CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON)
If there is some solace to be had in Sudbury this year, it will lie at the CCHL draft table.
In addition to stockpiling losses (52, second most in the Canosa Conference), the Miners have been collecting early-round draft picks for this spring.
And they would be open to dealing one of those coveted selections for a body that can make a more immediate contribution.
General manager Terry James was asked during the Friday morning pre-game press scrum, if Sudbury would be open to trading any of its first-round or early-second-round draft picks.
“We’d be willing to make a deal to get a younger player a little further along than an 18-year-old and preferably a center” James told reporters. “But at the same time, we hold those picks in very high value. We’re going to get some good players.”
“Our mandate from Day 1, has been to build a championship-calibre team. And I know our fans feel that we are not on schedule with the timeline that they want, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not recognizing the position we’re in given the assets we have acquired this year. We are striving to build a sustainable, long-term successful franchise, and a big part of that is going to be through the draft.”
Highlighted by phenoms Rasmus Dahlin and Andrei Svechnikov, scouts expect the 2018 draft to be a deep one for defenseman and wingers. The 20th-place Miners are on pace to have a good shot at landing another star forward or defenceman, but their options at the draft will be even greater due to their moves made during the season.
“We’ve seen some signs the last little while that the team is playing better and some positive signs – but when it starts to go, then it’s going to be sustainable for a long time,” James said. “And we’ll look back, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, in the rear-view mirror of all of this pain and suffering that we’ve all had to endure.”
No comments:
Post a Comment