Well, it was only a matter of time, but few believed the time would come this early. Despite being seventh in the Western Conference with 36 points, the Vancouver Canucks made it clear Mario Lemieux would not finish the season a Canuck. Last night, GM Sean Keogh completed a major trade, dealing Lemieux to Washington.
Upon acquiring the sure-fire hall of famer, Lemieux himself was angered at not being with a Cup contending team, in what many believe may be his final season in the HFNHL. "I love Vancouver as a city, great fans and they'll be amazing in a couple of seasons. Right now, I don't want to play here though," is how Lemieux described it at the time of the deal.
Keogh was believed to have promised the big centre a deal to a superior team before the trading deadline, but a deal wasn't expected for a while. Mario got his wish, and he will have plenty of time to get acclimatized to his new team before the playoffs get underway. Mario is headed to the Washington Capitals, along with an undisclosed amount of cash. In return, Vancouver has recieved young forward prospect Antoine Vermette as the centerpiece of the deal, as well as Sergei Berezin and a 2005 4th round pick.
Keogh was ecstatic over the acquisition of Vermette. "He's going to be a player for us, said Keogh, Not a first liner, but probably a second liner, and he'll suit up next year." Berezin was acquired in an attempt to keep the team competitive, as there are words Keogh may still try to make the playoffs.
When asked about the issue of the playoffs, Keogh simply said "I never expected to be in a playoff position at this point in the season. The boys are playing unbelievable, and we'll do everything we can to keep this team in the playoff hunt while also sticking to our rebuilding plan. We will not deal prime young players for expensive veterans or anything, that is for sure."
Word is there are several more deals in the works some of the blockbuster variety, and
www.vancouverprovince.com is the best place to get all the news first.
Stan Smyl
Vancouver Province
