Very likely to no one's surprise, Don Maloney was in Montreal on Saturday night to scout Petr Sykora. Perhaps by design, Sykora had an even-strength goal and a primary assist on a power-play in the Ducks' 5-3 win over the Habs.
Larry Brooks reports that Maloney was dispatched to Canada to catch a glimpse of the Czech winger. Larry also cites several sources who told The Post that Glen Sather and Anaheim GM Brian Burke have had ongoing talks about a deal that would bring the 29 year-old to Broadway.
I would tell Glen that if the deal is reasonable, pull the trigger today. Despite earning 5 out of a possible 6 points on this three-game Western Conference road trip, they did not look particularly good in two of those games. Those two games, ironically, were against two sub .500 teams.
Larry points out that Burke is seeking an "equal-value" swap for Sykora. Right now, equal value means Steve Rucchin, who has 7 goals and 9 assists in 30 games thus far. Sykora has 5 goals and 8 assists in 24 games. Tom Poti also comes to mind, and it has been rumored that Glen has been trying to deal Tom for quite some time. Of course, Burke may not want to take Rucchin back, and may be looking for younger, cheaper players. So long as that list of players does not include Petr Prucha, Henrik Lundqvist, Fedor Tyutin, Dominic Moore, or Marc Staal, I would be interested to see what Burke is seeking. I am not saying I am willing to give up just ANY other player in the system, but I wouldn't be adverse to listening to offers.
Nonetheless, the Rangers are starting a difficult stretch in their schedule, with the next five games being played against Vancouver, Colorado, the Devils, Tampa Bay, and Ottawa. They still desperately need some help on their power-play, and Sykora could provide just enough to improve it significantly.
Don't be surprised if an announcement is made today. The Ducks are traveling through Eastern Canada, so it would not be unreasonable to assume that if a move was made, he could join the team for tomorrow night's match at the Garden. That is, of course, if Burke's offer is reasonable.
Steve Zipay of Newsday writes that the Rangers were feeling festive at their holiday party yesterday, and it probably has a lot to do with winning.
Spector talks about the Sykora deal and the other rumors buzzing around the NHL.
If anything happens today, I'll be sure to check back in.
HDH
Posted by Jim at December 12, 2005 09:51 AMeMail this entry!
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