RALEIGH - Hurricanes GM Norm Donovan was expected by many to use the draft - hosted in Carolina - to make some bold moves to satisfy the home crowd. He did not disappoint.
After the first day of drafting, in which the Hurricanes pulled off numerous trades involving picks and prospects, Donovan still had not acquired the elusive top 2 centre he had been after for weeks. That evening however, the Canes GM got on the horn with Ryan Caster, general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings, deep on talent but still well above the salary cap, were looking to shave some payroll and the Hurricanes were only too happy to assist. By the next morning, as the 5th round of the draft was about to get underway, Donovan announced that he had acquired future Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman in exchange for checking centre Kevyn Adams and two late picks.
"Steve is a top notch forward, an experienced veteran and a legendary leader in the dressing room," gushed Donovan, "we are proud to have him with us."
The move allows Donovan to move Josef Vasicek to the left wing to round out his top 2 offensive lines. Though a lack of depth at all 3 forward positions is still a concern, the Hurricanes can now pose a definate threat in the offensive zone while still being defensively responsible.
"We have been blessed with a core of forwards who understand team defence," said new head coach Joel Quenville, "the addition of Steve Yzerman only makes us that much more difficult to play against."
With the draft completed, sources indicate that Donovan will focus on trying to acquire depth players and defensive forwards with what limited resources he still has available.