and the good news keeps coming....
Looking like a scene right from a Seinfeld episode, last week the Hurricanes traded a 5th round draft pick in the 2009 draft, simply for the right to negotiate early with a 4rth line enforcer who earned 510K last year and who only played in a handful of games.
Carolina management has officially entered bizarro world now as said 4rth line player apparently has turned down the Hurricanes, thinking he will earn a much better contract as a free agent on July 1st.
The Canes will get their draft pick back, but not until the following year, in 2010. I wonder what kind of deal Darcy Hordichuk thinks he can get? Perhaps he has Marian Hossa' s agent?
To compare this scenario with a similar situation, the Montreal Canadiens received permission from their hated rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs to talk with Mats Sundin before July 1st, and there were no draft picks mentioned as far as compensation, (that I could find).
Regardless, it seems like Hordichuk's opinion of himself is quite high. When July 1st arrives, it will be reality check time for several players.