---- From mef17@columbia.edu Date: Mon, 21 Mar 1994 19:01:26 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Fornabaio (mef17@columbia.edu) To: kkeller@mail.sas.upenn.edu Subject: Trades NYR Ah, it's days like this that I miss the non-daily digest format. I'd have been on this machine for the whole afternoon. My 2 cents worth on the deals: Andersson for a conditional 9th: Somehow I think that after waiting nine years for Peter, he'd be more valuable to us on the bench than a crapshoot ninth round pick. P. Bourque for everybody's favorite player, Future Considerations: well, I ain't too disappointed, anyway. Amonte and a college kid (? or juniors? didn't catch the name) for Noonan and Matteau: well, Matteau is younger than I thought anyway, and Noonan has shown a couple of flashes in the playoffs (he had a big year the time the Hawks died in the 1st round, if I remember). Could work out, although I did like the way Amonte was trying to toss his weight around. Gartner for Anderson: Who the hell scores goals for this team now? A lotta people are going to have to pick it up. Anderson has to be brilliant in the postseason for this deal to be worthwhile at all. (PS--Neil Smith on FAN said the Rangers also got Toronto's 4th rounder this year and a prospect named Scott Malone out of U New Hampshire. My NHL Guide is two years old, but he's 23 and was 6', 180 lbs, Toronto's 10th pick, 220 overall in 1990. Anyone know anything else, more recent, about him?) Marchant for MacTavish: decent deal. Don't know how much MacTavish really has left, but he is a center in time of trouble and he does have those rings. Marchant could be good, but hell, this deal fits right in, I think. Now if they give Anderson number nine and take it away from Graves I really go nuts. Maybe jump out the window or something. Off to Calgary... Mike Fornabaio (Hmm. Anderson #8, MacTavish #14, Noonan #20, Norstrom either #3 or #5, Matteau #29? Whaddaya think?) ----Quaint if only because I was still worried Graves was gonna lose his sweater number...
The college or juniors kid sent with Tony Amonte to Chicago was a college (Miami of Ohio) center named Matt Oates, who's played the last four years with the Blackhawks' ECHL affiliate, the Columbus Chill. He's played reasonably well down there.
Peter Andersson's ninth-round payoff produced Vitali Yeremeyev (yes, that Vitali Yeremeyev -- why not trade one European you've waited for forever and get another European you'll wait for forever); Our Favorite Ace played the rest of the season in Florida, then returned to Europe. And Phil Bourque's future considerations from Ottawa are still, officially anyway, future considerations; Phil's still playing in Germany as best we know, for EHC Hamburg last time we looked.
Mattias Norstrom indeed moves to No. 5 as Craig MacTavish takes over No. 14. Mostly, that just means Norstrom gets announced earlier among the scratches. Brian Noonan and Stephane Matteau each take the number of a Binghamton Ranger: Matteau gets Daniel Lacroix's No. 32, while Noonan takes Jim Hiller's No. 16. Glenn Anderson is given No. 36 (first to wear it since Todd Charlesworth); I stay away from windows.
The papers will call it a "Massacre on 33rd" and words to that effect, but in retrospect the team is built nicely for a run at the 1994 Stanley Cup.
Though it is completely unimportant at the time, for playing the 1994-95 regular season (which, due to stagnant labor negotiations, is still just a rumor) and beyond, however, the team is taken somewhat back, as no one will be able to score goals for this team. This forces the trade of a No. 1 pick in 1995 (J-S Giguere, though the good Petr Sykora was available) and a couple of spare parts to Hartford for Pat Verbeek. But how many Years Ago is this, anyway? (A: 5)
Todd Marchant and Tony Amonte will go on to be highly productive members of their new teams, Amonte even hitting the net on a regular basis. Mike Gartner remains the classy professional for four more years until his career reaches a disastrous end with the Phoenix Coyotes, who end up waiving him to get Michel (play for nine teams, get the tenth free) Petit onto their roster.
Meanwhile back in 1994, Vancouver completes the Nedved-Janney fiasco by returning Craig Janney to St. Louis for Jeff Brown, Bret Hedican, and a young center named Nathan LaFayette. LaFayette will twice be entwined in Ranger history in the next year, acquiring a sonorous nickname in the process.
There are 15 trades in the NHL today, actually, involving 30 players. The other big highlight: Al Iafrate from Washington to Boston for Joey Juneau. Detroit also gets goalie Bob Essensa from Winnipeg for Dallas Drake and Tim Cheveldae.
Mike ("Always move forward; going straight will get you nowhere." -Green Day) Fornabaio -- mef17@oocities.com
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(and since it has to be said: DING!)