Rumors about Sidney Crosby's fate began a few weeks ago as the Las Vegas Hitmen shopped the injured superstar behind the scenes. Word slowly got out and when talks fell apart, he was put on the open market. The response was fast and furious as 9 of the 20 HB teams inquired with varying degrees of interest. About half of those teams got involved in serious negotiations-details of which won't be shared out of respect to all parties involved.
A deal was close a couple of times with blockbuster offers on the table, but in the end they all fell through due to the magnitude of the potential trade. In the end, two teams battled it out for the rights of Sid the Kid.
Late Tuesday night Owner/GM Bobby Brooks had two very fair, but different offers on the table from the Tampa Bay Raiders and Edmonton Lumberjacks. When things with Edmonton stalled, Brooks went forth and agreed in principal to a deal with Rob Dumont. However, all deals need to be approved by the commissioner. When it comes to a deal of this size, all parameters need to be met. Unfortunately for the Raiders and the Hitmen, the proposed deal didn't get past the red tape. The roadblock wasn't amendable and the deal crashed and burned.
When reached for comment, Brooks had this to say, "As a relatively new owner to the league, I can't comment on where things went wrong, but the Hitmen ultimately respect league office decisions. Negotiations with Tampa Bay went as far as they could go and we had no choice but to explore other options. We wish Rob all the best, but we know he will succeed with or without Crosby."
With a new window of opportunity, GM Curt Euler restructured his previous offer and after a few kinks were worked out--a new deal was reached.
Edmonton receives Sidney Crosby and Niklas Hjalmarsson, while Las Vegas got back Chris Stewart, PK Subban, and EDM's 1st and 3rd 2012 picks, as well as an additional 3rd round pick in 2013.
Both players are sure to help the Lumberjacks immediately. It's not everyday when you can add the undisputed best player in the world. Hjalmarsson was also a key piece to the deal as Edmonton has been trying to upgrade the defense since the new league year opened for business.
With Crosby back on the ice healthy, many wondered why Brooks would even entertain the idea of moving him. He was after all considered the most untouchable player in the league.
Brooks said the following, "Ultimately it wasn't any one thing that led to this move. Crosby is an incredible talent and it's clear his recent concussion hasn't diminished his skills on the ice. Part of the move was financially motivated as he is due for a hefty raise next offseason. I'd also be lying if the injury history didn't factor in at some point. We are still learning a lot about concussions and you can't pretend that the risks aren't there. Lastly, the organization wanted to make room for the up and coming youngsters at the center position. In the end it was a combination of things that led to the move, but now that Crosby's healthy, he has a chance at a fresh start with Edmonton. Our goal from the start was to get a good young forward, defenseman, and 1st rounder. In the end, both teams got what they wanted. "
Stewart will step in immediately and fill a significant void on the wing position. Las Vegas is a team that lacked toughness up front and Stewart has the chance to make his mark over the coming seasons. PK Subban was a central part of the deal and will fight hard for ice time among a stacked group of talented youngsters. The draft picks figure to be another major part of the package, but we won't know how it all shakes out until next year when the Hitmen take the podium.
With Crosby's departure, A Kostitsyn, Rinne, and Avery are the last remaining players from the old regime.
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