On the Topic Of....Trade Talks

With the drama of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter now over and the free agency tank not on empty, but running on fumes-- it's now time to focus on who is going to be a tradeable asset. This summer seems to have quite the stock of assets that are just begging to be moved for one reason or another. However, the bigger names that could be traded could not be as desirable as the names who are just as comparable; but may have a little more overall upside than the names.

Case-in-point: Bobby Ryan and Rick Nash. These are two guys who many think will be moved this summer after turmoil with their current club, but which will be a better pick-up?? To be honest, when you look at the numbers-- both are comparable to each other and you'd probably get more out of them if they were surrounded with a better support team (though Ryan has it made with Perry and Getzlaf). But the bottom line coming down to it is whether or not a team has the assets and then want to depart with those assets in order to acquire one of the other. Of course, Ryan's asking price will probably be much lower than Nash and his salary hit will be much less and the contract is shorter. All of those will be a great selling feature with the two right wings pitted against each other.

Granted, Nash is the "sexy" name and will have fans bemoan the fact that they weren't able to get him. Nash, however, seems to be only the name. We haven't seen what he can do when playing with elite level players on the NHL stage, but one can assume that if Nash has a true #1 passing center, he'd reap the benefits. The San Jose Sharks name keep popping up from the attachment that Nash and Joe Thornton have-- but that was seven years ago and who knows if the the chemistry is still there.

Moving from the forwards, the name of Jay Bouwmeester is coming up, mostly because Jay Feaster gave Dennis Wideman an insane amount of money on an insane term; thus seemingly make Bouwmeester expendable. At two years left on his contract and a $6.68M cap hit, there's probably not going to be any teams burning up Feaster's phone lines. If anything, they'll make sure he stays hampered with that contract until the 2014 trade deadline. While Bouwmeester can be a great player when he applies himself, odds are teams wouldn't want to take on his streaky play, especially not in a contract year. Of course, should Feaster just give him away, that'd be attractive to some teams. Another option is for the Flames to bury him in the minors, as he only has a NTC, but very unlikely.

Yet, the biggest name, still, is Roberto Luongo. Since the Canucks playoff run ended, many were speculating on where his next destination would be because of his inability to get past Round One after being the Western Conference representative in the Stanley Cup Finals. Of course, that helped Cory Schneider break out and get a decent re-signing for his effort, but it also shows that the Canucks are willing to let go of Luongo, who has 10 years left on his contract and will have a cap hit of $5.33M for those seasons. Plus, considering he has a wacky NTC though it all-- it makes you wonder if any team would take the flier on him or not, especially when they know he can be great at times and horrible at times.

The biggest upside for Luongo is the lack of decent free agent goalies out there for a team that needs one. Rumor has it that Luongo only wants to go to the Panthers, but whether or not they are willing to give up on Jacob Markstrom just yet is another story. Of course, with the Panthers making the playoffs last year and coming within one goal of advancing to the second round-- Luongo could be the one thing that actually makes the Panthers true contenders in the Eastern Conference. That said-- both Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen are under contract next year-- Clemmensen for another year after next. It'd be a hard sell for the Panthers to get yet another goalie.

So, with the summer just starting/ending for free agency, you can bet that trade talks will be heating up sooner or later. Whether or not anyone gets moved is another story and whether it happens this month or closer to training camp is yet another story. At least we'll have something to talk about this summer....I think....other than that whole CBA crap.

On the Topic Of Loyalty and Trade Rumors

Despite having a No-Movement Clause in his contract, rumors of Jarome Iginla being traded out of Calgary continue to be a hot topic the hockey world. While Iginla and GM Jay Feaster said that there's no trade imminent or even being considered-- these things still pop-up.

The biggest argument seems to be the desire for others around the league to see Iginla raise the Stanley Cup in almost a Ray Bourque-esque fashion. Yet, there's a guy across the country that had some questions about his future with the team he's been with his whole career; but it seems that he's been forgotten about when it comes down to it. That person is Daniel Alfredsson.

When you look at the two, there's a lot of similarities between the two:

• Both played with the same team their whole career
• Both the face of their franchise
• Both long-term captains
• Both right wingers
• Both helped their team to the Stanley Cup Finals
• Both won Gold Medals (though Iginla has two)

Though, as Spector's Hockey's Lyle Richardson pointed out on the November 30th FOHS, Iginla seems a little more of a desirable acquisition because of his playing style. He's a gritter player than Alfredsson, willing to go to the dirty areas for a puck, as well as stick up for himself when play gets rough.

Yet, at the same time-- you'd think that Alfredsson's offensive upside is what's needed when it boils down to needs-- especially with their ages coming into effect. Coming into the season, Alfredsson had a 0.97 points-per-game average, while Iginla had only a 0.91 average. Albeit, Alfredsson is older and has played less due to injury, but he knows how to put points on the board when he is healthy. Iginla's age is definitely another nod to his upside for teams looking to put something together that will apparently never happen. That said-- while he's a 35+ contract, Alfredsson doesn't have a No-Movement Clause in his contract; so if he wants to go-- he can be shipped out, but you know the Senators will respect his wishes if he wants to stay or not due to his tenure.

In the end though, neither of these guys are likely to be traded this season. Next season, maybe a different story for Alfredsson, but Iginla controls his own destiny. Plus, as Lyle said during the show, too-- not every player wants to have the Bourque moment and could be fine without winning the Cup, legacy be damned. Most fans and some GMs just like the return and if they don't get the return-- they resent the player and deem them to be selfish. The player is screwed if he wants out, screwed if he wants to stay.

The fact of the matter is that while Iginla is getting all the publicity; it's interesting to see Alfredsson pretty much getting pushed to the side, though they do have parallel careers in length and decent enough upsides-- though Iginla has the grit X-factor going for him. Just food for thought.

Nashville's D-ilemma

It was mentioned on the 11.09.11 episode of the Face Off Hockey Show, which was the unknown topic of the masterful Lyle Richardson's article on The Hockey News' website-- but the Nashville Predators are in a tight spot with the signing of Pekka Rinne last week, but only in terms of trying to re-sign Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, or both.

If you look at the things both bring to the table, you have to wonder who has the edge. The knee-jerk reaction is to say Weber-- if only for the physical force he brings to the table, as well as the cannon of a shot. The fact that the Predators are not a high-offensively minded team and Weber is good for 15 goals on the back-line while Suter has no more than eight in one season (2006-07).

Yet, the Predators have always been know and probably will always be known as a defensive team. That's where I think Suter has the edge. As good as Weber is in the offensive zone, Suter has the edge in his own zone and is probably the more of a shutdown man in comparison. If the Predators want to stick to that same scheme of defense first, Suter has to be the right choice to say around.

Of course, you look at what has happened in situations before. Most notably, the Ottawa Senators when trying to decide between Wade Redden and Zdeno Chara. In the end, the Sens made the wrong choice in picking Redden, as Chara was a monster back then and still is now. That's where the Predators are and this is a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. If you let Weber go, you let a physical presence go with a helluva offensive upside. If you let Suter go, there goes a guy who could shutdown a team in a key situation.

Another side of the situation is Ryan Suter being the only one of the two being a UFA in the summer, while Shea Weber is a RFA. The danger in this is that Suter can be left with nothing coming back in return, which will ramp up his trade rumors. With Weber, the Predators could have other team dictate what the Predators have to pay if he is signed to an offer-sheet in the summer.

David Poile is a magician as a GM. If there's anyone who can balance out this situation, it could be Poile. While he's not a guy who will spend over his own means in order to appease the fan base who'd love to have all these guys signed to long-term deals. He won't hand-cuff his team in order to keep some guys who may not be able to pan out to their contractual terms. All eyes will be on Nashville until the trade deadline, then starting up again in June-- and mostly not for the hockey.

Friday Five: Eastern Turmoil

Another week, another F5 because I like gimmicks.

1. Marco Sturm was traded, then not traded, but still injured. Whaaahappen??

It seemed like a slam-dunk, and with the major analyst calling it a done-deal, we all thought it was going down. It appears that the Kings let it fall through because they didn't know when Sturm would be ready to play, so they could have gotten a lemon. Sturm is 3-4 weeks away from playing after major knee surgery, so who knows what condition he'll be in. Odds are, he will be the first one to go to clear up some cap space; but I doubt it'll be to LA now since they kind of balked on this whole deal to start off with.

2. The Edmonton Oilers went through the eastern Canadian teams like it was nothing; shouldn't the Oilers move to Quebec City to dominate the East??

It would seem that way, yes-- but the Oilers just showed how much better the crappiest team in the West does against the crappiest teams in the East. The Oilers are 4-2-1 this year against the East, including 3-0-0 against the Northeast. They still have time to screw it up if they bomb in Buffalo and Boston, even so-- we could be starting to see the young guys on the Oilers really coming into their own, especially Taylor Hall; who has three goals in his last three games, including a two-goal game last night in Toronto. They may not make any more moves upward in the standings.....but brick-by-brick, they're getting better.

3. Speaking of, two of the Eastern Canadian teams seem to be in peril, but is there going to be any changes made to stop the bleeding or will it happen when it's too late??

In Toronto, Brian Burke has said there isn't much going to happen in change, definitely not in the coaching position. Considering Dion Phaneuf is out, Burke could see it as just a bad bump without the captain in the line-up. There could be much more than that, as the Leafs weren't doing much with Phaneuf in the line-up before he got injured. Don't know if there's much to save Leaf-land, so we'll just have to see what happens, as it seems Burke and Wilson are safe....for now.

Yet, in Ottawa-- I could see stuff going down quickly. Bryan Murray could be feeling the heat if he doesn't make a move soon enough. I don't know what move he could make or if there's anything of any desire for a team to take; but he's going to have to make something out of nothing if he expect to keep his job. Cory Clouston can only do so much with a 2nd line and three 3rd lines in his line-up. Since the Pascal Leclaire experiment seems to be a bust, it could be time to shop him and see who's going to give up some prospects for him.

At least the Canadiens are reppin' for the Eastern Canadian teams.

4. Staying in Ottawa, they "welcomed" back Dany Heatley to the ScotiaBank Place and then got trounced. However, it seems the fans weren't too pleased with Heatley or the Senators. Comment??

Sure, it's been a few years, but thanks to scheduling-- the Sharks finally rolled into town. As silly as it sounds, the fans should feel a bit bitter, because they've seen their team turn to crap because of the trade....amongst other things. But they got their pent-up rage out and now it's time to move forward with everything involved. It's over and done with, you can't change anything, so just time to move along. The fact the Sens got shutout is just icing on the cake for Heatley in his return.

5. December 11th, CBC will do a 3-D broadcast of the Canadiens and Maple Leafs. What can we expect and has 3-D stuff FINALLY jumped the shark??

While it was announced in August at the Heritage Classic, the fact that CBC is doing this seems a little odd. I honestly don't think 3-D is going to be the wave of the future of broadcasting like HD has been, so to put something out there like that is going to almost seem like a waste of money. That said, it's pretty fancy to see them try something like this and maybe give people the feel of being at the game from the confines of their home. Yet, this makes me wonder if there's actually going to be a 3-D effect if you watch on a HD TV or if you'd have to get one of those new fangled 3-D TVs in order to truly respect the quality that is being presented. The idea jumped the shark when the dance movie "Step It Up" was put into 3-D, so this is just jumping it further.

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That's another week done-- huzzah. If you have any input or any suggests on topics-- email me at Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com and I'll see what I can do for ya. Odds are it'll make the cut because I scour the landscape for things and come up dry most times.

Jawing About Jarome

There has been a lot of heat on the Calgary Flames (pardon the pun) when it comes to them losing leads recently. Considering the fact they're 11 games into the season and already have had two closed door team meetings; it almost seems like this is a team divided amongst itself. The main focus on this team is definitely Jarome Iginla, many wondering if he would waive his no-movement clause to get out of the situation he's in and start anew.

The main point about people against Iginla is that he's off to a slow start. Yet, if you look at Iginla in the month of October, he's not too overwhelming. Sure, he's had spots of greatness, but in the grand scheme of things-- the first month of the season hasn't been too kind to him with 61 goals and 138 points in 153 games in October throughout his career. The Flames as a whole aren't usually stellar in October either, but still-- when you look at a guy like Iginla, who is the figurehead for that team-- he'll get most of the attention regardless of who or what's going on around him.

That said, Iginla has said in the past that he would be willing to waive his NMC if it would help himself and the team in the long run. All signs point to the ownership of the Flames not looking to move him, but you almost have to look at it and see if it's going to be worth it. It's hard to not look at that $7M cap hit for the next two seasons after this one and wonder what you could do with that and how you could develop a team with that free space. Sure, the team would lose someone who has been an institution for the team throughout his career, but there's a time where you have to let go of the past and look towards the future.

For Iginla, the change of pace could do him good. He'd probably be shipped to a team that has other stars and offensive threats, which would take the primary pressure off of him; plus he'd be able to play his game as an aggressive winger more freely and not have to worry too much about being the leader and trying to spark the team in one swoop. He'd have the aid that he had craved for so long in Calgary and probably have a better chance at a playoff run with someone else.

When you look at the October 30th game against the Capitals, Iginla was somewhat invisible during the game, occasionally popping up to try and give a hit or what-have-you, but he seemed to blend into the crowd during the eventual routing. As a captain, as a team leader, you would think that he'd be more prominent in trying to change the tide, especially when it was still close. Of course, if he tries to get into a fight; that takes him off the ice, which isn't where you want your star player either-- he's in a rough spot in that instance. That said, when you're invisible, people take notice (ironically) and rumors and questions like these shall arise.

This will be a wait-and-see situation that will probably go nowhere. Iginla is dedicated to the Flames through thick and thin and the ownership is dedicated to Iginla. Even when the going gets tough, Iginla doesn't seem to budge off his stance, nor should he if he has faith in his teammates, coaches, and management. It could be a bad decision in the long run for his career, yet he seems ready to go down with the ship and not having any second thoughts.

Dany Heatley 2.0??

For the season year in a row, one of the Ottawa Senators top guys is talking about how much he is disappointed with playing in Ottawa. This time, it's Jason Spezza, who has been revealed to be unhappy right now with being a Senator and pretty much being the guy that the blame goes to in terms of the offensive woes that plagued the Sens this past year. While Spezza does get a hard time from the Ottawa faithful, how much do you really want him to do.....oh, right-- score more than 57 points and actually find a way to stay healthy.

Granted, he does have better than a point-per-game clip in his career and did say that he's actually happy to play in Ottawa during a scrum on Thursday-- but it does remind many Sens fans of the fiasco that happened last summer with Dany Heatley and ultimately saw the Sens not get much out of the trade, but it was the best they could get. The same could be said for Spezza, who's no-trade clause doesn't kick in until July 1st, as he has five years left on his contract at a cap-hit of $7M; something that many teams won't be able to shoulder.

Depending on who you talk to, the story will change. Mentioned sentences earlier, Spezza said he was happy. All the while, TSN's Bob McKenzie said that Spezza told GM Bryan Murray he was fed up with being the "whipping boy" for the Senators woes up-front, which is a fair point. Last season, Spezza missed 22 games and really couldn't be the end-all, be-all for the Sens issues scoring; but in '08-'09, his 73 points in a full season does send off alert-bells when it comes to the long-term. And while Heatley's departure did leave a gap in the arsenal for the Senators, that's a time where someone like Spezza could have stepped it up and been the superstar. Though, one thing in McKenzie's piece about Spezza having a rough playoff year-- I'd take a point-per-game stat, albeit in seven playoff games.

Yet another thing that makes me worry-- especially as a Sens fan-- is the fact that it seems Ottawa is slowly become Edmonton East, as it seems not many guys want to be in Canada's capital as one many believe. When you have the "super" stars of the team not wanting to be there, you have to wonder what internal issues there has to be with the organization. While the likes of Daniel Alfredsson and Chris Phillips have pretty much stayed there for their career thus far, you have to wonder if they'd get as much press or money elsewhere if not in Ottawa-- which is the cause for them staying there. I'm glad they're there and that they have guys who will have their numbers retired as full-time Senators or somewhat lifers in the town.

With all of that, the angle you have to take is what will happen at the end of all of this. The Dany Heatley thing is still very fresh in the minds of people in Ottawa and this is a eerily similar situation. While Spezza would probably get a rejuvenation from a new postal code, the contract he has would be a rough one to move. The Senators would have to do a lot of work to sweeten the pot for someone to take the center. After the issues last year, Murray probably doesn't want to be undercut like he was last season in the Heatley deal. Granted, it may be the only thing that Murray can get-- less than face value to take a big contract and upset player off his hands.

At the same time, I'm sure a team like the Columbus Blue Jackets could be a nice destination for Spezza, as it would give them someone to be the top-line center to play with Rick Nash on the top line and be more effective. Granted, that could give them two underachieving, oft-injured forwards-- but if they're on, they'd be a force to be reckoned with.

The turmoil in the summer in Ottawa seems to be the annual thing-- first with Ray Emery, then Heatley, now Spezza. This situation really depends on how you look at it, as Spezza is saying one thing; Murray's camp is claiming another-- somewhere in between, the truth lies. The heckling and jeering is something that will wear on anyone, but I would think it would wear on Spezza especially after the issues he had in order to actually break the everyday line-up under Jacques Martin regime and then having the crowd turn on him as quickly as they did. It is all about "what have you done for me lately" in the terms of sports and Spezza is the latest casualty to it. In the end, if Spezza is on the Sens roster come opening night-- the focal point will be how he plays after this disagreement has played out like it has and if he'll play well enough to get teams interested and make him move his NTC or if he'll dog it and be the goat everyone says he is while collecting a large paycheck at the same time.

Let the Spezz-Watch begin.

Steve is Here, Man

(FOHS fans will get that pun by me going with our first ever called asking if it's "Eye-zer-man" or "Is-ear-man"-- got it?? Okay, not so funny if you weren't there.)

The Tampa Bay Lightning take another step to relevancy by hiring Steve Yzerman as their new GM. Yzerman was under Ken Holland's tutelage in Detroit and has been the head guy with Hockey Canada putting together the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team and a couple World Championship teams, as well. Now, he takes over the mess that has been created in Tampa before him, but not by the GM prior, but due to the ownership situation that had happened.

The good thing with this team is that they have a solid framework. The likes of Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, and Victor Hedman on the roster help, but there's work to be done elsewhere, for sure.

One of the first things would be trying to get Stamkos re-signed to a long-term deal come July 1st and make sure that he's under contract for this team for a while. Stamkos will be the cornerstone moving forward, that's for sure. Of course, in order to do that, some players may need to be moved. The one name that pops up is always Lecavalier, but his No-Movement Clause ruins that rumor in it's tracks. Especially with the future ahead, it's unlikely Lecavalier will move that clause and move himself out. Even with Lecavalier slumping last season, it could be hard to move him even if he did waive that clause. St. Louis has another year left and Yzerman will probably see what he does with a second year alongside Stamkos to see if he's worth an extension. To free up the money, Ryan Malone could be moved out, so that his contract is off the books; but considering his underachievement for his big contract-- another hard sell.

Plus, what could Yzerman do with the coaching issue. Many names have been mentioned in terms of the people he's worked closely to like Dave Lewis and Ken Hitchcock, but while familiarity could be nice-- the fit with the team will be what gets them to the next level. Depending on how long Yzerman has known about this deal, which he has been offered numerous times before saying yes, he could have been scouting out who he could get for that role.

Regardless of what happens, Yzerman is a good hockey mind. He has always been know as a leader on and off the ice, which definitely shows in his limited time in the front office after his 2006 retirement. If there's anyone who can clean up the mess that is in Tampa, it's Yzerman. He's definitely a better choice than some of the names put out there-- like Pierre McGuire, Doug Risebrough, or Dave Nonis-- and really could bring together the best team to get them out of the lurch they have been in. The fans in Tampa should be excited about this move, and coupled with the Florida Panthers hiring of Dale Tallon, the Southeast Division could actually be competitive through and through in the next couple of seasons if they play their cards right.

Awkwardess of Hanging Around

As we see the smoke clear from the trade deadline and the new acquisitions don their new duds, more and more reports are coming out about trades that didn't happen and players who were so sure that they were going to be moved and then didn't; you have to wonder if there's any kind of awkwardness in the room or resentment from some guys in the long-run for not asking to be moved at all.

For instance, Brian Burke came out after the deadline was done and mentioned that Tomas Kaberle had three teams he'd be willing to waive his no-trade clause for. While speculation about the teams will go on and could be obvious, the fact Burke and Kaberle went back and forth about either Kaberle would be moved during the day could have put some weird vibes in the Leafs room, although most of the faces have changed and probably wouldn't have too many issues with the whole thing as some other teams would. If it were another team with a tighter bond, the awkwardness of this guy wanting out and not getting it could have been disaster for chemistry.

Moving onto reports out of Minnesota about Owen Nolan willing to be traded to two teams, San Jose and Washington, if GM Chuck Fletcher got the call from either team. This issue is a bit different, as Nolan said he believes the Wild has a chance at the playoffs; but Fletcher was willing to give Nolan the option because he hasn't won a Cup and Fletcher wanted to give him the chance to have his moment. For a team like the Wild who is still trying to find their identity, I don't think many people would be against Nolan leaving-- especially with what's he put into the league and knowing he doesn't have much time left to play on a contender.

Even though the two names above wanted out-- what about the guys who were pretty much rumored out the door, but stuck around. Especially in the goalie department where the likes of Cristobal Huet, Martin Biron, and Dwyane Roloson were rumored to be moving, but just a matter to where. In the Biron and Roloson case, the news of Rick DiPietro being done for the year, their plans got changed. But with Huet, how much could you prove to a team that seemed willing to dump you at the drop of a hat. Bruins goalie Tim Thomas was in the news because of the fans not accepting him anymore and him losing some playing time to Tuukka Rask, and while there were rumors of him getting dealt, nothing happened. Thomas was then quoted of saying he hopes he can play well enough to shove all the negativity up the arse of the media and fans who doubt him. Nicely played.

Plus, as mentioned on the show; there was something posted on Twitter about a Caps forward, with his number in the teens, having his bag outside the Caps locker room in Buffalo because he was being dealt. That cause rumors about about two players-- Eric Fehr and Tomas Fleischmann-- being moved for something big. In the end, it was a false alarm as neither were moved. At the same time, how could you go back into the room and have to look around and feel sane with the idea of thinking the team was going to move you somewhere else-- the uneasiness of the whole ordeal would be a little much and with a team on a stretch run and wanting to get to the Cup Final; that could disrupt some chemistry. Or it could cause the rumored traded player to show his team he's worth it and prove to other teams they could have had him if they had offered the right price. Or not-- I don't know-- I wish I knew how these things go.

As it all clears out, we see more and more stories come out of this nature. It's always an interesting thing about guys not going places when they were 95% out the door. How that effects chemistry with the team and how that effects relations between the player, his agent, and the upper management is always something that brings interesting subplots to what will happen to it during the summer or other contract negotiations that happen in the future. Though, in this profession, you have to have a short memory, especially when it comes to trades, contracts, etc. It's only business.

Trade Deadline 2010: Will Cause Drowiness

Even with the record of 30 trades made in the day. Even with the record 53 players getting plane tickets elsewhere. Even with the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames actually trading with each other....the NHL Trade Deadline of 2010 will be one that has very little excitement to it and very little shocking moments to it.

To that end though, there weren't many blockbusters to be made, actually. With the salary cap being as it is, odds are that things weren't going to come as a huge shock and big names wouldn't be changing addresses. In fact, the biggest name dealt was moved about a month before the deadline came to be, Ilya Kovalchuk. That shows you what the deadline day brought to us.

Yet, one of the more talked about moves was the Phoenix Coyotes trading Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter to the Colorado Avalanche for Wojtek Wolski. The idea of a scenary change helping both Mueller and Wolski is in effect-- especially for Mueller, who had troubles in finding his niche with Dave Tippett behind the Phoenix bench. Wolski was the second leading scorer on the Avalanche and seemed to be coming on his own, but one reason or another-- the Avs thought he was disposable. A move to a young Coyotes squad could help Wolski continue to excel and stand-out. Porter had been pretty solid in the AHL with the San Antonio Rampage, but who knows if/when he'll crack the Avs roster.

Another shock was the lack of goalie movements, especially with the rumors surrounding the New York Islanders and their trio of goalies, but I guess with Rick DiPietro shutting it down again; not an option. Also, questions about the Flyers and Blackhawks goaltending was called into question, but neither team made a move. The only big goalie deal was Calgary sending Curtis McElhinney to Anaheim for Vesa Toskala; reuniting two former Sharks goalies Toskala and Miikka Kiprusoff. As well, Justin Pogge on the move again, this time heading to Carolina from Anaheim.

The Capitals were busy adding the grit upfront with Scott Walker and Eric Belanger and some help on the blue-line with Joe Corvo and re-welcoming Milan Jurcina. While many will say the Caps were the "winners" of the deadline, the fact remains they were the only real contender who did anything worth noting. Therefore, by default they seemed to come out on top. While these four do prove an upgrade, the Caps didn't address their suspect goaltending and lack of a shutdown defenseman. These moves were needed, but at the same time-- may not get them that silver chalice.

To be honest, that's really all there was to talk about. It shows that there was so much build-up for a day that usually exciting for all involved, but to be honest-- total letdown. The fans and watchers could all be considered "losers" in this deadline, but what can you do-- right?? Sometimes you'll have a big party, others you'll be the only one in the conference room waiting for others to show up. The sad thing is that it didn't really get Twitter buzzing completely; other than people complaining about how boring things are.

Maybe next year.

Deadline Expectations

With the Trade Deadline about 24 hours away, you can bet teams will be hustling and bustling trying to get their teams set for the last part of the season and into the playoff run. Of course, some teams will be doing more than others; then the hindsight will set-in minutes after the deadline lapses. Here's some of the things I think may or may not happen as planned, as some are serious and some not. You can pick out which is which.

-Edmonton has already started to blow up their team with dealing Denis Grebeshkov to the Nashville Predators. While the Oilers have a lot to give up, the asking price may be a little too much for some teams. Plus, with all the injuries they've had, who knows how many teams will be chomping at the bit to deal with Edmonton and then realize they were sold a lemon.

-There's a lot of talk around the Toronto Maple Leafs and some of their players. While they shed some dead-weight in Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake, many wonder what Brian Burke did to con the Anaheim Ducks into that. Because of it, the GMs are unsure about dealing with Burke due to his Jedi mind-tricks or blackmailing photos he may possess.

-While there's not much to improve, the Washington Capitals could look for more help in the blueline, maybe a Steve Staios type player; mostly to help along the young guys. Some grit wouldn't hurt, but odds are they won't be able to get their dream acquisition, 1984 Rod Langway, mostly due to time travel and cloning not being readily available.

-Realizing they really don't have much after Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Pittsburgh Penguins loaded up on another defenseman in getting Jordan Leopold from the Florida Panthers. This way, they'll be able to dress 18 defensemen and hope the two forwards can come up big for them.

-The Florida Panthers started their fire sale with the Leopold move and you can almost assume that other big names will be moving before 3 PM Wednesday. With all the names being throwing out in terms of who's being moved out, it seems to be the first time the Panthers have been really relevant since the Jay Bouwmeester sweepstakes and before then-- the 1996 Stanley Cup Final.

-Figuring that they're okay with what they've got-- the Carolina Hurricanes will stand pat and not move anyone. Even though many players are begging to get out of Carolina, GM Jim Rutherford made his decision on whether to trade a player using Jo Dee Messina's "Heads Carolina, Tails California" and a two-headed coin.

The one thing that will be agreed upon is that there will probably be a lot of moves of role players and minor league deals-- and maybe some few bigger names thrown into the mix-- but it will be active with a lot of speculation of the sort. Also, plenty of mis-announce trades that are said to be done, but never happen.

As for me, we'll be doing a wrap-up on Face Off Hockey Show Wednesday night and I'll be on the panel of Hockey Independent's trade deadline live chat/blog going on over there. Be sure to check both out, because they'll be fantastic.

"Ilya Rental-chuk" or "How Much Will You Give Up??"

If you're on Twitter (like me) then you know that the whole thing exploded when RDS and then TSN came out with the story about Ilya Kovalchuk meeting with Don Waddell and basically being told he was going to get dealt. There are many teams apparently interested, but let's not kid each other; who wouldn't be?? Yet, the serious contenders seem to be around the five team clip.

Even with those five teams in, the question now becomes will the team who ultimately deals for him be in the position to actually give up what the report is asking for in terms of the price of Kovalchuk??

Rumors came out saying that the Thrashers were asking the Kings to give up Jonathan Quick, Wayne Simmonds, Jack Johnson or Oscar Moller, and prospects, which would include Brayden Schenn. If that's not giving up a lot for a guy who will play maybe 20 regular season games for you, I have no idea what is. Even if Kovalchuk did re-sign with the Kings, that's still way too much to give up; especially Quick, who has been stellar for the Kings this season and solidified his number one spot for the club. Had Dean Lombardi pulled the trigger, he could have been run out of town by people who don't even live in his town and Waddell would have more years of job security.

Even so, there's teams out there who are willing to pay the price. Craig Custance of the Sporting News says that the Thrashers are in a playoff chase and will ask for what they believe will be fair market value for giving up a player like Kovalchuk and not hurt their rank in the standings. While that's a valid point, I don't know how many teams would be willing to give up the farm just to get someone like Kovalchuk. Sure, the guy has incredible skills, but are you going to risk the chemistry of a team and the bodies on the team for a guy who won't be staying for more than six months?? That's the question GMs are going to be asking themselves as they ponder what to do.

Yet, the wheels are finally starting to get into motion after months of jockeying for position between the Kovalchuk camp and the Thrashers and finally-- something will get done here; probably before the week is up. Now, it's just a matter of who, what for, and then the questioning of whether or not it was too much and whether or not Kovalchuk will re-sign in the end with his new team.

Vinny Blocked by Barrie??

Everyone's favorite tin-foil hat wearer THN columnist Ken Campbell revealed in a piece today that the Tampa Bay Lightning could have traded Vincent Lecavalier to the Montreal Canadiens in June, but because part-owner Len Barrie refused it, Gary Bettman blocked the deal.

Sources say there was a deal in place last June to trade Lecavalier to the Montreal Canadiens for goalie Carey Price, center Tomas Plekanec and a prospect, but the deal was blocked by Bettman after Barrie refused to approve the deal. That caused a rift between Barrie and Koules that continued to fester and, combined with the financial problems both owners were having, put the Lightning in a state of flux.

Okay, now with the ABSURD amount of trade rumors with Lecavalier now (Campbell in the same piece saying the Kings are the front-runners; who seem to be front-runners for every big name now), this will only make them coming more and more if the Bolts are indeed sold to hedge-fund manager Jeffrey Vinik.

Yet, the trade that never happened that many wanted to happen is one of a head- scratcher, at least to me. You have to wonder why someone like Barrie would block the deal, especially when they saw the emergence of Steven Stamkos first hand.

It's a deal that would have made sense too, with the Bolts getting a bonafide number one goalie and not just back-up by committee they have going on now; to see which back-up is playing better to get starter's time. Price would have been out of the eye of the Montreal fire-storm and be able to flourish the way he would want, Plekanec would have been a solid depth player and secondary scorer, and Lecavalier would have been in his home and would have probably thrived under the pressure in Montreal....or crumbled-- either way.

Though, if that was the start of the ownership issues in Tampa, why would Barrie want to go down with the ship the way he did?? Sure, Lecavalier is the captain, but at the same time-- you need to know what is best for the team when things are planned out that way. It was a benefit to both parties, but Barrie didn't seem to see the forest for the trees; it would seem. Many would say Barrie is a good hockey guy, but this move makes you wonder who has been saying that. When you can get a top goalie and decent secondary scoring-- you could have been better off in the long-run by getting rid of the top dog and hoping the next in line can live up to expectation. You have to risk a lot to get a lot in return. Sport is all about potential since there aren't many sure things. This would have benefited both teams and Barrie effed it up.

Of course, all speculation since these are "sources" putting out the story-- yet Campbell, as critiqued as he may be in one form or another, is somewhat trustworthy when things of this nature pop up. It seems plausible too, given that Barrie seemed to be the one going crazy with ideas in the ownership partnership, thus blocking this deal for one reason or another isn't far fetched. Either way, we'll see if Lecavalier does in fact get put on the block if the ownership deal is pushed through-- whether it's this year, this summer, or even at all to this point. It seems Vinny has been traded plenty of times in his career, but still remains in Tampa.

Price'd Out

It seems that Carey Price's fall from grace continues, now with news coming out that Andrei Markov has called out Price and questioning his heart and his dedication to the team. From playoff failure to Tweets from his tandem partner's agent-- the pressure on Price to overcome this, even while he's still in a developing issue in his career; is immense and who knows if he can do it in that market.

It seems Elliotte Friedman agrees with this ordeal, as does Sean Leahy when he talked about this, which oddly enough sparked my whole thought process.

Granted, my thinking was sparked when I heard about the Markov spat in the locker room through Twitter and I was talking to the girl (go check out I Mean, We Got Guys....., by the way) about this. You have to wonder what would become of Price if he wasn't picked where he was picked and if wasn't as good as he was in juniors. Had he been in a lower-pressure market, would he have developed to a bigger name, albeit in a longer time frame?? We all know that goalies take the longest to develop, so was Price brought up too quickly, even given his success in the lower-levels. Yet, it would have been a catch-22 in most cases, as more often than not, Price would have been selected by a team with a big goaltending issue-- hence why they would have picked a goalie so high in the draft.

Now, if we do a what-if and Price was selected fifth overall again, he'd probably would have ended up with Phoenix or Columbus, depending on where the lotto balls fell. Either way, those are two teams who have had goalie issues in the past. Odds are, they could have ruined Price off the bat by throwing him in the fire too quickly, but it doesn't seem like they would have been in a big rush in order to get him through the system and up to the pros in a time quicker than the speed of light. Odds are they would have developed him better and allowed him to grow. Again--at what point does he get sick of waiting, thinking he's better than he is and lose confidence for not being called up. It's a tight-rope walk, nowadays.

Even if the Habs let Price go, what team would be willing to pick him up?? With goaltending as tight as it is, there's little room for anyone out there. Especially considering his slump and seemingly broken confidence, there's not many people who will be running to Price in order to sign him up for a role on the team, even as a back-up. While the upside in him is there and the pressure would be lesser on him in another market; there's always the idea that he will slump and slump hard during a stretch when you may need him the most. The unreliability of Price now and the possible pressure for him to prove people wrong could actually be his downfall in the end, as well.

It has been quite the fall from grace for Price. From being the savior of the franchise to be the goat who is having his character questioned (of course, allegedly) by his own teammates. He's been outplayed by his partner and now there's a chance he could have a long road back to the hype that got him to where he is today. For a player with a lot of promise, you hope for the best for him and hope he doesn't become a part of the AGM tribe.

The Snag Could Be a Red-Flag

With the news coming out about Ilya Kovalchuk's contract negotiations with the Atlanta Thrashers hitting a snag; this could be the end of the Kovy era in the ATL. Granted, there's plenty of time before Kovalchuk hits the open market, but the idea of a snag is something that could cause panic for the Thrashers' die-hard. All five-dozen of them.

While Kovalchuk is saying a lot of the right things about wanting to stay and liking the organization he's with, but says that the business is what it is-- which basically puts the heat on GM Don Waddell to get something done. Now, Waddell's excuse is that the Kovalchuk camp wants fixed-years with money, but the organization is thinking differently. I don't know how you can get different from what the Kovy camp wants, but it'll be interesting to see what's going on in the organizational standpoint side of things when all is said and done.

Of course, this will be the smoking gun to maybe deal Kovalchuk towards to deadline in order for the Thrashers to get some kind of assets for it; especially if they aren't going to sign a long-term extension for the undeniable face of the franchise. To that end, it may sign the beginning of the end of the Thrashers in Atlanta. Sure, this old gag again-- but with the declining attendance despite a decent team, craziness in the ownership ranks, and plenty of markets looking to get a team relocated to their city....the lack of signing Kovalchuk could be the nail in the coffin.

Yet, what could be garnered by Kovalchuck?? I'm sure with the talent he has, the Thrashers could command a lot, but would they want to part with Kovalchuk even with the influx of talent they could get?? Especially with them fighting for a playoff spot, why would you want to even think about getting rid of your star?? You have to believe that the thought will be there. The options of getting into the playoffs or getting assets for the future will weight heavy, but the former will outweigh it.....I hope. Plus, the Thrashers could look to deal their captain at the Draft or before it hits July 1st, 2010.

Albeit, the snag could just be semantics in the grand scheme of things, but at the same time-- you can't ignore it being a big deal. Especially with a player the caliber of Kovalchuk and him possibly being on the market-- the intrigue is going to be there, even if it's a red herring to get the news onto the Thrashers and get their star's name out there in the media....more so. This is going to be one of the stories under the microscope, even with all of the posturing that has been going along with these contract talks. Fun times ahead, for sure.

Lack of Paying Dues

Incidents like what's happening with Sergei Kostitsyn in Montreal and now with Ilya Zubov in Ottawa, both being sent down because they weren't good enough to make the big club, then requesting a trade because they thought they were good enough. It almost makes like these kids don't feel like actually going through the motions of the hierarchy of the system and they can ply their trade in the minors while waiting for their chance in the barrell.

In Kostitsyn's case, he is very good in the minors, but with the Habs organization, he seemed to be wasted. He has a case that he wants to get out of the Habs organization because of mismanagement of his talent and his skill set, so maybe it's justified. The Zubov issue is that he just wasn't good enough to crack the roster and wants to be in a place where he can play in the NHL. Not only did the Senators have to deal with Dany Heatley going this summer, but another prospect last year in Alexander Nikulin wanted to be dealt when he couldn't crack the roster for Ottawa. Nikulin was dealt to Phoenix, but still stayed in the AHL and eventually rushed to Russia for this season.

Whatever happen to the passion of getting to the NHL and actually working to get to that pinnacle?? You look at guys like Denis Hamel, Darcy Verot, and maybe to a lesser extend, Mike Keane-- guys who are willing to toil in the minor leagues and wait for their call for the big show. While Keane has had his taste of the show, including a couple Stanley Cup; the career minor leaguers are willing to toil and usually it's a big deal when they get the call to finally follow through on their dreams of reaching the NHL, if only for one game. They work all the time and hope to get some recognition, but do it because they love the game and would rather being doing that then something else back in their homes.

It could very well be the culture. The players I mentioned about waiting-- all North American players. The players in turmoil now are from Eastern Europe. It could be a case where the entitlement of the European players are a little bit higher, considering they could be in their home country's league and be making better money than they would in the minors of the NHL. People get into their ear, saying they are better than they actually are and could be tearing things up in a place like the KHL or over in their home country's league, rather than paying the just dues in order to get into the NHL.

Point is, that if you're not good enough for one NHL team, what makes you think that you're going to strong-arm your way to another NHL roster?? It's not the way the system works. It's not the way it should work either, because in sport--you have to prove you're better than your peers if you want to get to the top of the mountain, you have to actually climb it-- it's not going to be handed to you. If they aren't good enough, they should take the constructive criticism and work on their game rather than throw a hissy-fit and run away from the NHL because they weren't handed the roster spot they probably didn't deserve in the first place. Man up, pay your dues, and you won't have all this unwanted attention for your negative things and get more attention for what you do on the ice.

How Much of a Risk is Buccigross Taking??

By now, many people know that ESPN's John Buccigross is putting his neck out on the line saying that Dany Heatley will be dealt soon and even after people have debunked this rumor, he is standing by. Greg Wyshynski has the basic premise of this story and Bucci's determination to stand by the story over at Puck Daddy.

While people are getting their kicks bashing this report, the thing with Buccigross is here is that if this is wrong, he may lose the trust from NHL fans due to it. Buccigross is probably one of the top hockey personalities and fans love him. Having dealt with him in the past on FOHS, he's a great guy-- funny, insightful, and never one to mince words. My fear is that if he's sticking to this story gung-ho and gets it wrong; some people may turn on him and he may lose creditability, like others have in reporting a story from "sources" that go nowhere. We all know who I'm alluding to, so I don't have to really go into it at nauseum.

And if Bucci's sources lead him wrong and they make an ass out of him, how could he personally recover from that?? Will he actually lose more than creditability because of it?? Not saying ESPN will can him or anything like that, but how can you trust a guy who is being led in the wrong direction from trusted sources, sources who are passing on confidential material, as well. It could be a while for people to take him seriously again if he claims to have a story or some kind of inside insight to one thing or another. It could make people turn on him and may make his appeal go downward. Albeit, I don't know how likely it is, but this is all worse-case scenario stuff right now, just to show the doomsday issue at hand.

Of course, if this does go down like he said it would-- then he can throw it in the face of the doubters he had out there. I would like that to be the best scenario because I like Bucci and I think he's good for hockey fans in the States. However, claiming something like this and having it blow up in your face, if that is the case in this situation, could be more damning than not reporting it at all and not following the lead. It begs the question is it better to run with a story that may not have legs and has been falsely reported before, or to keep it quiet and lose out on the scoop that actually had the right outcome to it??

The thing you have to hand to Buccigross in all of this is sticking by the story, even after people in the thick of the situation have crapped all over you about it. He's holding true by what he saw and not going to let anyone else try to sway him differently. If nothing else, he's going to be the captain going down with the ship if he's wrong. If he's correct-- he can basically run the hockey rumor gestapo because Bucci's got the hook-ups.

Oh Dany....Boy

The long awaited silence of Dany Heatley was broken today, with the Senators winger finally talking out about why he wanted a trade from Ottawa, why he didn't want to go to Edmonton, and what's next for him if nothing can get done.

However, when all was said and done, I don't know if there could have been a bigger letdown. Fact of the matter is that there are many questions left unanswered and new ones sprouting up, like those from the folks at Stay Classy.

A couple things stuck out to me when all was said and done from the phoner:

1. Heatley said that he wanted options when it came to where he wanted to go. Fact of the matter is this, when you're already rostered on a team and stuck with that team in contract form, you aren't going to get many options because you're not a free market asset. Teams cannot negociate their own terms with Heatley, but they have to work with what he's already signed to. In a salary cap world, this can't magically happen because you have to work within the perimeters of the cap and most teams now can't make the work. Plus, the teams have to give up some players in return, which many teams would want to do because they most likely would have to sell the farm, so to speak, when it comes to getting Heatley. Would it be worth it?? Maybe, maybe not-- depends on the system he's thrown into.

2. Which leads me to this point, Heatley was talking about his diminished role on the Senators, which as pointed out by the SC.net guys, he's still getting 20 minutes a game on average. Does he want to be like Bugs Bunny and play every position at the same time?? He's a big time player and will probably be put into positions where he'll be able to score and be a game-changer. However, the role of his probably diminished due to the fact the team was out of it and the team as a whole would have wanted to look at the future of the team. Just to see where they sit in terms of the who's coming up and what option there is out there if injuries happen. Plus, in case they need to trade off some guys, who would be expendable and what position they would need more depth in.

3. The questions about Edmonton were avoided like the plague. He said it wasn't about city or the team, it was lack of options. Listen, Dany if you're going to be the enemy, be the heel and totally destroy the city and how insanely cold it can get and why you wouldn't want to inhale all that cold hair, especially with your exposed nerve-endings due to your lack of tooth. Like seriously, Heatley said a lot about not choosing Edmonton by saying nothing at all. Like good buddy Erin Nicks said, I feel kinda bad for Edmonton.....but living in Calgary now, I don't feel THAT bad.

4. Stacey McAlpine is a bit of an ass. And I guess that's what he's supposed to do. I mean, not only did he cut off Don Brennan's question about relinquishing the alternate captaincy, but he tried to cut off the phoner early, only for Heatley to say he'd be able to take more questions. Honestly, great play by both. McAlpine seemingly gets the heat for trying to end it, while Heatley looks like an open guy by taking more questions and looking as if he has nothing to hide. Doubt it'll appear that way, but I think it was a decent ploy.

Well, that's that for now, I assume. Now that his silence is broken, there's nothing left here...right?? No, it's never over with this, let's be honest. Odds are that this won't be enough and it'll have people pining for more and hounding Heatley to get more in-depth answers. How he'll be when it comes time for training camp and he's still a Senator will be something that could make for great reality television. However, until he's retired and writes a book about it, we'll never get the true story at all. Kind of sad thinking about it like that, but it is what it is.

Heater on the Hot Seat

If I'm Dany Heatley, I'm quoting Gob Bluth right now: "I've made a huge mistake."

He has to be feeling that way, what with the fiasco that has gone on in the past few weeks with word of him requesting a trade out of Ottawa being leaked to the media, then Sens' GM Bryan Murray getting a deal in place with the Edmonton Oilers, but Heatley then blocking the deal due to his no-movement clause. Now, reports are coming out that the Sens could file a grievence because Heatley demanded a trade, then wouldn't lift his NMC; which I don't know how they'd win that one since Heatley was in every way right to keep his NMC clause in tact, but still-- this is turning into a bigger circus than it needs to be.

Now, with the July 1st deadline come and gone for the roster bonus of $4M owed to him, you wonder if Heatley will play the loyalty care of figure out a way to sneak out of town like the Baltimore Colts did in 1984. It's not like they can send him to Binghamton with his NMC in effect, which would not only bury him, but bury his contract-- and they could suspend him without pay if he refuses to show up to camp when it starts, but odds are he will, whether they want him there or not. Of course, that last scenario is pending on whether or not he's been traded prior to the Sens camp.

Yet, you look at this and you wonder how the Senators always get into trouble with a superstar player clashing with management. The Alexei Yashin drama was just getting out of the heads of some Sens die-hards and now-- it seems that Heatley is turning into Yashin 2.0. Sadly, Mike Milbury isn't around to make a horrible deal to the Sens in order for the Sens to save face. Albeit, also Yashin was his own worst enemy, Heatley isn't up to that level....yet.

While Heatley is claiming philisophical difference between him and coach Cory Clouston, did Heatley really expect things to be the same as they always were with a new coach behind the bench?? Especially considering the Sens haven't had a stable coach since Jacques Martin was given the boot. This is the fourth straight season with a new head coach to start the season for the Sens and you'd think in that time, Heatley would realize that they would be differences with the revolving door that's at the ScotiaBank Place. Though considering his numbers have been on the decline in the past two years (154 points in past two years in comparison to 208 points in first two years), maybe it's time to sell now. Sure, it's an ego hit and payroll hit due to the $4M bonus, but if he's going to continue to slide on the team, as well as be a disturbance in the locker room, let him make a deal for himself and that way everyone can be happy.

There's plenty of blame to go around for this situation to go as nuclear as it has been, with loose lips sinking ships, but ultimately, Heatley is one who is going to villified when all is said and done. He may not like the situation, but he couldn't expect that things would stay the same when he signed his six-year extension, especially in this day-in-age for the hockey business. The fact he's not willing to take a lesser role or accept change under the helm of Clouston also shows to some that he may not be a team player and is only in business for himself-- which I'm sure plenty of teams will be scrambling to get (sarcasm).

Donning my Sens fan cap for a second, I say you see what happens in the months leading up to camp. Feel out the process, while listening to offers and seeing which one would help the team out more and which Heatley would be willing to go for. If he still balks at the idea, you keep him on the roster and gauge the interest of his teammates as camp draws closer. Then you can see if he does show up to camp and go from there. If he does show up and his teammates want to see how it goes in the first part of it-- then observe and roll. If they have a pure detest for him, then hold him out of camp and see what deal you can scrounge up. Of course, should Heatley not report, then you suspend him without pay and rework as needed.

The end of this all will have everyone involved licking some sort of wound, some wounds bigger than others. Whether it's Bryan Murray, Dany Heatley, or even Cory Clouston-- there's going to be a lot of finger-pointing and armchair GMing to go around for the aftermath....if there is an aftermath.

The Risk of the Status Quo

Two goals, five assists, and minus-5 in 17 games played since the March 4th trade deadline.

Those are the stats of Jay Bouwmeester of the Florida Panthers. With several rumors surrounding him leading up to the deadline, the Panthers held steady in hopes of a return to the playoffs. With those hopes dashed, you have to wonder if it was the right decision to make in the grand scheme of things. Especially now, with the Panthers out of it, the question remains if keeping their stud defenseman was worth it, considering it will take a lot to keep him in Florida come July 1st. Instead of getting something in return, they'll probably end up getting nothing from it all, unless they are able to make some sort of off-season blockbuster trade before the Free Agent Frenzy.

Considering his stats, it may have been the wrong decision to keep him around, but at the same time-- you never know what one could do. With a change of scenary, Bouwmeester could have had a breakout second-half performance and make the Panther fans scream out in horror and question why they dealt him away. Damned if you do, damned if you don't-- I suppose. Considering it all, the Panthers should have continued their rebuild by trading away Bouwmeester at the deadline to get some solid prospects and maybe a couple draft picks. With Keaton Ellerby and Colby Robak progressing well in the Panthers' eyes, maybe it should have been the best decision to cut loose of Jay-Bo, but hindsight being what it is-- they may be too late to get anything for him now.

Though it's not a sure thing that he can't be traded, odds are that the Panthers won't be able to unload him to anyone for anything substantal and the teams may just go into a bidding war rather than give up prospects or draft picks for Bouwmeester. That could be the death blow for the Panthers if they not only miss the playoffs, but get nothing for Bouwmeester in the end of this whole thing. But it's a gamble when you're a fringe team like they were; to give up a big piece of the puzzle in order to look towards next year and beyond or keep him and hope the momentum isn't lost so we can get him back for next year and beyond.

It's going to be wait and see now if the Panthers can somehow lure Bouwmeester back into the fold, but the odds are strongly against them. They could look back and think of this as yet another fumble in their attempt to rebuild, but it's a risk trying to desperately make the playoffs like the Panthers were, especially when the support isn't there right now and may force them to move from the friendly Florida confines to somewhere else.

Armchair GM: To Move or To Maintain

We're about 24 hours away from the NHL trade deadline and the rumors are moving quicker than two people meeting on online dating. The biggest question for the GMs in all of this will be how much is too much when it comes to getting what they want. Who are you willing to risk, whether it be from your roster or your farm system, to get the possible missing piece of the puzzle needed to get into the playoffs and have a chance at the Stanley Cup. As well, are they willing to disrupt a certain chemistry in the room in order to have this rental player in the room for 20 games, tops.

For teams like Florida and Columbus, who some never thought would be in this position this late into the season, they have to tread carefully in what they do. For the Panthers, they will not move Jay Bouwmeester, unless they get an amazing return, because they will need him if they get into the playoffs. The Blue Jackets have been longing for some defensive help and a center, but they have to make sure that they are able to risk what they give up in order to fill that void, or else they turn into the Atlanta Thrashers where they give up the farm for a rental and tank in the playoffs.

Then you have front-runners who may need one or two spots to cover, but they would have to give up too much in order to get that. Therefore, they would probably hold tight with what they have, rather than give up a lot to get what could be little in return. If they are that high in the standings as it is, odds are there's a reason for it and they may not want to tinker with the spirit of things.

Plus, it's not like there's a big deal to be made. Sure, you hear all these unfounded rumors from people who don't have an inside guy, it's just a weekend janitor who is getting his rumors from the sound guys playing NHL09. However, when all is said and done, there could be a blockbuster to shock everyone, but the odds on it are not that good. The predictable names will probably be moved for nothing more than prospects and/or picks, it's just a matter of what team they will go to. I mean, Bill Guerin has been traded since Saturday-- but to where and for what is still TBA, which creates the unrest amongst the public.

It's always a hectic day for GM, but it's always a fun one for the viewing and listening public. The rumors, the jumping the gun speculation, the Sportsnet Frat Party studio-- amazingness will come from it all. I know our show that night will be fantastically done with Spector's Hockey Lyle Richardson joining us for a long time and breaking down what this means for all involved and how much slept he was able to get from it all.