HRDINA HEADS TO JERSEY
The New Jersey Devils acquired center Jan Hrdina from the Phoenix Coyotes for forward Michael Rupp and a second-round draft pick in 2004.
What does it give the New Jersey Devils
In Hrdina, the Devils land another responsible, two-way forward. However, he has proven incapable of producing big numbers without big-time talent next to him (i.e. Mario Lemieux or Jaromir Jagr). Still, Hrdina will help win face-offs and kill penalties on a team with plenty of specialists already. The 28-year-old Czech may play center or wing, and his acquisition may allow New Jersey to leave Viktor Kozlov on the wing--his best position.
What does it give the Phoenix Coyotes
On the surface, the Coyotes appear to have received great value for Hrdina. However, Rupp's scoring potential remains largely untapped and, aside from a dominant performance in Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup finals, he has shown very little at the NHL level. Moreover, the Coyotes seem to be obsessed with size up front. Remember the Daniel Briere for Chris Gratton swap a year ago? That sure turned out well for the franchise. Not. At least the club also added a second-rounder this time around.
Fantasy impact
