Coyotes Tonight 07-Feb-13

[Parker]

Luke Lapinski: Welcome to Coyotes Tonight. Unless you've been buried in the desert the last few days, you've probably heard by now about the Coyotes' trade to acquire defenseman Erik Gudbranson from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Gudbranson knew his name was being discussed in trade talks, but he had no idea who his suitors were. That all changed earlier today as the Phoenix front office issued a press release announcing the acquisition of the highly touted youngster in exchange for David Elsner, Mike Forney, prospect Denis Vanin, and Phoenix's 2013 first round pick. I have in the studio with me the architect of the Stanley Cup-winning Coyotes team, general manager and vice president Glen Ramsden. Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, Mr. Ramsden. Could you give us a rundown of the Gudbranson trade?

Glen Ramsden: Absolutely, and please call me Glen. It's no secret to the league that we've been looking for an upgrade on our blueline. We'd had our eye on Erik Gudbranson since before the 2010 Entry Draft, and everyone in our war room had his fingers crossed that Erik would still be on the board when our first pick came up. Unfortunately for us the Islanders snagged him 5th overall and we had to switch to Plan B, which was to select winger Brett Connolly and pray that Mark Alt would still be available with the second of our first-round picks. Since Brett and Mark became key parts of our Cup-winning team, we can hardly say we're disappointed by the outcome. However, when rumors began to circulate recently that the Jackets were discussing Gudbranson with several teams, our scouting staff felt we had to make a play for him. Cordell Lee and Steve Wood in particular love this kid; Cord compares him to a young Scott Stevens. After a lengthy and exhaustive negotiation process, Adam [ed: Columbus Blue Jackets GM Adam Burke] and I were able to hammer out a deal that we feel benefits both our organizations. The price to acquire Erik was a steep one, costing us David Elsner, Mike Forney, Russian prospect Denis Vanin, and our first round pick in this summer's Entry Draft. Erik is a special talent though, and he's exactly the type of upgrade we looking for.

LL: Any concerns about Gudbranson's health going forward?

GR: His ankle injury was pretty serious, but our medical staff gave him a thorough physical and cleared him 100%. He's fully recovered from the injury, and there are no lingering effects that we are aware of. He'll be fine.

LL: You've really revamped the team's defensive corps this season with the acquisitions of Alex Grant, Francois Beauchemin, and now Gudbranson. Did you feel changes had to be made in general, or was this more a case of going after guys you targeted specifically?

GR: Don't forget Sam Grist. We expect Sam to fight for a roster spot this fall in training camp. To answer your question, Alex Grant and Erik Gudbranson were both planned acquisitions. Beauchemin is a solid addition in his own right, but acquiring him had more to do with salary cap considerations, as Tomas Kaberle's contract might have precluded our ability to extend some of our young core players.

LL: Glen, the moves you've made seem to emphasize talent over experience. Are you concerned at all about the possible playoff implications of such a young roster?

GR: Not especially. We did get younger, but our veteran core is still in place. Shane Doan, Ed Jovanovski, and Kurt Sauer all provide leadership both on and off the ice. With the open roster spots we now have, we're going to give Vladislav Namestnikov a good long look. Slava is mature beyond his years and we believe he'll help bridge any gaps between the kids and the vets. We're more than satisfied with the leadership on our roster.

LL: You had to give up a lot to bring in Gudbranson. Some might even say the price was too high. How would you respond?

GR: We just managed to bring in one of the top young stay-at-home defenders in the league without having to break up our team's established core. Nobody is giving away players like Erik, and if they were they'd soon be looking for a new job. As well, we had a very deep roster and only a limited amount of icetime to go around. Gudbranson will likely log more minutes than Forney and Elsner would've combined for on our team. Our philosophy in player acquisition is to choose quality over quantity, as we have a number of solid prospects in our system but few legitimate gamebreakers.

LL: David Elsner was rumored to be a player you had your eye on for a while, and he looked to be making great strides in your organization. Can you tell me how difficult it was to let him go?

GR: David's a rare player - there isn't much a coaching staff can't ask him to do. He's solid at both ends of the ice, he provides toughness without being prone to undisciplined play, and he's a good fit on any special teams unit. Adam's no fool, and he insisted on Elsner as part of the deal. Adam's alternative to Elsner was Slava Kartayev, and despite his injury problems thus far we think Kartayev's a special talent with his combination of skill and grit. Neither guy would've been easy to trade, but it essentially came down to one or the other, and we really wanted to make this deal.

LL: A Coyotes fansite is comparing your trades to the guy who gradually traded his way up from nothing to a house he owned outright. Elsner was acquired by trading two players acquired in the 4th round, and Forney was brought in by
trading waiver pickup Patrick Eaves. While Vanin and the draft pick are significant assets, a large part of the overall package going to Columbus is comprised of players you acquired on the cheap. Any thoughts on this?

GR: <laughing> It's an interesting comparison, no doubt. We didn't plan to trade either Forney or Elsner when we acquired them, however; both were solid pieces that factored into our team's future plans. More than anything, the way these deals played out just illustrates our organizational mandate of acquiring quality over quantity.

LL: What happens when Oliver Ekman-Larsson returns from his suspension? You'll have eight NHL-calibre defensemen and only six spots in the lineup.

GR: I think Bill Barber wants to pair Erik with Kyle Quincey. Ollie E-L will return to the top pairing with Mark Alt. Ed Jovanvoski and Kurt Sauer provide solid play and a veteran presence, with Francois Beauchemin ready to pitch in. With the league's new suspension policy and our defenders' proclivity to injure the competition, more suspensions may be in the cards, so the extra manpower will no doubt prove useful. The biggest issue is whether the payroll can support the added depth.

LL: No doubt. We're nearing the end of our show, so I'd like to thank you on behalf of our listeners for your time and trouble. Best of luck to the team down the stretch and into the playoffs.

GR: It was my pleasure, Luke. Thanks for having me on the show, and thanks for your tireless efforts in promoting the Coyotes organization and hockey in general in Arizona.

LL: This has been Luke Lapinski speaking with Coyotes vice president and general manager Glen Ramsden here on Coyotes Tonight. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to tune in again same time next week!

[Calgary.Flames]

Nice!

[Penguin]

Best D in the league hands down...

[Virtual Jarmo]

Gudbranson will likely log more minutes than Forney and Elsner would've combined for on our team. Our philosophy in player acquisition is to choose quality over quantity, as we have a number of solid prospects in our system but few legitimate gamebreakers.

Gudbranson played 14:30 in his opener.

Elsner and Forney combined for 19:10 for me.

None of them played particularly well.

[Parker]

Gudbranson played 14:30 in his opener.

Elsner and Forney combined for 19:10 for me.

None of them played particularly well.

Artistic license.