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With the March 4th NHL Trade Deadline less than 3 weeks away, we’re going to start previewing what we might and might not see this time around. Last year, we saw 25 transactions on deadline day, with 30 coming at the 2007 trade deadline. So how much movement do you expect to see this year?
Put your comments at the bottom, we’ll start a bit of a dialogue. For me, even with the signs pointing to this year being silent, I’ve learned not to bet against the flurry that is NHL deadline day. While I know that there are few established “buyer” and “seller” teams at this point, due to just how tight everything is, I still believe we will see a number of moves come Wednesday the 4th.
First off, I think there are enough teams on the cusp to warrant a busy period. I’m not saying we’re going to see a bunch of Richards and Campbell caliber moves, but I do think we will see the typical amount of the smaller, “tinkering” moves. The big names people are watching are Marian Gaborik in Minnesota, Vinny Lecavlier in Tampa, Tomas Kaberle in Toronto, and Jay Bouwmeester in Florida. Do I think all of them will get traded? Not necessarily, but I do believe at least 1 of them will.
And with smaller, but still significant, names like Ryan Whitney, John-Michael Liles and Mathieu Schneider floating around in trade speculation, it has the potential to be very interesting. We all know the small trades will get done (they always do), but even those tinkering moves have an impact. Just ask the 2004 Calgary Flames, and their additions of Niemenen and Nilson.
Clearly, at this point, there are a number of teams very close to getting over that hump and into the postseason. While some believe that will slow the number of trades this year, I happen to believe it will have the opposite effect. Teams like Phoenix, Columbus, and Florida are desperate to make the postseason. Not just from an on-ice perspective, but more from an off-ice, fan base perspective. A playoff appearance and you start to get more media coverage, and hopefully some more new fans. A team in that position may just offer that little bit extra to bring in a player they’ve pinpointed…a higher draft pick or a more sought after prospect.
No we’re not going to see the Coyotes make a trade with the Kings or anything of that nature. But is it out of the question for a team like, say, Anaheim to make a trade with Montreal? I don’t think so, even though both are battling for their playoff lives. So let me know what you think, it’s always fun getting set for the deadline.
We’ll be all over it on March 4th, starting at 6 am going all the way up until 8 pm. Special thanks to coworker Sandy P for helping jog my brain with some of those aforementioned big names.
Pat, I seem to remember someone liking the Avs
. If you were the Avs who would you dump and for what.
PS: Man, luckily I just stopped cheering for hockey teams, it’s too hard in this business. BUT, to indulge you, ha, they gotta see if they can get anything for Liles and it’ll be very interesting if a guy like Clark is up for grabs as well. This team needs to rebuild, they have some nice pieces, but Sakic is done after this year, so trading away a few guys for picks might not be stupid.
- MattIt’s not just about which players are prime to move…but which teams are most wanting to sell. There are 3 or 4 teams in the East entertaining offers right now, the Western teams are all looking to buy at this time without having to give up much. L.A., St. Louis and Colorado may be bringing up the rear but they are still very much in the play-off hunt. Tampa, Atlanta & Ottawa are playing out the string and planning for next season already. Not that I enjoy Toronto getting all the press, but rumour has it that Burke is ready to sell-off a majority of the roster and start from scratch. I think most of the action will come from the center of the universe…everything else is a crap shoot. Let me throw one at you Pat…Lombardi is an UFA next year, Sarich is making too much as a #5/#6 defenseman, Aucoin is an UFA…If you were the Flames GM, do you get on the phone and try to move them (or others) for someone younger (and cheaper) or do you stand with what you have and push hard into the play-offs? I can’t help but imagine that Darryl has (or will) be getting inquiries from Eastern teams asking about Lombardi for sure. His style would fit much better with some of them.
PS: The only name in there that I could see moving would be Lombardi. For whatever reason, I think this could be the year Daryl Sutter parts with a 1st round draft pick to try and make a move happen. It’s not an overly strong draft year, unless you have a top pick, so moving a 1st rounder and Lombardi to bring in a piece is very much a possibility I believe. I think Aucoin has done enough to keep him around after March 4th, and I even believe he might have done enough to warrant the Flames really revisiting getting him signed to a new deal before July 1st. Sarich is interesting…Sutter signed him to that deal, and Sutter was the driving force behind bringing him in, so I don’t think we’ll see him dealing him in that sense.
- Bob in the AbbeyMake no mistake, I think Aucoin has been our most consistent performer on defense this year. The question becomes what type of contract is he looking for (length & $$$). Deadline day may have gotten more interesting with what is happening in Montreal. Gainey has hinted that Kovalev is on the outs and rumours presist that the dressign room is divided. Regarding Gainey…how do you justify giving up a 2nd & 3rd pick for a 39 year-old defenseman???
PS: I don’t know, I really believe that Aucoin could be a guy that would take less to stay here. It’s going to be less regardless than he’s making now, but I could see him leaving a million on the table elsewhere to sign for another few years here. As for the Habs…yikes. I give a thumbs up to Gainey for having the balls to forcibly sit Kovalev down. However, I give him a thumbs down for giving up that much for Schneider. Sure he has a shot…but I give a lot of credit to Don Waddel in Atlanta for getting that much back.
- Bob in the Abbey