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Sealing the Deal
The following day, Oiler GM Glen Sather called back bright and early...
Sather: "I've been reviewing our contract situation, and if we can't do a deal, I'll likely have to shop him."
We didn't believe that for a minute, but we played along.
GM/HC: "Okay, we can do a 5th rounder to make this happen."
Sather: "Getting warmer, but not quite enough."
GM/HC: "All right, final offer. We'll do a 4th, but that's as high as we can go!"
Sather: "You drive a hard bargain kid, welcome to the club!"
And just like that, Anatoli Semenov was a Vancouver Canuck!
Of course, when we initially offered a late round pick (a 6 or a 7), the real plan was a 4th rounder all along. But Sather didn't need to know that. (Note: Semenov wasn't drafted 'til the 6th round in '89 due to a lot of uncertainty as to whether he'd come to North America. So in reality, he was actually worth a lot more than a late round pick).
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