los Angeles in exchange for the veteran winger. Smyth, who is truly an Oiler at heart, will provide a solid veteran presence to a team filled with young, inexperienced players. The City of Edmonton rejoices about the return of a fan-favorite.

Updating an earlier thread, the Ryan Smyth deal may have fallen apart. Smyth had waived his no-trade clause to go to Edmonton. The deal apparently fell through because of concern over Gilbert Brule's health. At this point the Kings are still talking to the Oilers, as well as the Flames. No word yet on any progress.

The Ryan Smyth deal to Edmonton has not been made official yet. Apparently there was a misunderstanding about the conditions on the fourth-round pick heading to Los Angeles. We will let you know when this deal is consummated and official. It appears a deal is in place as Smyth would head to Edmonton in return for Gilbert Brule and a conditional fourth round selection.

There is a rumor on the draft floor that the Kings will deal Ryan Smyth back to Edmonton for Gilbert Brule. Stay tuned for further updates.

The Los Angeles Kings are reportedly close to trading Ryan Smyth to Calgary for a late round draft pick. Smyth strongly denied a report that he requested a trade to Edmonton, but it looks like the Kings will send him away anyways. This probably has very little to do with Smyth's desires and more to do with the fact that he's not worth his $6.25 million annual cap hit. It's actually surprising that the Flames are even interested in Smyth, given that he would put them pretty close to the cap, but maybe they will end up sending a contract to the Kings or elsewhere to balance things out. Stay tuned.

It appears that the Los Angeles Kings are on the verge of trading Ryan Smyth. GM Dean Lombardi said that he will deal Smyth and he is likely going back to his home province of Alberta as the Oilers and the Flames are the two teams the Kings are talking to. "I talked to [Smyth] a couple times, and he was very clear that it had nothing to do with hockey, that it was strictly for his family, that he wanted to go home," Lombardi said. "I've talked to one team a number of times, and they've been very forthright in trying to piece it together. I hope to have that wrapped up here in a day or two." Stay tuned.

Rumors out of Calgary state that the Flames are interested in trading for the Kings' Ryan Smyth. There have been rumors that Smyth, who has one year left on his contract, wants to return to Edmonton, so going down the road to Calgary should not be so bad. Smyth denied the rumor that he asked the Kings to trade him to Edmonton. Smyth had 23 goals and 24 assists last season and at the age of 35 is still a serviceable top-six forward. Stay tuned.

Ryan Smyth strongly denied a TSN report that he wants the Los Angeles Kings to trade him to Edmonton. "Holy Cow ... I have no idea where that's coming from. I have not asked for a trade," said Smyth. Whether or not the rumor is true might prove to be a moot point. Even if Smyth publicly requested a trade to Edmonton, it's not clear that the two sides could work out a deal. Smyth is being significantly overpaid for his level of production and even if he wasn't, Edmonton isn't likely to trade anything of value for a 35-year-old when they're heavily invested in a youth movement. The fact that Smyth has a long history with the Edmonton might make Oilers fans interested in seeing if he'll return, but a trade just doesn't make much sense from the Oilers perspective. That being said, if it turns out that Smyth does want to finish his career in Edmonton, he could sign with them as a free agent in the summer of 2012. Depending on how he performs in 2011-12, he'll probably end up taking a significant pay cut.

Ryan Smyth, who is under contract with the Los Angeles Kings for the 2011-12 season, reportedly wants to be dealt to Edmonton. Smyth was originally drafted by Edmonton with the sixth overall pick in 1994 and he played with them until he was traded to the New York Islanders in 2007. Even if Smyth does want to play for the Oilers, it remains to be seen if the Oilers want him back, given his current salary. Smyth will be paid $4.5 million next season and he comes with a $6.25 million cap hit. That's a lot for a player who only recorded 47 points in 82 games last season, but Edmonton does have a ton of cap space. It's also worth noting that the Oilers are focused on rebuilding and they won't want to deal away any of their significant prospects for an aging and expensive veteran. We'll keep you posted.