Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Riding shotgun for the kid


Gary Roberts originally said that he wouldn’t waive his no trade clause in his Florida contract unless he was traded to an Ontario team. However, unless Stephen Harper has negotiated a land grab to rival the Louisiana Purchase, Roberts has apparently had a change of heart.

The stories out of Pittsburgh late Monday had it that Roberts had reconsidered his options and was more than happy at the prospect of playing hockey alongside Sidney Crosby as the Penguins continue their quest for an Eastern Division playoff birth.

Roberts had originally identified either Ottawa or Toronto as his preferred destination, while reports on the weekend had Buffalo drawing you are here maps that provided a link to Ontario and perhaps the chance to set up a homestead in Fort Erie.

However, in the end it would appear that the chance to sign on with one of the leagues more exciting teams was enough to have Roberts put away the geography books.

The deal will be announced Tuesday morning (much to the relief of the Canadian sports networks we bet) after Roberts signs the waiver to his contract that will allow him to relocated to Pittsburgh.

Toronto was said to be the team with the most interest in Roberts prior to the Pittsburgh intervention, TSN had the details of the deal on their website late Monday evening. It's generall expected that the Pens will also be in the market for a physical presence to assist young Mr. Crosby in avoiding some of the nastier brutes in the NHL as the playoff race heats up.

Perhaps Georges Laraque may be the next to receive a phone call, though he like Roberts will have to be receptive to a wider range of options than what he has declared so far. You could do a lot worse than being known as the Knight of Sid.

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