Tom Gulitti of The Record: Devils GM wanted the Blue Jackets to give up their No. 8th, 34th, and 129th picks for the No. 6th.
“I’ve got to talk to Ray”, then picks up the phone and calls the Devils’ draft table.
“Ray, what would you want to go from 6 to 8 if Carolina doesn’t take the guy we want?” he asks Shero. “(Picks) 34 and 129? OK. Let me call you back.”
The deal depended on whether Noah Hanifin was there at No. 6.
“If they don’t take him, he wants 34 and 129,” Kekalainen tells those around him at the Blue Jackets draft table, including team president John Davidson.
“That’s quite a bit for two spots, though,” Kekalainen says, before later adding, “It’s a lot for two spots, but we’re guaranteed the guy we want – easy.”
Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said in that he had previous talks with the Hurricanes about the possibility of trading up to No. 5, and was told a definitive “No.”
Shero on after Hanifin was taken by the Hurricanes at No. 5, and no longer an option for the Blue Jackets.
“We had talked about it for a while in terms of possibilities, but those are the things that until you get close to that pick, those two teams can’t make that decision,” Shero said. “But, it worked out well for both, I think, especially for us, staying there and picking Pavel and not taking a risk of losing a guy like that.”
Kekalainen also spoke with Flyers GM Ron Hextall (Flyers holding the No. 7 pick), who had an offer from the Sharks involving the No. 9 pick and a third rounder for the No. 7. Hextall was looking to find who the Blue Jackets were planning to pick. Indication from Kekalainen was that he didn’t offer up the info.
