RALEIGH - In an announcement that surprised no one yesterday, Hurricanes GM Norm Donovan revealed that veteran centre Steve Yzerman had been traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2nd and 3rd round pick in the next draft.
A responsible two-way player known for his leadership qualities, Yzerman had been on the block for almost a month according to some sources, despite being acquired via trade from Detroit this off-season. When pressed, Donovan was quite frank about his motivations for the deal.
"During the off-season we were trying to build a team that could compete while still trying to hang onto the assets which we will need for the future," said Donovan, "Initially we had some success in this endeavour but by the time the pre-season hit it was clear that the other teams in the Eastern Conference had pulled far enough ahead of us talent-wise. We just hit a point where we either needed to start moving our quality young guys to keep up with the Jones' or pull back and regroup and try to keep what we have. I think in the long-term, this is the smarter gamble for our organization."
Although that philosophy may in fact be true, it's a hard-sell for the local Carolina fans, like Cletus Burger, 42, a part-time sewage inspector for the city of Raleigh. "We were hoping to at least see a competitive team this year, but it looks like we'll have to wait a while," said Burger, "Do you think I can sell my Steve Yzerman Hurricanes bobblehead on eBay for a higher price now?"
Indications are that Yzerman is only the tip of the iceberg, however. Rod Brind'Amour, Jon Klemm, Aaron Ward and Glen Wesley have all apparently drawn interest and will be dealt. Erik Cole has been almost traded about 3 times in the last month, according to sources, and a number of GMs have even been inquiring about starter Kevin Weekes.