TORONTO -- The hallways at Friday's NHL draft combine in Toronto were a beehive of buzz. Some of it was trivial stuff. "How does a kid who is 18 look 40 years old?" one scout asked when watching Mark McNeill testing Friday morning. But some matters discussed by scouts carried a heavier weight. In no particular order, here are the top points of discussion.
The Tim Erixon heist
The Calgary Flames' trade of Tim Erixon to the New York Rangers may have been more of a steal than folks realize.
On paper it looks like the trade of Erixon along with a fifth-round pick in this year's draft for a pair of second-round picks and prospect Roman Horak was a thoroughly one-sided deal in the Rangers' favor and inexplicable for the Flames. Based on his performance at the World Juniors, Erixon, a 2009 first-rounder, looks like a guy who will play 10 to 15 years in the league and at the bare minimum be a top-four defenseman with at least a shot at being a top-two. In other words, what were the Flames thinking with the trade?
Well, it may have been out of Calgary's hands. One recurring suggestion has come up from scouts and front office sources with several teams -- the Rangers may have massaged the system to pry away Erixon on the cheap.
To get more insight into the Tim Erixon trade and other hot notes from the NHL combine, you must be an ESPN Insider.
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Grant Sonier
Grant Sonier has scouted for six NHL organizations over the past 13 years, most recently for the Atlanta Thrashers during the 2010-11 season. He is a special contributor to ESPN Insider.
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Victoria Matiash
Victoria Matiash has served as a Fantasy Hockey columnist for ESPN.com since 2007, and contributor to NHL Rumor Central since 2010. She lives in Toronto.
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