Gens TRADE -

Whalers Acquire Rob Czarnik from Oshawa for draft picks
By Pete Krupsky
November 23, 2009, 4:02PM
PLYMOUTH, MI —– Plymouth Whalers President, General Manager and Head Coach Mike Vellucci announced the acquisition of 19-year-old center Rob Czarnik from the Oshawa Generals in exchange for a tenth round pick and a conditional second round pick from Windsor in 2011.

Czarnik – from Washington, MI – was originally selected by Oshawa in the sixth round of the 2006 Ontario Hockey League Draft. Czarnik never played in Oshawa, opting instead to play for the National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor. In two seasons with the NTDP from 2006-08, Czarnik scored 32 goals with 27 assists for 59 points in 114 games.

Czarnik moved to the University of Michigan program in 2008 and played there through the start of this season. In all, Czarnik scored eight goals with 14 assists for 22 points in 51 games with the Wolverines.

Czarnik was selected in the third round (63rd overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

“We are excited to add Robbie to our lineup,” said Vellucci. “His greatest asset is his speed and we look forward to developing him for the next level. What a great opportunity this is for Robbie to continue his education and play in the number one developmental league for the National Hockey League.”

Czarnik – who will wear number 27 - will join the Whalers for practice on Tuesday and is expected to make his Plymouth debut on Wednesday when the Whalers host the Windsor Spitfires at 7:05pm at Compuware Arena.

The Whalers will play in Sault Ste. Marie this Friday before returning home on Saturday to host the Kingston Frontenacs at 7:05pm at Compuware Arena.

well, i didn't think this guy was still with the organization, but glad they finally got something for him. What is the conditional second round pick ? on what conditions ?

I hope he is happy playing in plymouth, and I hope Scotty Valentine lays into him good when they come here next month

What a mess of draft picks not reporting, poor trading, and letting key over aged players go without recourse! And then all wrapped up nicely in last place looking for yet another high pick! Oh brother - the nightmare continues!

My guess is that the 10th round pick will report if asked!

gensman wrote:What a mess of draft picks not reporting, poor trading, and letting key over aged players go without recourse! And then all wrapped up nicely in last place looking for yet another high pick! Oh brother - the nightmare continues!

This was a trade for a 6th round pick (by a previous GM) that might result in a 2nd round pick. What is wrong with that?

The Biggs and Lessio sagas have yet to play out.

Perhaps a little advice from a long time fan will help you. Just take a deep breath and be patient. It will happen for us again in Oshawa. I waited 36 years for a Memorial Cup (after a number of near-misses) but saw some great hockey getting there over the years (and the greatest player ever). I am waiting patiently for the next one.

It is much easier if the glass is half-full.

For me I have a lot less concerns now than I did when Brad was in charge. You might feel differently.

If this trade went down as announced on the Gens site, that is it's a conditional 10th which becomes a 2nd once he reports and plays for the Whalers, then that's how the Lessio deal should have been done. Not give a 2nd for him until he reports! Another second if Czarnik plays an overage season makes this look good. You can't say this is getting a 2nd for a 6th really though as Czarnik was rated much higher and was selected as a "risk pick" in the sixth round, much like McDowell this year. He really was a better selection than where he was picked too!. Only this one worked out for us!

jaycro wrote: that's how the Lessio deal should have been done. Not give a 2nd for him until he reports!

The difference is that Lessio was a 2009 draft pick. Cznarick was a 2006. There is no way Niagara would have done the deal you suggest at this time.

You are probably right. But a 2nd is the best you can give for a 1st, unless you give multiples. Paying a 2nd for a "ghost" was an overpayment. I would rather have given two 2nds for a "guaranteed show"!

We have to hope that the GM has some inside information and that is the reason the trade was made as it was. Maybe it was just a roll of the dice.

We should not forget that our chief scout spent many years in Kitchener working with Peter DeBoer who was the master at getting kids to report.

We will know in a year or two whether it was a waste or not. As I said elsewhere there is always hope (unless you are a Leaf fan which I am not).

Look for us to move Lessio to Plymoth in 3 yrs for a 10 th rd pick

Tell me who rthe last 10 th rd pick made the team

Why is it so hard for teams to report the conditions on a pick

Like a conditional 2 nd rd pick from Windsor 2011

Why not give us a 3rd pick now - Do we care if this kid ever plays

in the OHL - no - BUT somebody does

so this trade could essentially wipe out the "potential mistake" made by the Lessio deal (if he does not report) and get an extra pick if he plays an overage season next. Not bad for a risk pick from three years ago who never reported.

one second round pick for someone not playing for us this i like

would be nice if we could get that second one as well

sorry i know i could probably find this if i searched but what picks do we have in the second round now? way to many deals to keep track of....

The thing I don't like about it, is why will this guy play for someone else, but he won't play for the Gens? Is it the Gens or does he just want to play for an American team? If Windsor or London held his rights would he play there? I hope it is he wants to play for a team from the states, cause if it is he doesn't want to play for the Gens, then we have bigger problems.

ogf wrote:The thing I don't like about it, is why will this guy play for someone else, but he won't play for the Gens? Is it the Gens or does he just want to play for an American team? If Windsor or London held his rights would he play there? I hope it is he wants to play for a team from the states, cause if it is he doesn't want to play for the Gens, then we have bigger problems.

Rob Snopeck said this morning on sports that he didn't want to play north of the border.Wouldn't fit in the Gen's this season as we are on a youth movement,a 2rd pick is more than I expected.

Yes, I believe he is from the Detroit area, so Plymouth is a good fit for him as well as all the above!

Well that is good to hear!!

it's officially a second round pick now with him playing a game

he also got an assist

here's hoping to another pick next year

got to give dipiero credit for a working a good deal ! .......doing a good job as gm OVERALL , we'll never know what went sour in the parhnam fisaco !

What good are picks if they aren't willing to report? Especially 'rostered' players who take a pass! There is a lot more here than shrewd trading prowess goin' on! Gone are the days when players used to break down down to be part of the Gen's franchise!

Like I said in a previous post that I was lambasted for , until Ownership is straightend around , there are alot of kids who will take a pass on this franchise . Please prove me wrong in 8 months

BOBBY ORR NUMBER4 wrote:Like I said in a previous post that I was lambasted for , until Ownership is straightend around , there are alot of kids who will take a pass on this franchise . Please prove me wrong in 8 months

I think that is a bit of an exaggeration. There are not that many kids who are drafted who do not report. Certainly there are a few but I think it is only the kids who have other significant options.

Not reporting was a problem before. O'Dell would not report(perhaps because he would not be the number 1 centre with JT here). I think you have to give Dipiero credit for DeHann. He was not going to report last year and was persuaded to.

Picks like Czernick are gambles to see if they might report at some point. The kids who don't report have often NCCA ambitions. Lessio is one of those. Biggs is a slightly different situation as he is with the Team USA (not sure if that is the correct name) Development program. Whether or not that was a wasted pick remains to be seen.

We have to give the scouts some credit for knowing what the chances of kids reporting are (likely far better than any of us).

I'm not sure that ownership is the problem with kids reporting or not. It may be with the value of education packages offered (I think that was the issue with Justin Shugg and the trouble the Gens had getting him to report).

Anyone have a list of kids who have not reported to various franchises. Wasn't Cam Fowler in Windsor one who did not report but eventually did. Some one looks good on that one.

O'Dell reportedly wanted more education money.

fowler was drafted in the first round by london or kitchener i can't remember which, he didn't report, they put him back in the draft to get a supplemental first round pick and then windsor picked hinm with their first round pick the next season

I'm curious to know if the big money teams like Kitchener, London and Windsor have had players not report. I can't think of any of the top of my head.

fowler did not report to kitchener or london whichever drafted him the first time