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Tuesday, June 26, 2001
Teams building for now help those building for later
By Brian A. Shactman
ESPN.com
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The 2001 NHL draft weekend wasn't about the draft at all. It was about player movement. It's always been that way because every team's management is in one spot, making it the easiest environment in which to make a trade. So easy, in fact, the Quebec Nordiques had the ability to trade Eric Lindros to two teams on draft day in 1992.
This year, most of the focus was on cheap young players and expensive veteran players. Some of the major trades -- the Blues' shipment of Roman Turek to Calgary for Fred Brathwaite and Calgary's deportation of Valeri Bure to Florida -- weren't motivated on either end by money, while many of the minor trades were about adding depth and stockpiling draft picks. It was enough to forget the draft altogether.
ESPN.com combines the trading and the drafting in determining the weekend's winners and losers:
The winners
| |  | | | Kovalchuk |
Atlanta: The Thrashers made the right move by holding onto the No. 1 pick and choosing Ilya Kovalchuk. Whether it's this season or next, Kovalchuk's talent eventually will pay dividends. Acquiring Blues forward Lubos Bartecko for a fourth-round draft pick made the maturing Thrashers a better team right away. Granted, Bartecko isn't a top-level player, but the 6-foot-1, 200-pound left wing is just two seasons removed from a 16-goal, plus-25 performance -- which would have placed him second on this year's Thrashers team in goals. A two-way player of his caliber can only help, provided he remains healthy. Bartecko missed 26 games due to injury last season.
Florida: With the acquisition of Valeri Bure from Calgary, the Panthers addressed some non-hockey related needs: brother Pavel should be happier, more tickets will be sold, and the art department need not search any longer for a cover to the 2001-02 media guide.
On the hockey end, if Val and Pavel enjoy playing together as much as they did in the 2000 All-Star Game, the Panthers may have the offensive jump they were lacking last season. Center Jason Wiemer, who they also acquired from the Flames, may be just 25-years old, but he's a seven-year veteran. Wiemer is solid (6-foot-1, 220 pounds) and brings a major physical presence to Florida's front lines with his 177 penalty minutes last season. Wiemer's presence may enable Peter Worrell to become more of an all-around hockey player, instead of a 250-penalty minute Bure protector.
The Panthers chose a potential gem at No. 4 in center Stephen Weiss -- many scouts say he outplayed No. 2 pick Jason Spezza in the OHL playoffs -- while Florida picked again at No. 24, choosing defenseman Lukas Krajicek.
Since the departed Rob Niedermayer (12-20-32 last season) had worn out his welcome in South Florida, the weekend turned out well for the Panthers.
| |  | | | Quintal |
Montreal: The Canadiens added defenseman Stephane Quintal, from Chicago, and right winger Andreas Dackell, from Ottawa, without giving up anyone on the current roster. Neither are world-beaters, but both will help deepen a thin lineup. Quintal finally ends up where he should be. Two years ago, the Quebec native wanted to remain with the Canadiens, but was enticed by Rangers riches. Two teams later, he's back with Montreal, where he had his best NHL seasons. Dackell will score somewhere between 10-15 goals, as he always does, and play a solid, two-way game. Since Montreal led the league in man-games lost last season, it's encouraging that Dackell hasn't played fewer than 77 games in any season since arriving in the NHL in 1996.
The Habs found the future anchor for their defense in Mike Komisarek at No. 7. At 6-4, 225, he has the size and the savvy to command a presence on the blue line unseen in Montreal since the departure of Larry Robinson. It remains to be seen how many years Komisarek will stay at the University of Michigan.
Ottawa: The Senators acquired four solid players -- one who could be a superstar -- and rid themselves of a headache without causing any long-term damage. Sure, they will miss Alexei Yashin's offense, but the Senators proved two seasons ago that they can make the playoffs without him. Defenseman Zdeno Chara and winger Bill Muckalt from the Islanders add much-needed size to the blue-line and forward depth.
As for Spezza, he may well grace the media guide cover as well, and fare much better than Alexandre Daigle did after he was chosen No. 1 in 1993. Like Daigle, Spezza has deftly handled the pressures of being a junior hockey hero. Unlike Daigle, he'll have a supporting cast and won't be relied on to carry the team in his frist NHL season.
The fourth player in Tim Gleason, a teammate of Spezza's with the Windsor Spitfires who the Senators picked at No. 23. Gleason is a fast-skating defenseman, who will fit in well with Ottawa's up-tempo style when he's ready for the NHL.
The losers
Washington: It's not really the fault of general manager George McPhee that the Capitals' first pick wasn't until late in the second round (Nathan Paetsch at No. 58). Without any high-end draft picks or trades which solved any needs (read: scoring), the Capitals might be forced to plunge into unrestricted free agency this summer. If they don't, they'll unlikely be able to get out of the first round of the playoffs, once again.
| |  | | | Lumme |
Dallas: Entering the weekend, the average age of the Dallas roster was just over 30-years old. After trading 21-year-old Tyler Bouck to Phoenix and soon-to-be 35-year-old Jyrki Lumme, it has gotten even older. The Stars can't make trades because whoever they have of value, GM Bob Gainey absolutely must keep. Since the franchise moves into a new arena next season, expect Gainey to dangle some serious coin at unrestricted free agents -- making the roster better, but even older.
The jury is still out
| |  | | | Peca |
N.Y. Islanders: Mike Peca and Alexei Yashin are great, but is anyone left to play around them? Maybe. Brad Isbister and Mark Parrish are both goal-scorers who should only get better. The Isles also hope Yashin's presence aids in the development of fellow Russian center Oleg Kvasha, who will be 22 this summer. GM Mike Milbury didn't think Kvasha received a fair chance last season, and with Yashin in the dressing room (can Yashin and mentor be placed in the same sentence?) -- Kvasha will be more comfortable.
Throw in Claude Lapointe and Mariusz Czerkawski, and it seems the Isles could have two excellent forward lines and an exciting power play. Czerkawski is the X-factor. The 29-year-old right wing scored 30 goals last season, but few of them meant a whole lot -- 18 came after Jan. 1 when the Isles were pretty much out of it. Before the recent additions, Czerkawski asked to be traded. If Czerkawski stays, there won't be much excuse for any slip in production with the upgraded talent at center.
The Islanders are obviously in "win now" mode -- they jettisoned the No. 2 pick, three young players and a role player for Yashin and Peca. But without a solid foundation in goal -- the Isles currently have 19-year old Rick DiPietro and Chris Terreri, who the Devils couldn't rely on to backup their Cup run -- it will be difficult to do.
Buffalo: Talk about young talent. The Sabres picked four players in the first two rounds over the weekend and received center Tim Connolly and left winger Taylor Pyatt -- both first-rounders from 1999 -- from the Islanders in the Peca deal. However, adding Connolly and Pyatt doesn't make them any better than the Cup finals team from 1999. If GM Darcy Regier truly felt the team was a contender, why didn't he deal Peca for some veterans last season instead of for some kids now? As a result, the Sabres aren't a true contender right now but could be in 2-3 years. That could be more time than Dominink Hasek is willing to wait.
Brian A. Shactman covers the NHL for ESPN.com.
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