Players Traded During 2008 Draft

With the #1 overall selection a sure thing this year (just like every year), the real surprise tonight during the NHL 2008 Entry Draft is the marquee players who were traded.

Steve Stamkos is expected to be a great (and cheaper) replacement for former TB Lightning player Brad Richards. I have not seen this guy play in the OHL yet, but the hype surrounding him could vault his moniker's value to "household name". Could Stamkos be a star player that the NHL is looking for to go through the 21st century? Only time will tell.


Mike Cammeleri, once rumored to be traded to Pittsburgh, found himself given to Calgary. And that acquisition left Alex Tanguay expendable.

"I'm very excited," Tanguay told TSN's sister station in Quebec RDS on Friday. "I'm really like the style the Canadiens play and I believe it fits my style of play."

A Ste-Justine, Quebec native, Tanguay is coming off a disappointing season that saw him score only 18 goals and 40 assists in 81 games while hearing his name mentioned almost constantly in trade rumours.

"Alex Tanguay was not comfortable with the Calgary Flames," general manager Bob Gainey told RDS. "He was on our list of coveted players and was always available. At 28 years of age, I think could be on our team for several seasons."

I like this deal from both Montreal's and Calgary's point of view. Alex didn't work out in a defensive grinding system like Calgary's roster had been built. But Montreal now gets a Stanley Cup champion and 80 pts scorer, something that they could have needed to get them through some dry spells in the opening rounds of the playoffs. Tangay is a true top-line center, but could fit in nicely behind Saku on the #2 line.

My Penguins do not have a draft pick this year in the first 3 rounds. That's okay. We can't afford the cap pressure right now as it is. Look for the Penguins to take a defenseman to replenish the ones that we may lose July 1st.

Check out Erin Nick's blog as she is the greatest Ottawa blogger there covering the draft and relaying a lot of extra anecdotes of the events going in and around Kanata, ON.

[Via: TSN.ca]