Mike Comrie's final, ugly days in Edmonton are over. With the public standoff between team and player turning bitter, the Oilers shipped Comrie to the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday for defensive prospect Jeff Woywitka and draft picks. But why did Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe make this trade with the Flyers just days after failing to complete a similar deal with Anaheim?
Comrie is a restricted free agent without a contract, and has not played a game this year. Last week, it was reported that the Oilers agreed to trade his rights to Anaheim. Edmonton would have received junior forward Corey Perry and one or two first-round draft picks (depending on which version you believe). The deal was scuttled when Lowe demanded that Comrie make a cash payment to the Oilers to complete the deal. At that point, the contract stalemate obviously turned personal.
In the deal with Philadelphia, Edmonton gets Woywitka and a pair of draft choices: the Flyers' first-round pick in the 2004 Entry Draft and a third-round pick in 2005. There is no cash involved.
Anaheim draft picks would likely have been more valuable. The Flyers are a good bet to finish higher in the standings than the Ducks, which makes Anaheim's drafting position more attractive than Philadephia's.
So the obvious explanation for the deal from Edmonton's perspective is that they like Woywitka much better than Perry. At 20, Woywitka is the older player by a couple of years, making him the more solid prospect. And in today's NHL, the potentially dominant defenseman is perhaps the most valuable of all commodities. "When you can get a solid defenceman that has the upside that Woywitka does, you go after him," said Lowe in a statement released by the Oilers.
For what it's worth, Eric Duhatschek of the Toronto Globe and Mail suggests Woywitka is ready to play in the NHL, and the Oilers need a defenseman a lot more than they need a forward.
Edmonton was also willing to drop the cash demand in order to trade Comrie outside the Western Conference, instead of sending him to a possible rival. “If he was going to Anaheim, we needed the deal topped up,” Lowe told Sportsnet Tuesday night.
Woywitka was Philadelphia's top pick, 27th overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Coming off an outstanding four-year junior career with the Red Deer Rebels, he began this season with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League. Woywitka will report to Edmonton's AHL affiliate, the Toronto Roadrunners.
Comrie's status remains unclear. The Flyers have yet to sign him, and Comrie told reporters he was hoping the Anaheim deal would be completed, as he had already negotiated a tentative deal with the Ducks. "We’re going to work hard to get him signed and get him into our lineup," says Flyers GM Bob Clarke.
The 23-year-old center had 33 goals and 22 assists two years ago. He slipped to 20 goals-31 assists last season, missing 13 games with a thumb injury. His minus-18 rating was the worst on the Oilers.
Philadelphia currently has Jeremy Roenick, Keith Primeau and Michal Handzus listed as centermen, and just recalled Patrick Sharp from the minors to fill out the position. Claude Lapointe, the nominal fourth-line center, left the team in early December to begin treatment in the NHL's substance abuse program. No date has been set for his return.
If Comrie signs and joins the Philadelphia lineup, more questions emerge. Does Ken Hitchcock have enough ice time for Roenick, Handzus, Primeau and Comrie? Can one of them switch to the wing? Or is Clarke not yet finished dealing?
