rumor/report: Habs Nearly Dealt Pacioretty, Acquired O'Reilly in Three-Team Deal at Draft

[Phil]

The 2018 NHL Draft lacked the fireworks everybody anticipated, but the Montreal Canadiens were reportedly close to providing quite a spark.

 

The Habs, who selected Finnish pivot Jesperi Kotkaniemi with the No. 3 pick, had a deal in place with the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres to send captain Max Pacioretty to Long Island for a first-round pick, then flip it to the Sabres in exchange for Ryan O'Reilly, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.

 

https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1562941

 

 

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[Phil]

My wonder: if they'd pulled this off, would Zadina have gone to MTL instead? Might have righted more of the draft. Their selection of Kotkaniemi threw it on its head.

 

 

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[phillyb]

My wonder: if they'd pulled this off, would Zadina have gone to MTL instead? Might have righted more of the draft. Their selection of Kotkaniemi threw it on its head.

 

Do you think Ottawa and 'Zona passed on Zadina because they didn't think he'd be available and already had their mind made up on another kid?

[Phil]

Do you think Ottawa and 'Zona passed on Zadina because they didn't think he'd be available and already had their mind made up on another kid?

 

I think Ottawa wanted Tkachuk, and Arizona probably took Hayton after Tkachuk went.