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No Staal-ing for Penguins on Draft Day |
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Written by Steve Wozniak
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Friday, 22 June 2012 23:23 |
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While Round One of the draft was distinctly deviod of drama, the Penguins made the biggest splash, moving centerman Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes and acquiring the highly-coveted Brandon Sutter in the process.
PITTBURGH-- For center Jordan Staal, who spent Friday getting married, the honeymoon was just beginning.
For Pittsburgh fans, the honeymoon ended a day earlier when news leaked out that the third-line Penguins center had refused a 10-year contract extension from the team that would have paid him in the neighborhood of $60 million.
Penguins faithful had seen this before, about a decade ago, when Jaromir Jagr pouted his way through his final season in black-and-gold, infamously stating that he was “dying alive” in the city that now scorns him relentlessly. Once you give up on a future in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh gives up on you. (See also: Hossa, Marian)
So it was no surprise to hear the rain of cheers across Consol Energy Center when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced before the eighth pick of the first round of the NHL draft that Staal had been traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.
While the hockey world waited with bated breath to hear breaking news of a trade involving Columbus’ Rick Nash or Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo, it was the Staal trade that stole the spotlight.
Staal joins his brother Eric in Raleigh, while the Penguins got the Hurricanes’ first-round pick – No. 8 overall – checking line center Brandon Sutter and young highly touted defensive prospect Brian Dumoulin.
“I think it’s a good deal for both teams,” Penguins general manager Ray Shero said after taking time at the podium to thank Jordan Staal for his years in Pittsburgh
As Carolina GM Jim Rutherford pointed out, “For his young age, (Jordan Staal) has a wealth of NHL experience.”
Staal turns 24 in September, and already has a Stanley Cup and six seasons under his belt. Rutherford, who completed the deal with Shero moments before the draft began, plans to begin negotiating his own extension deal with Jordan Staal some time next month.
While it may have made the biggest splash, the Pittsburgh-Carolina deal wasn’t the only trade on Draft Day.
The Washington Capitals, already determined to make an impact with 11 picks in this year’s draft, snagged center Mike Ribeiro from Dallas for young prospect Cody Eakin and their second-round pick at No. 54. With the deal, the Caps get a 60-plus point scorer to center the team’s second line while giving up little.
“Cody Eakin is a young, competitive player who we've had our eye on for some time," Dallas general manager Joe Nieuwendyk said. "He plays a solid two-way game and epitomizes the 'hard to play against' mentality we're building our team around.”
The New York Islanders, desperate to fill gaping holes on their blue line, picked up veteran Lubomir Visnovsky for a late pick in next year’s draft. The Ducks get a salary dump – Visnovsky’s cap hit for next season is $5.6 million – while the Islanders gain a cushion on the salary floor and get a veteran presence to anchor a young squad.
Columbus began the party earlier Friday when the Blue Jackets picked up Philadelphia backup goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for the Blue Jackets’ second- and fourth-round picks from this draft, and next year’s fourth-rounder.
Columbus general manager Scott Howson pointed out Friday that he has received no overwhelming offers for Nash, and so the large buzz building around the floor of the Consol Energy Center before the draft may have been a bit exaggerated.
Photos by Getty Images
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Last Updated on Saturday, 23 June 2012 02:44 |
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