With his team mired in a two-month skid -- and crippled with injuries -- it's not a surprise that Penguins general manager Ray Shero would make a move to strengthen his squad. It's just kind of surprising that backup goalie is the position he would decide to upgrade. That's exactly what he did on Saturday morning when the Penguins sent backup goaltender Dany Sabourin, along with prospect Ryan Stone and a fourth-round pick in 2011 to Edmonton in exchange for Mathieu Garon.
Garon, 31, has struggled this season, but is coming off a strong 2007-08 campaign where he posted a .913 save percentage for the Oilers. Both players have nearly identical numbers this season, while Garon has a stronger resume over the course of his entire career. For the Penguins, it should prove to be a solid upgrade behind Marc-Andre Fleury.
Meanwhile, for the Oilers, Sabourin simply replaces Garon in Edmonton's three-headed goaltender battle, while Stone has been a disappointing second-round pick for the Penguins. He's played in eight games at the NHL level in his career, recording one assist. He has 28 points in 38 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League this season.
Here's what Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini had to say on the move, from Oilers.com:
"Addressing our goaltending situation was a high priority for us and moving forward, we believe we've accomplished that as well as acquiring some valuable assets for our organization."I'm not sure I agree, seeing as how Sabourin and Garon are seemingly interchangeable this season, while, as I mentioned above, Garon has a better track record throughout his career. Both players are unrestricted free agents following this season. The fourth-round pick is probably the most valuable asset Edmonton received.
