A Whale Of A Trade

Andy must be sleeping if he hasn't caught this yet, but the Carolina Hurricanes have traded for Doug Weight. Going the other way is a package of youngsters and picks headed by Center Mike Zigomanis and Carolina's 1st Round Draft Pick in the 2006 draft, which figures to be between #25-30 overall.

This is a fantastic trade for the Hurricanes, who are now three-deep at Center with Weight, Eric Staal, and Rod Brind'Amour. Add that up with a steady defense, and the superb Goaltending of Martin Gerber, and they have the look of a team that can hang with anyone come playoff time. Though Weight makes the maximum salary, he's effectively a "rent-a-player" for the 'Canes, since he becomes a free agent in July.

As for the Blues, this, along with yesterday's trade that sent Mike Sillinger to the Predators, signifies that the rebuild is going ahead at full steam. I can't say I blame them, as they don't have a lot to work with at the NHL level. Unless they miraculously start winning, they'll be in line for one of the Top 3 picks in the draft, which works out in a draft that's seen as being 3-4 players deep at the top. The only pity in this move, as far as Blues fans should be concerned, is that if they had dumped Weight's salary in the summer, they could have kept Chris Pronger. Also, the Blues' streak of 25 consecutive playoff appearances will end this year, which deserves mention.

While the St. Lunatics are on the way down, this trade cements Carolina as a team on the rise; adding Doug Weight while only coughing up a first rounder, a couple of middle rounders, and a few youngsters who haven't established themselves in the pros, is another feather in Jim Rutherford's cap. He has his team poised to make a run at the Cup this year, and be a perennial contender for a long, long time.