Pierre McGuire's In the Crease
Michael Farber
February 26, 2007
One of the most sought-after players on the trading block is 40-year-old Panthers winger Gary Roberts, a Stanley Cup winner and proven leader. Detroit and Ottawa would especially benefit from Roberts's veteran presence. Several of his teammates—left wing Martin Gelinas, center Olli Jokinen and right wing Todd Bertuzzi—could also be dealt before the Feb. 27 deadline.... When healthy, Wild right wing Marian Gaborik is the best one-on-one player in the league. Minnesota is 17-6-3 when Gaborik, who has great acceleration with the puck on his stick, is in the lineup and 15-17-2 when he's not.... Under general manager Doug Wilson, the Sharks are drafting and developing players as well as any organization in the league. One of those young players is 21-year-old Steve Bernier, whom San Jose selected 16th overall in 2003. Bernier, a 6'2", 235-pound forward with smooth hands, scored 14 goals in 39 games last year, and this season he had 11 goals in 39 games before being sent down to Worcester of the American Hockey League to hone his skills. Now the Sharks are being bombarded with trade offers for Bernier. Don't be surprised to see him go if Wilson can obtain a key veteran in exchange.... Give Canucks G.M. David Nonis the nod for best 2006 off-season move in his deal to obtain goalie Roberto Luongo from the Panthers in June. Luongo is a big-time stopper (34 wins through Sunday) who has put Vancouver in playoff contention and also has a shot at the league's MVP award. Another player in the trade who's starting to pay major dividends for the Canucks is 23-year-old defenseman Lukas Krajicek, a mobile, puck-moving blueliner who has made great strides under first-year coach Alain Vigneault.
One of the most sought-after players on the trading block is 40-year-old Panthers winger Gary Roberts, a Stanley Cup winner and proven leader. Detroit and Ottawa would especially benefit from Roberts's veteran presence. Several of his teammates—left wing Martin Gelinas, center Olli Jokinen and right wing Todd Bertuzzi—could also be dealt before the Feb. 27 deadline.... When healthy, Wild right wing Marian Gaborik is the best one-on-one player in the league. Minnesota is 17-6-3 when Gaborik, who has great acceleration with the puck on his stick, is in the lineup and 15-17-2 when he's not.... Under general manager Doug Wilson, the Sharks are drafting and developing players as well as any organization in the league. One of those young players is 21-year-old Steve Bernier, whom San Jose selected 16th overall in 2003. Bernier, a 6'2", 235-pound forward with smooth hands, scored 14 goals in 39 games last year, and this season he had 11 goals in 39 games before being sent down to Worcester of the American Hockey League to hone his skills. Now the Sharks are being bombarded with trade offers for Bernier. Don't be surprised to see him go if Wilson can obtain a key veteran in exchange.... Give Canucks G.M. David Nonis the nod for best 2006 off-season move in his deal to obtain goalie Roberto Luongo from the Panthers in June. Luongo is a big-time stopper (34 wins through Sunday) who has put Vancouver in playoff contention and also has a shot at the league's MVP award. Another player in the trade who's starting to pay major dividends for the Canucks is 23-year-old defenseman Lukas Krajicek, a mobile, puck-moving blueliner who has made great strides under first-year coach Alain Vigneault.
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