If there is one guy who likes the summer more than any other GM out there, it has to be Brian Burke. Last summer, Burke signed coveted free agent Scott Niedermayer and this summer, Burke traded for one of the biggest names out there on the trading block, Chris Pronger.
That's right, today Burke acquired Chris Pronger from the Oilers for Joffery Lupul, Ladislav Smid, the Ducks 1st Round pick in '07, a conditional 1st Round pick in '08, and a 2nd Round pick in '08. The question of who got the better of the deal is up for debate. Some Oilers fans, like those from Battle of Alberta feel they got...well, violated, while almost admiting defeat already for the '06-'07 Season. Some believe that the return is as good as what is leaving all things considered.
Personally, it works out both ways. For the Ducks, they have an amazing top-3 defense with Pronger, Niedermayer, and Francois Beauchemin. Plus, it seemed like negociations with Lupul had stalled anyway, so though it's a depth loss, the Ducks won't have to worry about a young kid holding out if he doesn't like the offer given. This move helps the Ducks short-term.
Long-term, the Oilers could get the better of the deal if they can do well with those picks and somehow get Lupul and Smid to become superstars. Frankly, it hurt the defense, especially when you consider that both Dick Tarnstrom and Jaroslav Spacek are free agents right now and not re-signed. Now, if the picks pan out well for the Oilers, than they could get the better of this deal.
James Mirtle has an in-depth breakdown of what went down, so go ahead and check out what he has to say about it.
Time will tell who really got the better of this, but in the short-term; Brian Burke is doing a fancy jig because he could have the best defensive pairing in the NHL today.
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