Priestner even tried to squeeze one last-minute deal — “a long-shot” as he later described it — but his offer for a high-profile forward got rejected.We deliver the local news you need in these turbulent times on weekdays at 3 p.m.By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails or any newsletter. Postmedia Network Inc.
“There weren’t many sellers. A lot of the teams that are in the middle decided to either buy a little bit or stand pat because they want to have meaningful games after the COVID years. They want to compete and try and show their fans that they’re not just tanking the season. I could have easily gotten a few more higher-end players had we been willing to move some of our top ‘05s, and that just was never even a consideration for us.
“We want to be good every single year. We’re great this year, I believe, and I think Jake makes us that much better, but I would never do anything to jeopardize the franchise going forward to leave us completely bare of first-rounders and picks like that.”