Guest redbaron51 Report post Posted July 19, 2002 credit: TSN.ca (Jul 18) TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Maple Leafs figured they'd lose Dmitry Yushkevich to unrestricted free agency next summer so they took action a year ahead of time, dealing him to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Robert Svehla on Thursday. In Svehla, a player the Leafs had to convince to come out of retirement before making the deal, the Leafs feel they've upgraded on the rugged Yushkevich by acquiring a two-way defenceman who can play on the power play. "We had him rated a little better than Yushkevich," Leafs coach and GM Pat Quinn said on a conference call from Vancouver. With the Leafs failing to lure unrestricted free agent Darius Kasparaitis earlier this month, they set their sights on Svehla, who at 33 is a few years past his career-high 57 points from 1995-96. The deal took its final steps earlier this week when Yushkevich filed for salary arbitration, an indication in Quinn's mind that he was angling for a one-year deal and unrestricted free agency next July 1. "It was a factor, I'd be fibbing if I didn't acknowledge that," Quinn said of the contract situation. "We explored the situation with Yushkevich's agent (Mark Gandler) to see if we could put a longer deal together. "But the terms and the numbers sent back were frightening, really." Yushkevich wasn't shocked at being traded. "When we sent our (contract) proposal a couple of days before the (NHL) draft we never got a response from the Maple Leaf organization," Yushkevich said on a conference call with Panthers GM Rick Dudley. "And there were lots of rumours I heard that they weren't happy with our proposal. "So in the last couple of days I was expecting something to happen." Yushkevich, 30, missed the second half of last season with a blood clot behind his right knee. He continues to take blood thinners for it but said he didn't think he'd miss any playing time with the Panthers. "I get off the blood thinners in a couple of weeks and doctors told me to just try and live a normal life," he said. "As soon as I get off the blood thinners I can get into full contact." Quinn downplayed Yushkevich's health as a major reason for the trade. "It was less to do with (Yushkevich's health) than it was with the fact that we've had players with this particular agent before and we've never been able to keep them," Quinn said. "So we thought the same thing was going to happen again." Former Leafs Alexander Karpovtsev and Igor Korolev were also Gandler clients. Karpovtsev had a bitter contract dispute with the Leafs and was traded. The Panthers welcomed Yushkevich with open arms, happy to get a player of his calibre after it appeared Svehla was serious about his retirement. "I think when that particular name came into the mix, we became very interested (in trading Svehla to Toronto)," Dudley said. Dudley says he actually gave another unnamed NHL team permission to speak with Svehla but those talks fell through. The Leafs then entered the picture and made it work. "The Leafs were smart enough to understand that we weren't going to give away this asset for nothing," Dudley said. "They worked hard at getting something done." In fact, Dudley added, Svehla would probably have stayed home in Slovakia if it wasn't for the Leafs. "I'm not sure that under almost any other situation he would not have stayed retired," Dudley said. Svehla's agent, Rich Winter, credited the Leafs and in particular assistant to the president Bill Watters for luring Svehla back to the NHL. "Bill pursued this really aggressively," Winter said over the phone from Slovakia on Thursday. "He called and contacted his wife, who is a horse rider, and gave her all kinds of information about equestrian in Toronto. "Bill did an outstanding job of making Robert, his wife and children feel wanted." Svehla agreed to a one-year deal with a series of one-year options, Winter said. "Robert's an unusual guy," Winter said. "He doesn't want to stay in Toronto unless they want him. So he insisted that we negotiate a series of one-year options. He didn't want them to be stuck with him if he wasn't playing up to par. That's just the kind of guy he is. ... "The Leafs offered him a three-year deal at almost the same money but he wouldn't take it." The flexibility of the contract is a benefit to the Leafs as well but Quinn said he was fairly sure there was more than one year of hockey left in Svehla. "We'd like to see that he stays here for a number of years," Quinn said. "We think he has good, quality time left in his career." A key part of the contract with Svehla is that he will hand over 25 per cent of his salary to his former club team in Slovakia, Dukla Trencin. Svehla earned $2.75 million US last season when he had seven goals and 22 assists in 82 games with the struggling Panthers. His career year came in 1995-96, his first full season in the NHL, when he had eight goals and 49 assists in 81 games. He recorded three more 40-plus point seasons but hasn't topped 30 in the last two years. Yushkevich had six goals, 13 assists and was plus-13 in 55 games last season, his seventh with the Leafs after coming over from Philadelphia in 1995. Note: Quinn confirmed that winger Jonas Hoglund had accepted Toronto's qualifying offer, a one-year deal worth $1.4 million US. Hoglund had 13 goals and 34 assists in 82 games last season all I got to say is this. Leafs won't win in 2003 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted July 19, 2002 Bah, they weren't gonna win anyway. Svehla isn't a bad player, but Ottawa all the way!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jerome Drake Report post Posted July 19, 2002 Ottawa and Toronto suck. ISLANDERS RULE FOR LIFE. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted July 19, 2002 I hate the Islanders with a passion. I went to Nassau Coliseum- they're fans are horrible GO LEAFS GO! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest starvenger Report post Posted July 19, 2002 I wonder if Pat Quinn went back to Vancouver and bought some BC Bud cigars or something, because he and Bill Watters are doing some bizarre things. First by signing Domi for more than he's worth, not getting Joseph, Kasparitis, Holik, Guerin, etc, etc., signing Belfour to replace Joseph when Dafoe was RIGHT THERE, and now this. The way I see the trade is this: - Yuskevich may or may not play again due to the blood clot, about 75-25 in favour of playing at this point. - Svehla's roughly the same, but healthier. But I doubt that he'll be as big a help defensively as Yuskevich. I say that if Yuskevich plays, Florida wins this deal, hands down. This doesn't help Toronto defensively, and if Belfour doesn't return to his playing form of 2 years ago, they are really screwed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted July 20, 2002 Even though I am a Leafs' fan, I found Yushkevich's comments about the mascott being the most honest person in the organization hilarious. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted July 21, 2002 What comments? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
