TORONTO -- The idea of holding the NHL's annual entry draft in Toronto seemed like a great one. A big hockey event in a great hockey town is a no-brainer, right?

Well, like the New York Rangers, it seemed like a good idea on paper.

But, like all good ideas gone astray, a couple of things went wrong. None of which, by the way, had anything to do with the fabulous city of Toronto, which seemed to be more interested in the World Cup then the league's amateur draft after another long hockey season. (I never knew there were so many Turks living in Toronto.)

The first problem was the draft class of 2002. Or, at least, so figured those who are paid to know such things. Of course, this much-maligned class could prove everyone wrong. We won't know for sure until 2007 or '08 (if the lockout of '04 ends by then).

Second, there wasn't even one blockbuster deal to spice things up. You know, like the Yashin and Peca trades that made last June's draft in Sunrise, Fla., (of all places) somewhat memorable.

Finally, perhaps wanting to enjoy a nice Saturday afternoon outdoors, the city's hockey-crazed fans stayed away from the great indoors of the Air Canada Centre. Thus, the building was void of real energy. Maybe, the league should have opted to hold the draft a few blocks over at SkyDome. There, with the roof open, the fans might have come out to get a tan.

Still, even at this dullest draft in recent memory, things did happen. So, let's take a look some of the headlines.

Flyers fleece Feaster
More than one general manager was left speechless after hearing about Friday's Flyers-Lightning deal which sent third-line forward Ruslan Fedotenko and two second-round picks to Tampa for the fourth overall pick. Flyers GM Bob Clarke, who has been using the Bolts as a farm team for years, quickly selected Finnish-born defenseman Joni Pitkanen with the high pick.

For this deal to work for Lightning GM Jay Feaster, the 23-year-old Fedotenko must dramatically improve his 26-point output of 2001-02. Playing with much less talent in Tampa, the chance of that happening isn't good. While Fedotenko continues his career as a third-liner, expect Pitkanen to become a top-four defenseman in Philly in the not-too-distant future.

In Tampa, the players, coaches and GMs come and go. But the bad times just roll on.

Much ado about Nash
Blue Jackets GM Doug MacLean got his man, trading up from No. 3 to No. 1 to get London Knights left wing Rick Nash. To insure Nash's selection, MacLean agreed to give the Panthers (who owned the first pick) the option to switch first-round picks in 2003 draft, viewed by most scouts as a more impressive class of prospects.

If MacLean had kept his cards a bit closer to his vest, he probably could have gotten Nash at No. 3, without giving up anything. But he didn't want to take a chance.

New Panthers GM Rick Dudley always wanted Medicine Hat defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who did, indeed, go to Florida with the third pick. And the Thrashers -- who tried to trade the No. 2 pick -- always wanted Finnish goalie Kari Lehtonen in lieu of a deal.

But because they'd moved down to No. 3, Dudley gave his pal, Thrashers GM Don Waddell, a pair of draft picks to insure that he wouldn't trade the pick or select Bouwmeester. That means, basically, the Panthers gave the Thrashers two picks not to take someone they didn't want to take in the first place.

Ironically, in March, a then out-of-work Dudley assisted Waddell at the trade deadline. A conspiracy theorist might make more of all this. Then again, maybe these '90s expansion teams just like to dance with one another.

Next stop ... Atlanta
Last summer, Russian-born veteran Slava Kozlov was traded from Detroit to Buffalo for Dominik Hasek. This summer, he was traded from Buffalo to Atlanta for two picks in a bad draft.

Go figure.

Still, Waddell, who had a brief stint as assistant GM in Detroit, figures Kozlov will be a nice fit between his rookie gems, Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk. And maybe he's right. And, maybe, this trio will post an all-time record minus rating by one line. Remember, Kozlov missed most of last season due to an Achilles' injury.

Either way, it was a risk worth taking for Waddell, who seems ready to take a bigger dip into the summer free agent pool.

What the Hecht?
With Kozlov's salary off his ever-tightening budget, Sabres GM Darcy Regier sent a pair of second-round picks to the Oilers for center Jochen Hecht.

At 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, the German-born Hecht, 25, possesses good size and skill. Extremely shy, Hecht proved the odd-man out in Edmonton, which was looking to clear some salary room and roster space.

Not overly expensive, Hecht should be a good fit in Buffalo, where every dollar counts.

Dumping the dough
Islanders GM Mike Milbury, who has been a big part of every draft since taking over as the club's GM during the 1995-96 season, kept a lower profile this time.

But he couldn't help making at least one notable deal, albeit a minor one. And, it was a deal that was intended to help him in the coming weeks.

Milbury sent goal-scoring winger Mariusz Czerkawski, who is owed more than $5 million in salary over the next two years, to Montreal for unproven center Arron Asham and a fifth-round pick.

Milbury made the move simply to relieve himself of Czerkawski's salary. By creating a little extra room in the budget, he's better positioned to trade or bid for a complementary winger for star center Alexei Yashin and/or another defenseman.

As for the Canadiens, they get a player who will score some goals. But, at the same time, he'll irritate the coaching staff with his inconsistent play. In other words, they'll have to live with the bad to get the good.

More to come
While there weren't any big deals, there was a lot of talk. Right now, the big boys are planning their strategies for July 1. Clearly, big-money teams like the Rangers, Stars and Red Wings are going to be active during the free agent period.

When the dust settles, though, many of the deals that have been talked about during the draft will be revisited by the GMs. So, while we have a little more than two months until training camps open, the business of doing business will keep us hockey fans paying very close attention to the transaction wire.

E.J. Hradek writes hockey for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ej.hradek@espnmag.com.