The Vancouver Sun
June 27, 1998
By Elliott Pap

BUFFALO -- Brian Burke was fretting in his hotel room Friday, feeling like a caged animal. He was looking to make a deal, any deal that would improve the last-place Vancouver Canucks, and was petrified to miss a call.

"I don't know why I sit here like a hermit all day,'' said the new Canuck general manager. ``I guess I'm afraid I'll miss something. I've talked to 16 or 17 teams already. I've laid the groundwork and let them know we're in the loop.''

Burke would like to trade up to the No. 2 spot in today's NHL entry draft (9:30 a.m. TSN) and grab skilled centre David Legwand, but doesn't think he can meet San Jose GM Dean Lombardi's asking price, a core player.

He won't trade up to No. 3 because he likes defencemen Brad Stuart and Bryan Allen and knows he will acquire one or another with his own selection at No. 4.

He was reportedly talking to Tampa Bay about acquiring goalie Mark Fitzpatrick in a deal that could see a defenceman, possibly Dana Murzyn, go the other way. Burke, like most of his managing counterparts, felt the action wouldn't really heat up until the wee hours of the morning.

"I'm not optimistic about getting anything done with San Jose,'' Burke said. ``I think the pick will command a stiff price and that he'll get an attractive package for Legwand. I haven't gotten very far with Dean so far.''

According to Burke, the Lightning have no intention of shopping consensus No. 1 selection Vincent Lecavalier. Both San Jose and Nashville are willing to either deal down or deal their pick away outright while Colorado, which has four first-rounders between No. 12 and No. 20, are desperately looking to move up.

The New York Rangers, who hold the seventh pick, are another team in hot pursuit of the No. 2 slot and are said to be offering San Jose an assortment of bodies that could include Adam Graves, Jeff Beukeboom and prospects.

Poile intends to listen to offers for his No. 3 pick and stay up all night, if need be.

"I'm open-minded,'' said Poile, whose staff apparently likes Guelph centre Manny Malhotra and views him as a possible captain one day. "About midnight it will start to get more interesting. Then it becomes a contest of how late you want to stay up and whether you think the other guys are serious.''

Burke appears content to stroll to the podium and put a Canuck jersey on either Stuart or Allen. It's believed the Canucks will take Stuart, whose offensive upside is intriguing, if Malhotra goes at No. 3.

"Right now I'm just pretty excited to see what will happen,'' Stuart said at a prospects luncheon Friday. ``This is a once in a lifetime thing and I've been thinking about it since my first year in junior. You want to know where you're going to go and you try to figure it out.

"I'd be happy to be drafted by the Canucks. Playing in Canada would be great and Vancouver is not too far from home.''

Stuart, who is from Rocky Mountain House, Alta., is the oldest of four children. He is a junior teammate of Canuck 1996 first-rounder Josh Holden and knows 1997 first-rounder Brad Ference as well.

"Josh helped me out quite a bit this year to prepare for the draft,'' said Stuart. "He's been through it all and told me what to expect. It would be exciting to be with Josh in Vancouver.''

Allen, meanwhile, didn't expect to have a good night's sleep, although it's obvious he has weighed all the possibilities in his mind.

"You can't really look ahead because you never know where you might end up,'' Allen said. "There could be trades, anything could happen. It could be the West Coast of Canada, it could be Disneyland [Anaheim] or it could be Nashville. Playing for Vancouver and staying in Canada would be a great opportunity. There aren't too many Canadian teams left anymore.''

The youngest of three children, Allen said he has been on skates longer than he can remember. He grew up just outside Kingston, Ont., and played all his minor hockey there.

"There are pictures of me on skates before I could even walk,'' he said.

The only player facing no uncertainty today is Lecavalier. The greater Montreal native has been ranked No. 1 all year and has no qualms in stating he wants to go No. 1 when Lightning GM Phil Espositio steps to the podium at Marine Midland Arena.

Lecavalier is a poised individual, fluent in English and very talented.

"It would be disappointing if I didn't go No. 1,'' he said. "For sure, there was a lot of pressure on me being ranked No. 1 but it was a good motivator. My goal is to play in the NHL next year and Tampa Bay has new owners, a new arena, new everything. This is a team looking to go up. They told me they are down low now and can't get any lower.''

Legwand, who is going second to somebody, expected to have a fitful night.

"I think there will be a lot of staring at the ceiling,'' he said."I've talked to all the top four teams and it's been interesting. Let's see what happens.''

Those sentiments seemed universal by Friday night.



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