J.R.
7-26-05, 8:39 PM
Ducks shopping the 2nd overall pick
7/26/2005 4:34:31 PM
The Pittsburgh Penguins have no intention of trading the first overall pick in Saturday's NHL entry draft, but the finalist in the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes is shopping the second overall pick, and shopping it hard.
Anaheim general manager Brian Burke said he has no qualms about trading the No. 2 pick...for the right price, of course.
"I've already gotten eight to 10 calls but I haven't heard anything so far that would cause us to move it, not even close," the Mighty Ducks' GM told TSN.
"We will shop this pick. We have a lot of kids ready to step in for us -- Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Joffrey Lupul and Ladislav Smid -- and if we can trade the (No. 2) pick outright for an established player who is a good fit for us, we will do it.
And if we get offers to move down a few spots and we can get another (draft) pick, we can do that too. It's really wide open. We want to see what's out there."
If the Ducks decide not to trade the pick for an established player, they are believed to be looking to make a choice from a group of five prospects that includes: Sudbury forward Benoit Pouliot, Owen Sound forward Bobby Ryan, Vancouver Giant forward Gilbert Brule and a pair of defencemen -- Jack Johnson of the U.S. U-18 program and Sudbury's Marc Staal.
If the Ducks feel there's a good chance they could get one of those players at a draft position lower than No. 2, it's possible they'll trade down if they find a partner willing to pay some sort of premium to be guaranteed to get the next-best prospect after No. 1 pick Sidney Crosby.
"Hey, I would be happy to trade up or down in this draft," Burke said with a laugh, knowing there's no chance the Penguins are prepared to move the No. 1 pick and the right to draft Crosby.
With the Crosby coronation a foregone conclusion at the draft in Ottawa on Saturday, what the Ducks do with the No. 2 overall pick may well provide the most excitement of the day.
Via: TSN.ca (http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=131498).
7/26/2005 4:34:31 PM
The Pittsburgh Penguins have no intention of trading the first overall pick in Saturday's NHL entry draft, but the finalist in the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes is shopping the second overall pick, and shopping it hard.
Anaheim general manager Brian Burke said he has no qualms about trading the No. 2 pick...for the right price, of course.
"I've already gotten eight to 10 calls but I haven't heard anything so far that would cause us to move it, not even close," the Mighty Ducks' GM told TSN.
"We will shop this pick. We have a lot of kids ready to step in for us -- Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Joffrey Lupul and Ladislav Smid -- and if we can trade the (No. 2) pick outright for an established player who is a good fit for us, we will do it.
And if we get offers to move down a few spots and we can get another (draft) pick, we can do that too. It's really wide open. We want to see what's out there."
If the Ducks decide not to trade the pick for an established player, they are believed to be looking to make a choice from a group of five prospects that includes: Sudbury forward Benoit Pouliot, Owen Sound forward Bobby Ryan, Vancouver Giant forward Gilbert Brule and a pair of defencemen -- Jack Johnson of the U.S. U-18 program and Sudbury's Marc Staal.
If the Ducks feel there's a good chance they could get one of those players at a draft position lower than No. 2, it's possible they'll trade down if they find a partner willing to pay some sort of premium to be guaranteed to get the next-best prospect after No. 1 pick Sidney Crosby.
"Hey, I would be happy to trade up or down in this draft," Burke said with a laugh, knowing there's no chance the Penguins are prepared to move the No. 1 pick and the right to draft Crosby.
With the Crosby coronation a foregone conclusion at the draft in Ottawa on Saturday, what the Ducks do with the No. 2 overall pick may well provide the most excitement of the day.
Via: TSN.ca (http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=131498).