Ron Francis and the Carolina Hurricanes converted two mediocre draft picks into a goaltender upgrade and a top-pairing defenseman during Saturday's NHL draft.
The larceny was committed by identifying talented, valuable players stuck on teams with no need for them—and jumping on the opportunities.
At 10 a.m., the Hurricanes acquired goaltender Eddie Lack from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2015 third-round pick (No. 66 overall) and a 2016 seventh-round pick, per the team's official statement.
At noon, the Hurricanes acquired defenseman James Wisniewski from the Anaheim Ducks for now-displaced goaltender Anton Khudobin, also per the team's official statement.
Lack, 27, replaces Khudobin, 29, as the partner to Cam Ward (who, like Lack, has just one year left on his contract) in the Hurricanes' goaltender rotation.
He recorded a solid 18-13-4 record along with a .921 save percentage for the Canucks last season, becoming a massive fan favorite—for proof, one must simply read the replies on the Canucks' tweet announcing his departure—in the process.
But stuck b ...
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Article written by Mark Jones
Carolina Hurricanes Capitalize Beautifully with Lack, Wisniewski Acquisitions
June 27th, 2015 by Mark Jones Leave a reply »
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