EDMONTON - General manager Bob Hamley continues to put his stamp on the Edmonton Rush, engineering three transactions today that made the team younger and in a better position to get even younger in the next two draft years.

"We still think we have enough to make the playoffs. I don't think we've tampered with any of that."

- Bob Hamley

Hamley, who took over as general manager-coach in late February, traded away goaltender Matt Disher and forwards Chris Gill and Mike Accursi, all in their 30s, along with the team's second round draft pick this year and their fourth round pick in 2009. In return he got five players - only one over the age of 30 - and first round picks in 2008 and 2009 and a second round pick this year.

"You hate to give up guys like Gill and Accursi, they're quality lacrosse players and even better people, but 2-7 is unacceptable," Hamley said of the deals and the Rush's won-loss record this season. "We still think we have enough to make the playoffs. I don't think we've tampered with any of that."

The deals on the trading deadline day went like this:

Edmonton sent Disher, obtained from Minnesota last summer, and their 2009 fourth-round pick to Portland in exchange for 25-year-old goaltender Matt King, 21-year-old, six-foot-five defender Ian Crashley and a 2009 first-round pick.

"Now we have two first-round picks in 2008 and two in 09. When I came here we didn't have any first-round picks."

-bob hamley

"Crashley is a good defender, the sky's the limit for that kid," said Hamley. "He's played regularly for Portland. He was the key to that deal."

The Rush sent Gill to Colorado, where he scored 29 goals and won a league championship in 2006, along with their 2008 second-round pick. In return they get Colorado's first round pick this year.

"Colorado was chasing me for Gill since I got the job," said Hamley.

Hamley then signed 27-year-old forward Chris McKay, a dispersal pick from Arizona, and defender Andrew Martin off San Jose's hold-out list.

"He's a tough-nosed defender with a lot of grit, a guy we need," Hamley said of Martin.

"To get the first-round picks, I think we've brightened our future."

-Bob Hamley

At the deadline, Hamley agreed to send Accursi, who was picked up in November from Rochester for Edmonton's 2009 first-round draft pick, to Buffalo for veteran forward Dan Teat, a second-round pick this year and a first-rounder in 2009.

"The deal Buffalo came up with really knocked my socks off," said Hamley. "It was something I couldn't turn down for the franchise. It gave us the opportunity to have a good second-round pick and two first rounders in '09, which will be a good draft.

"Now we have two first-round picks in 2008 and two in 09. When I came here we didn't have any first-round picks."

Two weeks ago Hamley made a series of deals that brought forwards Lindsay Plunkett, Brendan Thenhaus and Mike Hominuck to the Rush along with a first-round pick for this year.

Despite giving up Gill and Accursi, who had among the team's offensive leaders this season, Hamley is confident the Rush haven't hurt their ability to take a run at a playoff berth.

"We still think we have enough to make the playoffs, I don't think we've tampered with any of that," he said after the busy day. "Nothing against Accursi and Gill, but we won in Portland without Accursi and we won against Rochester without Gill. I don't know if that means anything, but those two guys were marketable assets that people wanted."

And, he added, the deals have greatly improved the team's ability to improve in the future.

"To get the first-round picks, I think we've brightened our future. You have to build through the draft and I think we've built for the future without giving up a chance to do a lot of damage going into the playoff run."

jkorobanik@thejournal.canwest.com