"Since finishing last in the West with a high payroll, there has been a mandate from Avalanche ownership: Get younger, get cheaper and rebuild. Part of that mandate was filled Friday night when the Avs traded left wing Ryan Smyth to the Los Angeles Kings for two young defensemen - Kyle Quincey and Tom Preissing - and a fifth-round draft pick in 2010. The trade will not become official until the players pass a physical. It may come as a shock to some Avs fans that the team would trade the former all-star, but it has been a poorly guarded secret for a while now that the Avs were trying to trade him. When he signed a five-year, $31.25 million free-agent deal in 2007 that included a no-trade clause, the 33-year-old Smyth was hailed by management as a critical piece in getting back to the Stanley Cup Finals. But after a last-place finish this season, Smyth's age and contract were seen as undesirable. The key to the deal for the Avs may be Quincey, who posted a respectable 38 points (four goals) in 72 games for the Kings last season, leading all defensemen. At 23, Quincey fits the new Avs profile, as well as a desirable salary for the upcoming season: $550,000. Quincey had surgery in April to repair a herniated disc, but is expected to have a full recovery. Preissing, 30, is well-known to hardcore area hockey fans, as he played four years at Colorado College, where he was a Hobey Baker finalist in 2003. "We are pleased to add two quality NHL defensemen," Avs general manager Greg Sherman said in a statement. "They will add defensive depth to our lineup.""