| Subject: Harpoons land Sundin, Sturm, deal away Lindros, Desjardins, and Savard |
Author:
Rock Lobster
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Date Posted: 22:17:28 01/19/05 Wed
(HALIFAX)-Just like that, in a pair of deals last night, the Halifax Harpoons upgraded at center and at left wing by landing Mats Sundin and Marco Sturm. Long rumoured but finally confirmed the Sundin deal with B.C. took a while before the details were finally hammered out as offers and counter-offers went back and forth between the two GMs over the last two weeks. In the end it was Big M Award winner Eric Lindros, veteran defenders Eric Desjardins and Mark Eaton, and prospects Igor Grigorenko, Jim Slater, and Kiel McLeod going west to Vancouver for the big Swede and future considerations, rumoured to be a draft pick. In addition to the players involved in this deal, Halifax is also putting 9.5 million dollars in to pay off parts of both Lindros' and Desjardins' salaries.
Together with Joe Thornton and Radek Bonk, Sundin gives the Harpoons incredible size down the middle as the three players average 6'4" and 224 pounds. While they could have had the same effect with Eric Lindros, there was always the question of his injury status hanfing over his head.
"Getting Sundin allows us to maintain our size advantage down the middle while significantly improving the health of our three pivots," commented GM Stephen J. Holodinsky. "We feel size at the center position can never been overstated as an advantage."
However, with Thornton, Sundin and Bonk taking the top three spots, that left no room on the roster for Marc Savard, acquired at about this time last year in a package for Rob Blake. Not to fear. Shortly after closing the Sundin deal, Holodinsky put in a call to new Winnipeg GM, Steve Gandour and within an hour the two agreed on a deal that sent Marc Savard out west in return for speedy left winger Marco Sturm.
"Sturm is going to give a lot of people headaches with his blinding speed," exclaimed Holodinsky. "More importantly however, he will allow Matian Hossa to move over to his natural position, right wing."
However, this raises another question. With Hossa, Milan Hejduk, Zigmund Palffy and Jeff O'Neill all playing the right side now, someone is going to be the odd man out. Stay tuned folks, this off-season isn't over by a mile.
Rock Lobster
HALIFAX HERALD
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