Kevin O’Connor participated in a conference call with the media following the 2004 Expansion Draft. Below is what Kevin had to say about losing Sasha Pavlovic.

From an organizational stand point we are very disappointed. We had to put out two players that we didn’t want to do. We were not in a situation from a contract stand point where we had anybody that we were actually rooting for them to take. I think that the last situation that we expected them to go after restricted free agents, which if you look at the list that is exactly correct.

From what I understand Sasha is not going to be with Charlotte, he is going to be traded to another team.

Q: Now that it is over any remorse in losing Sasha?

O’Connor: No, we had to lose a good young player, we knew that did what we thought was best for the organization. To go back to it, we thought when we started the season or even a year ago when we drafted Sasha we needed a guy that could shoot and he can do that. But we also ended up making a trade and getting Gordan Giricek and no one expected Raja to play the way he’s played. That didn’t make someone expendable because he’s a good young player, but it certainty gave us the strength at that position and when we had to decide who to put out there it came down to that.

This is not like we are making a trade and getting something back. We were told by the league we had to put somebody out there and we did.

Q: Did you try to work a deal to get him back?

O’Connor: We had conversations with Charlotte on numerous occasions, it just didn’t seem to work out.

Q: Now that Charlotte has their list is there anyway to go back to them and talk to them?

O’Connor: Yes, we’ve had conversations with them about a couple of people even going into this. I think anything we would do with them would be after the draft.

Q: Do you think the Expansion Draft went as expected?

O’Connor: I thought all along that Charlotte would not take him. I thought that they would take restricted free agents.

Q: Is this going to change your draft board?

O’Connor: No, it solidifies it. You start looking at it now and you understand what you’ve got.