Lombardi talks trade deadline

For those who were at the game today, or simply didn’t catch the first intermission on Fox Sports West, here’s what Dean Lombardi told Bob Miller and Jim Fox during an interview…

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Question: Why was Marco Sturm put on waivers and what do you think about him being picked up?

LOMBARDI: “To make it simple, the bottom line is that we had to create a roster spot in case something happened at the (trade) deadline. I guess it’s safe to assume, obviously, that there was a risk we were prepared to take. That’s it in a nutshell, that if we had, or, if we do something here Sunday, then we would be in a roster jam and we wouldn’t be able to do anything. You saw Chicago do it with (Nick) Boynton. They lost Boynton, too, but you have to weigh the risk in order to create the best possibility.”

Question: We’ve talked about it many times even coming up here the last two weeks. I know you’ve been hounded with questions, but it is a different scenario this year because we’ve looked at the standings now for the last 30 days and there’s no gap developing?

LOMBARDI: “Right. You don’t have a lot of pure sellers, so to speak. The one thing that is different is I think we saw two classic hockey deals. We haven’t seen it in a long time, with St. Louis and Colorado, and Dallas and Pittsburgh. You know, so many of these deals are predicated upon cap space or money or contracts being up. But that’s a very different chain, but everything else is status quo. Again, you don’t have a lot of sellers in the situation.”

Question: How many hours a day would you say, at this time of the season, that you’re on the phone?

LOMBARDI: “Well, this process starts actually four weeks in advance. Ron Hextall spent a week with our scouts just preparing for what might not be available. So it’s not really time on the phone, it’s the constant meetings to judge the impact that if we do this, or what are the ramifications of it now and down the road. It’s not only the phone that’s taxing; it’s the constant evaluation of what might be there.”

Question:  Let’s talk about what will go on tomorrow. Where will you be? Will you be in the office and near the phone all day and Monday morning and all that?

LOMBARDI: “Yeah, I mean we’ll go back after tonight’s game. I’ll meet with the coaches again. Last night, it’s kind of strange how it works with the time differences, but I was in there till late last night, after the East Coast games got done. We’ve been through and that’s just part of the process.”

Question: Everybody wants Brayden Schenn. I would imagine you’re not tempted to give up on him.

LOMBARDI: “No, it would have to be really something significant. The way his stock has risen here with the World Juniors and what he’s done, it would have to be really special and quite frankly I don’t think he’s going anywhere.”