GM Simnor today held a sought after press conference today to address many of the medias questions regarding the recent activities (or lack there of)...
Reporter: Lets start this off by getting right into it and stating the obvious. You didnt get the top line right winger that you were after at deadline time. What happened?
RS: It was a combination of things really. It always is. First off, there are not many sellers out there this deadline. With so many quality teams, there is little to choose from. That being said, some teams that actually think they have a legit shot at it, and want to hold onto a few big guns, have a rude awakening on the way...Have you seen Buffalo and Chicago's line ups!Guys like Arnott, Drury, they would be 3rd/4th liners there!
Reporter: So you did have talks about a few big guns, but what held you back?
RS: I love the balance right now of our team. I am not gonna lie and say a bit more scoring on the right side wouldn't be nice, but i was not willing to part with guys like Sharp and Ryan for a frigging 4 million dollar 78ov RW'er for a year, when he will be absolute crap next year...Igor (Viktor Kozlov) came to me at the deadline and told me he has been practicing his back-hand slap shot, and i think it is gonna huge for us...
Reporter: Back-hand Slapper?
RS: Yah like in NHLPA Hockey '93 for Sega.
Reporter: oh right, gotcha...Anyways, were you at all suprised by any of the deals that went down?
RS: Well besides that fact that Atlanta changes his team more than a dinner plate at an all you can eat buffet, I was a little suprised by the fact that Montreal traded a franchise captain like Iggy. Havlat is a fly by night guy and not someone who is gonna get it done for you in the end. Philly getting the other Sedin was huge, they will be great with Neids... but , in my opinion, gave up Lehtinen for too little. The ST.Loius/ Calgary trade (marleau/langkow deal) threw me off a bit, but i guess it works out for both teams and the direction they are going. Some times you need a big shake up!
Reporter: Shake up your team...not something you hear to much around the Av's is it?
RS: Yah, i get criticised about not dealing as much, but it is only because I am very close to having the team that I am happy with...There are only two other players I would rather have than Malkin*, and even then , I am not 100%.... Morrow is indespensable, St.Loius is arguably the top offensive player in this league (Looking at PPG) and should be up for the hart...My dmen are shaping up nicely, with Keith, Schultz and vets like Mclaren and Rivet...The Youngster Sharp is showing he can score in the NHL and i love my rookies coming up in Downie, Ryan and the gang....
Reporter: You never mentioned anything about your goaltending?
RS: I know. I almost take advantage of the fact that Ollie has been unreal for us. He is so solid for me, that i look past it everytime i analyze the team. He really is something else and is a real leader for the team. I started recruiting him way back in his Comox Valley Minor Hockey years, and he has been a #1 ever since...I am not sure about the future, as we are going to need a bit of cap room next year, but Ollie is looking to lead us far into the play-offs this year....
Reporter: Yah, what is the short/long term goals for the Av's?
RS: I really think this team can turn a few heads this year. We are doing it already by hanging around teams like Chicago, Buff, Minny, and Detroit but we have one goal in mind and that is the cup. As for long term, we plan to keep building a franchise that haunts all teams, from the top to the bottom dwellers!
*Gossip man, if you read this, is still recall you stating that i made the worst pick in the Inaugular Draft by choosing Malkin early 2nd round!!!!
Ross, great write up first of all. I read it from top to bottom and enjoyed it thoroughly. Some nice jokes in there and some quality information. One of the best press releases in quite a while.
As for the Malkin being a bad pick in the 2nd round... He wouldnt have lasted to the third. The Sabres would have snagged him with our 2nd rounder had you not taken him. You moreless shocked us a bit but it was a savvy pick then and is a savvy pick now. You can build around that guy big time! Keep up the good work.
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"With Sid on your team, anything is possible" - Mario lemieux
If I was going to try and go for youth off the bat, I would've taken him in the 2nd as well.
I can understand why GMs didn't take him, as he was available to play till this year. But I don't think anyone could say that taking him was a mistake on any level.
Good pick.
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"As long as those gnome elite molecules emerge, we certainly can reduce casualties. Their warplanes troops would be nice."
just curious GM Simnor how you can say that the Flyers got too little for lehtinen when you were asking me for him and never got back to me about ryan for him...
To be honest, being on ICQ like the rest of the league would have SERIOUSLY helped your chances of pulling off a blockbuster.. in the weeks leading up to the deadline...
i was kinda surprised how many teams held onto assets that absolutely needed to be dealt (federov, lang, forsberg)
kinda a disappointing deadline
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Get ahold of me soon, or my players will already be dealt!
I was on ICQ, and i did get back to you regarding Lehtinen...and told you that i wasn't giving you Ryan for him... also, some GMs just don't understand something called 'cap room' and most teams that are in the hunt are very close to it and can't just give up a prospect for a guy making 3+ million!
