Stumbled across this article (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/draft02/2002-06-24-usat-draftline.htm) while looking into the Oilers selection of Robin Kovar (subsequently voided) in 2002. It says, in part:
The Oilers had tried aggressively to move up in the draft Saturday. Before Tampa Bay took Philadelphia Flyers forward Ruslan Fedotenko ($450,000 a season) and two second-round picks for the No. 4 pick, the Lightning reportedly turned down the Oilers' offer of Jochen Hecht ($1 million) and a first-round pick. The Oilers later dealt Hecht to the Buffalo Sabres.
Now, as I recall, Pitkanen was pretty much a consensus pick at Number 4, behind the big three (Nash, Bouwmeester, Lehtonen) and ahead of everyone else. Because the Oilers failed to move up they wound up picking Jussi Niinimaki at 15th overall. Oilers draft history would look lots better with Pitkanen as the first round pick.
Does anybody else find it odd how often this organization trades for guys it coveted in the 1st round but couldn't get (for example, Robert Nilsson)?
The Oilers had tried aggressively to move up in the draft Saturday. Before Tampa Bay took Philadelphia Flyers forward Ruslan Fedotenko ($450,000 a season) and two second-round picks for the No. 4 pick, the Lightning reportedly turned down the Oilers' offer of Jochen Hecht ($1 million) and a first-round pick. The Oilers later dealt Hecht to the Buffalo Sabres.
Now, as I recall, Pitkanen was pretty much a consensus pick at Number 4, behind the big three (Nash, Bouwmeester, Lehtonen) and ahead of everyone else. Because the Oilers failed to move up they wound up picking Jussi Niinimaki at 15th overall. Oilers draft history would look lots better with Pitkanen as the first round pick.
Does anybody else find it odd how often this organization trades for guys it coveted in the 1st round but couldn't get (for example, Robert Nilsson)?