Asham, Kvasha Ink One-Year Deals

[Thrillhouse]

The Islanders have re-signed veteran forwards Arron Asham and Oleg Kvasha to one-year contracts. Both players are entering their seventh NHL seasons in 2004-05.

Kvasha was the co-leader in points for the Islanders in 2003-04 with 51 and had a career-year with 15 goals and 36 assists in 81 games. He represented his native Russia at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and recorded an assist in two games.

The 6-5, 230-pound Kvasha spent the 2004-05 season in Russia and split time between CSKA Moscow and Severstal Cherepovets. In 48 combined games, he went 9-11-20 with 44 penalty minutes. In 429 career NHL games with the Panthers and Islanders, Kvasha is 68-117-185.

The 27-year old Asham spent the 2004-05 season in the Swiss National League with EHC Visp and went 2-4-6 in five games. In 2003-04, Asham was 12-12-24 in 79 games for the Islanders, and 15-19-34 in 78 games in his first season with club in 2002-03. In 278 career NHL Games, Asham is 38-40-78 with 287 penalty minutes.

The 5-11, 209-pound Asham was originally drafted by Montreal in the third round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He spent five seasons in the Canadiens organization prior to being traded to the Islanders along with a fifth round draft selection in the 2002 draft for Mariusz Czerkawski in June of 2002.