Nathan Paetsch Nearly Taken Off the Ice On a Stretcher

Nathan Paetsch, who got caught in a bad position and launched backwards into the boards by Sean Avery on Monday, took another nasty shot tonight at the hands, or elbows I should say, if Georges Laraque. Paetsch had what appeared to be typical outlet play where he moved the puck up to the wing and only seconds later found himself waking up on the ice surrounded by medical staff. Laraque skated up to Paetsch well after the puck was gone, elbow ready to fly and tried to throw a late shot but he seemed to catch Paetsch right on the chin. Paetsch immediately fell to the ice and did not move for quite some time. It was clear that was he was completely unconscious and it was a scary scene as they wheeled out the stretcher. Luckily, just as they were preparing the stretcher Paetsch was able to stand up with the support of the staff. Laraque was given a 5 minute penalty for elbowing and a game misconduct, and it deserves a suspension from Colin Campbell. If Steve Ott's suspension for the shot to the head of Jordan Leopold is any indication, 3 games would be about right.

Update: Georges Laraque has been suspended three games for his elbow on Nathan Paetsch. Paetsch is out indefinitely with what was clearly a concussion.

On another front, an example of how much Pittsburgh loves Colby Armstrong was just shown in the form of a commercial featuring the tough winger, which I'd seen during previous game. This time, however, the car dealership acknowledged his trade to Atlanta and wished him the best. He will clearly be missed.

Huge Night For Huet And The Capitals

Huet's first night as the Washington Capitals netminder ended with a 4 - 0 shut out over the New Jersey Devils. Huet, who was suprisingly acquired at the trade deadline by Washington, stopped all 18 shots on goal - a fairly low number considering New Jersey's 28.4 Shots per game (20th in NHL). This was his 3rd shut out of the season! Congrats ... Now, for your next trick.

Its great to watch fresh trades take to the ice the week following the trade deadline, is it me, or does there seem to be a "trial by fire" mentality from both the player and the team? The big trades this year were Huet, Richards and Campbell ... sure everyone was anticipating where Hossa would go - unfortunately, Hossa's maiden voyage in the Penguins sweater sent him to the locker room with an ankle injury (heard he is out of the week). The caliber of hockey we saw this past week was no less than amazing, the players who had to show up - sure did this past week!

Richards cross crease pass to Hagman - Campbells big night with the sharks, showing up and adding a few more notches to his stats and Huet's Shut Out! If this is what I am going to be served up during the playoffs, this just may be one of those post-seasons that will be talked about for years to come! Then again ... its up to those who make it.

Your First Trade Is Always The Worst

I am excited to see Brian Campbell head out west, I think his skills on the power play and his leadership on the ice will be a huge value add in the Sharks organization. I don't know how it felt for Brian when he was notified that he was just traded, but if I were to equate the feeling it would be like knowing a lay-off is coming, knowing that your department is being cut, and finding out at 4pm on Friday that today is your last day (all the while asking your boss "just tell me if I am going"). Brian's emotional interview was touching, as you could tell he was extremely upset, and at the same time, had to be positive about going to the Sharks.

His interview later in the day, once the Sharks PR department got in touch with him, had a completely different tone. He had time to put his thoughts together and had time to chat with the Sharks organization on things to discuss.

Brian Campbell has become a better hockey player - not on the ice, but through this process. Your first is always the toughest, he survived, he will head west to San Jose and he will still be a rock star on the ice. I cannot imagine how he felt ... being drafted by the Sabres in 1997, he has played with then since and went to his first All-Star game as a Sabre last year, and then again this past year in Atlanta. Buffalo is what he knows, Buffalo is where his heart is. He even said "I have finally allowed my teammates to call me "soup!""

Brian is coming to San Jose at a great time - Campbell brings his elite skills, including his super speed and ability as a power-play quarterback, to the Sharks, a team that desperately needed a "pick-me-up" in their bid to become a major contender in the Western Conference. San Jose is fifth in the West with 74 points, leading Minnesota by one and Vancouver and Nashville by two. It is third in the Pacific Division, trailing first-place Dallas by nine points and second-place Anaheim by five. Campbell had five goals and 38 assists this season for the Sabres. His 43 points led all Sabres defensemen and is seventh among NHL defensemen.

When asked Sharks GM Doug Wilson said "We have been looking for this component for our hockey team for quite a while, I'm very familiar with Brian Campbell's game. I think he's one of the top puck-moving defenseman in the game. We think he'll fit in tremendous for our hockey team. He'll certainly improve our power play and our puck possession game. He's a world class skater. He can move the puck. He can play defense. He's a multidimensional player, and he's had success. He's the type of guy that will fit into the dressing room here."

Good Luck Brian - and Welcome to The Tank!!!

Montreal Canadiens Mistake

Hockey is essentially about goaltending and no team can win the cup without it. In fact, you can't win a cup without amazing goaltending, average goaltending just won't get it done. So Bob Gainey, the GM for the Habs who'd publicly announced his intent to acquire an "impact player," thought that it would be a good idea to send out Cristobal Huet, a veteran goaltender who'd been leading the team much of the year, for nothing but a draft pick and thrust the 20-year old phenom, Carey Price, into the starting role for the stretch run and the playoffs.

For me, this was easily the weirdest and most illogical trade of the day. If he was getting real value for Huet then maybe I could understand, but all he added was a draft pick and not even a first rounder and not even for the upcoming draft. What the Habs received was a 2nd round pick in 2009. This means that Toronto received more compensation for Hal Gill than Montreal did for Huet. I truly feel for Montreal fans who must have knots the size of bowling balls in their stomachs today. Carey Price is obviously going to be a number one guy, but this may be a little soon and while he's show some brilliance this season, he hasn't shown the consistency it takes to win a cup. So instead of securing Hossa, Havlat, Jokinen or any other big name "impact players" they send out a goaltender for a draft pick and then call it a day. If Price stumbles in the playoffs, Montreal may have a full scale riot on its hands and I, for one, wouldn't blame them one bit.

For once, I'm Speechless

Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from the Boston Bruins for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and a first round draft pick.

So now that it's had some time to settle in I figured I'd provide a few thoughts on the blockbuster of the day. Frankly, I'm concerned. I think this is a big hit to chemistry overall, especially with the loss of Army, and it seems like an awful lot to pay for what will most likely turn out to be a rental player. If the Pens can re-sign him, then maybe the deal is okay but do the Pens have enough money to sign him, Malkin, Fleury and Staal? I'm not certain that they do.

Christensen I'm okay with losing and Esposito, while he may end up being a star, is an acceptable loss as well but losing the toughness of Armstrong is, well, tough. This is where I think the Penguins struggle the most and while they added a concrete pylon to their defensive corp in Hal Gil, they still tend to be a little soft and were very much so in the playoffs last year. I'm just surprised to see this sudden eruption of "win now" mentality coming out of a team that has the brightest future of any team in the league.

Hossa is a beast, don't get me wrong, but he's never done much in the playoffs and will most likely not be with the Pens next season so was it worth it to give up that much for him? I think I would have rather gotten Tuomo Ruutu, someone the Pens pursued but lost out on to the Hurricanes, and paid a lesser price. I'm truly concerned that a young team who's played with tremendous heart and determination, who's overcome odds and have found new leadership in the midst of injuries to Fleury and Crosby, may suffer from this trade. It remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain, the Penguins are unequivocally the best show in town.....for now.

Third Verse Same as the First in Buffalo

Buffalo Sabres fans have taken a beating over the last 12 months. They watched the Sabres stumble in the playoffs and then waived good to their top pivot Daniel Briere before watching their heart and soul leader Chris Drury follow suit. Now, it appears that fans will be on the verge of a mutiny as they will have to suffer through another loss. It appears to be almost certain that Brian Campbell, an extremely talented smooth skating defenseman who has been the leader of the defensive corps for the last few seasons, will be finding a new home after failing to reach a new deal with the Sabres. Campbell stands to become an unrestricted free agent in the off-season and at 28 he's in the prime of his career and exactly the kind of defenseman that teams cherish in the "new NHL." Campbell is on pace for a career year as he has 43 points through 62 games and Buffalo didn't appear to want to pay him his due. Now, I have no access to the inner-workings of a deal like this but I can't imagine how any of the leaders in Buffalo could allow this to happen yet again. They've truly struggled without Briere and Drury, Thomas Vanek has been a shadow of himself without them, and now they're willing to lose the kind of defenseman that every team wants. Campbell was reportedly willing to accept a hometown discount to stay in Buffalo, but they could not come to terms and if there's one thing that powers-that-be have learned in Buffalo, it's that allowing a top player to walk for nothing in return is equally as foolish as failing to retain them in the first place.

UPDATE: Sabres trade Brian Campbell to the San Jose Sharks for a 1st round draft pick and Steve Bernier. Buffalo fans, my apologies and your GM deserves to be fired. San Jose Sharks AGAIN benefit from an incredibly timed trade.

Dan Boyle Re-signs Sending Brad Richards Out the Door

The Lightning re-signed Dan Boyle, a 31 year old puck-moving defenseman coming off a career year last season with 20 goals and 63 assists, to a 6-year deal worth $40 million. Boyle has suffered through a variety of injuries this season including a freak accident where his skate fell from his locker and severed a number of tendons in his wrist costing him 36 games. He's been healthy for less than a month and it didn't take long for the rumor mill to get rolling. Tampa's ownership questions left everything in the wind but apparently the new owners wanted Boyle to stay. So much so that they signed him to a deal that pretty much guarantees that one of the "big three," which is Brad Richards, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St Louis, will be moved by tomorrow's deadline. Lecavalier is a Lightning for life, if they have any sense at all, and St Louis is most likely staying put leaving Richards and his $7 million a year the odd man out. My guess would be that he'll take his league worst plus/minus rating of -25 to Vancouver who is desperate for offense. At 27, Richards is in the prime of his career and, having only played for Tampa Bay in his entire career, he know has an opportunity to take his Stanley Cup ring and try to add to it in the heart of hockey country.

Tanguay to Stay

After weeks of speculation and even public acknowledgment of said speculation, the Flames have announced that they do not intend to trade the suddenly surging Alex Tanguay. The Flames need to free up some cap space to re-sign key free agents so most assumed that they would do that by sending Tanguay and his $5 million + salary out the door but it appears that is not the case which is smart on Darryl Sutter's part. Tanguay has a year left on his three year deal which includes a no-trade clause so any deal would have had to have 28 year old winger's stamp of approval. The question now is, will they trade Kristian Huselius, who's mired in a lengthy goal scoring slump, instead?

Sundin Trades a Cup Run for Class

Mats Sundin, a Canadian golden boy and perennial hockey leader, has informed Leafs GM, Cliff Fletcher, that he will not waive his no trade clause. Sundin, who's spent 13 of his roughly 17 years in the league with the Leafs, will be an unrestricted free agent in the off-season and Fletcher was hoping to rent him out to a cup favorite in order to aid in the rebuilding process in Toronto and give Mats a chance at his first Cup. At age 37, Sundin has few years left to win his first cup but despite having his pick of nearly every playoff-bound team, Mats declined saying,

"I cannot leave my teammates and join another NHL Club at this time. I have never believed in the concept of a rental player. It is my belief that winning the Stanley Cup is the greatest thing you can achieve in hockey but for me, in order to appreciate it you have to have been part of the entire journey and that means October through June. I hope everyone will understand and respect my decision."

Many players have come before him and have left their home team in order to chase the dream temporarily with a cup favorite but Mats decided it was not the way he wanted to win. To me, this speaks volumes about his class and leadership and illustrates exactly why so many teams were lined up for a shot at his services. Sundin deserves a cup, but with Toronto clearly embarking on an intensive, and much needed, re-build he may never get it. Many will accuse Mats of hurting that rebuilding effort and claim that he should have allowed Fletcher to get some value for him and then just re-signed with Toronto in the off-season. Regardless of one's perspective on that, Mats decision is actually a refreshing one as he will be a leaf until the end and that's something to be celebrated.

Western Conference Playoff Spots

If you look at the spread in the West ... ONLY 8 points separate 13th and 5th. Top that off with the teams in 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th are all tied with 72 points (this is including the San Jose Sharks)!!! Am I worried - absolutely. It would be a crying shame for the Sharks to miss the playoffs this year. I am looking at hotels in the Nashville area in the event they meet up with the Predators soon.

All said - these last 20 or so games are going to be intense, gritty and down right brutal when it comes to Western division and conference rivals scratching for these last few points. What is also making this an amazing season is with only 2 more days left before the trade deadline hits - we are still waiting patiently for those flood gates to crash open so we can witness the shuffle of players by coaches and GM's in the hopes of securing one of the births come April!

There are a TON of rumors flying around the league and not much action, which tells me that come Monday and Tuesday ... the NHL corporate offices will be in utter pandemonium trying to facilitate trade calls between teams, players, agents and the NHLPA. The next 72 hours are not going to provide much sleep if you are an NHL executive in NY.

If You Listen Closely

You'll be able to hear the quiet buzz going around the NHL. *insert sarcastic snicker here*! This trade deadline dash is as loud as a train. Everyone is trying to get the scoop on who is going where and when. What is going to happen is you'll see small trades here and there until POW - someone big moves and that will open the flood gates. I would equate this moment with the time right before the bell rings and the horses take off out of the gates. Its the calm before the storm.

I found this information on TSN ... here is a list from a bunch of different news sources and what they are writing about. So many rumors going around its like lunch time in an 8th grade cafeteria.

- Many reports from Tampa note that Lightning D Dan Boyle could be among the most attractive options at the deadline, with the New York Post reporting that the Rangers are hotly pursuing Boyle, with the Flyers and Sharks also hovering. The St. Petersburg Times joins TSN in reporting that the word around the GM Meetings had the Lightning looking to see what they could get in return for C Brad Richards.

- According to the Edmonton Journal, the Oilers aren't likely to make too many moves because of injuries and a roster of young talent that they want to build upon, but would consider a young scoring winger in exchange for C Jarret Stoll, who will be a restricted free agent. The paper goes on to say that if a team wants to make a push for D Joni Pitkanen, it would take a winger like Alexander Frolov to make a deal work.

- If the Bruins are going to get in the bidding for Marian Hossa, the price could be Phil Kessel and Mark Stuart, according to the Boston Globe, while the Ottawa Sun suggests that Glen Murray would be part of the package. According to the Ottawa Sun, the Habs, Bruins, Senators, Rangers, Sharks, Ducks, Wings and Stars have all made their pitch for Hossa. The Ottawa Sun says that the Sharks turned up the Heat in their pursuit of Hossa, offering C Patrick Marleau. The New York Post adds Sharks D Matt Carle and Thrashers C Bobby Holik to that trade mix.

- Reports out of South Florida and Minnesota both indicate that the Wild are angling for Panthers C Olli Jokinen, seeing him as a legitimate No. 1 centre for Pavol Demitra and Marian Gaborik.

- The Boston Globe lists Alex Tanguay, Vaclav Prospal and Jarret Stoll as potential top-six forwards of interest to the Bruins.

- According to the Columbus Dispatch, Adam Foote is the only pending unrestricted free agent that the Blue Jackets are talking contract with. That means Sergei Fedorov, David Vyborny, Michael Peca, Jan Hejda and Ron Hainsey are all considered trade fodder approaching the deadline.

- The Bergen Record notes that there were rumours of Bobby Holik being dealt from the Thrashers to the Rangers, but Atlanta's surge into Southeast contention makes it less likely.

- The New York Post initially had the Devils getting interested in Chicago's Robert Lang or Martin Havlat, then saying that the Devils are more likely to get involved in a rental player acquisition. The Ottawa Sun suggests that if the Montreal Canadiens get Marian Hossa, they might make a push for Havlat as well.

- The Columbus Dispatch says that the Senators would be willing to move Antoine Vermette or Chris Kelly for a power play quarterback. The Ottawa Sun suggests that, instead of dealing Vermette, the Senators consider moving D Andrej Meszaros.

- The Denver Post, noting that Toronto, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, New Jersey, Vancouver and Nashville had scouts at a recent Avalanche game, noted that one scout said he was in Colorado to evaluate Avalanche LW Andrew Brunette.

- The Belleville News-Democrat suggests that both Barret Jackman and Bryce Salvador are possible trade bait since they are heading for unrestricted free agency and the Blues have spent quite a bit of money on the blueline already.

- While the numerous Leafs with no-trade clauses are still waiting for word on possible deals, the Toronto Sun notes that Matt Stajan is finding his name in more trade talks. The Toronto Star reports that the Leafs might need to include younger players -- like Nik Antropov or Alexei Ponikarovsky -- in trade talks since they would both fetch a good return.

- According to the New York Post, the Rangers could be interested in Blues LW Martin Rucinsky, and may send D Marek Malik to St. Louis in such a deal.

- Reports indicate that Maple Leafs D Tomas Kaberle did not waive his no-trade clause for a deal to Philadelphia. The Ottawa Sun reports that the Flyers had offered C Jeff Carter and draft pick.

- Oilers G Dwayne Roloson, with one year at $3-million remaining on his contract, could get moved out of Edmonton if he gets his way. Roloson is naturally not thrilled with playing backup to newly-established starter Mathieu Garon.

- According to the Boston Globe, the Lightning have interest in Avalanche G Jose Theodore and Roloson.

- The Globe and Mail revives the long-rumoured Alex Tanguay-for-Michael Ryder trade rumours.

- The Columbus Dispatch has the Devils interested in Blue Jackets C Manny Malhotra.

- Both the Boston Globe and Toronto Sun suggest that Maple Leafs D Hal Gill could be moved out before the deadline.

The Tough Get Tougher, The Weakened Get Weaker

According to TSN, always first to break trades, the Flyers have made Jim Vandermeer's stay in Philadelphia a short one today as they traded him to the Calgary Flames for a 3rd round pick in 2009. Vandermeer, a young and tough defenseman with 7 1penalty minutes in 54 games this season, only spent roughly 2 months with the Flyers who acquired him in December from the Blackhawks in exchange for Ben Eager.

Yesterday the Flyers, mired in a seven-game skid at the worst possible time, also traded for veteran defenseman, and consistent journeyman, Jaroslav Modry sending a 3rd round pick to the Kings in exchange. I think I'd rather have Vandermeer for the playoffs, but it appears that the Flyers may be up to something as they've struggled mightily over the last few weeks and have subsequently tumbled from first in their division and second in the East to fourth in their division and the eight and final spot in the conference. Now that the Forsberg sweeps appears to have been put to rest, though reports are saying there is still a slim chance of a return regardless of what was announced earlier this week, the Flyers may have placed their sights on a new target.

It seems the Flyers can't catch a break as Simon Gagne will miss the rest of the season after suffering his third concussion of the year. This frees up some salary for the Flyers who will most certainly be looking to add some scoring at the deadline. Of course, they'll have to stand in line with every other playoff-bound team.

Making Sense Of The Trade Deadline

Here is a simple overview of how teams trade and what happens during the process. Over the next 14 days the NHL offices will be abuzz with calls and deals - would be fun to get a camera crew in there to document that one year. Anyway - here is an easy to understand breakdown of the trade process. (Source - NHL.com)

As the trade deadline of 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 26 approaches, the National Hockey League has prepared the following:

How is a trade made?
After two clubs have come to an agreement on a trade, the clubs must advise the League office, either by telephone or by FAX, of the terms of the trade. The League office then schedules a conference call with the two teams to review the transaction and give final approval for the deal. Prior to the trade call, the League office will ensure that the team has the appropriate salary cap space to make the deal; if draft choices are involved, that the club has the available choices; and that the team has available space on its reserve list to add the player(s). It should be noted that the 23-man roster restriction is no longer in force from February 27 on.

On the trade call, the League will a) review the terms of the player contracts and ensure that teams are aware of their respective obligations to the player(s) involved; b) ensure that, should a player have a no-trade clause, that the player has waived that right; and c) ensure that any conditions to consummation of the transaction have been clearly defined and agreed upon.
The trade becomes official after the trade call has taken place.

What if a player involved in a transaction has a "no trade" clause?
No trade clauses can vary from player to player. For example, a player may have a list of teams that he has agreed to be traded to. The League requires written documentation from the player that he has waived his no trade clause. If applicable, the documentation must also stipulate which teams the player has agreed it is permissible for him to be traded to.

Can a trade take place after the 3:00 P.M. ET deadline on February 26, 2007?
Trade calls may take place after the 3:00 p.m. deadline but the League must have been advised of any and all transactions, including the specific details, prior to 3:00 p.m. It is not unusual that a number of trades are agreed to between the clubs just before 3:00 p.m. However, due to the volume of trades occurring just prior to the deadline, the League may not be able to conduct the actual trade call until after 3:00 p.m. There are four League officials that conduct trade calls and calls may last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the complexity of the deal.

How is a player's salary charged against a team's salary cap when a trade is made at the deadline?
The salary that is charged against a team's cap is the pro rated amount remaining of the player's average yearly salary. For example, if a player has an average yearly salary of $2 million, the amount charged against the acquiring team's cap is the pro-rated amount remaining of $2 million.

This is calculated by dividing $2 million by the number of days in the season (187). The amount ($10,695) is then multiplied by the number of days remaining in the season from the day the trade is made (41 days if trade is on deadline day) to ascertain the amount charged against the team's cap ($438,502).

And so the drama begins

It appears that after a both great and horrifying weekend in hockey, the first move in the dramatic spectacle that is the trade deadline. Best wishes to both Richard Zednik and Pat Dappuzzo who both suffered horrific injuries this weekend. Richard Zednik had an artery severed in his neck when his teammate's skate accidentally came up and clipped him while Dappuzzo, a veteran linesman, was struck in the face with a skate when Steve Downie was hit along the boards. Speedy recovery to both.

On to other hockey related matters, the first significant trade of the season has occured. According to TSN, the Ottawa Senators have sent 23 year old Patrick Eaves, a young player with tremendous potential, and Joe Corvo, an offensive defensemen, to the Carolina Hurricanses for Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore. Stillman had a tremendous start to the year but cooled off recently and now has 46 points in 55 games, including 21 goals. Mike Commodore is the prototypical stay-at-home, in-your-face defenseman that every playoff team needs. In fact, he was one of the unsung heroes in Carolina's run to the cup. Does this mean that Carolina is already throwing in the towel? I'm not really certain. Stillman is a good player and he's better, right now, than Eaves though Eaves' upside is significantly higher considering his age. The Sens add second line scoring, something they desperately need, and a physical presence that is crucial. Corvo can move the puck well, but often costs his team defensively but the Canes lack a defenseman of Corvo's style so he may be a good fit. Corvo has two years left on his deal that pays $2.75 million per year and Eaves will be a restricted free agent this off-season after making $942,000 this year. Commodore makes $1.3 million this season while Stillman is a bargain at $1.75 million, though both will be unrestricted free agents in the off-season.

It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day

Well, after what can only be described as a brutal week of picks we embark on a huge week in the NHL. The trade deadline is rapidly approaching and names like Hossa and Sundin are flying everywhere with so many teams on the verge of a playoff berth and it even looks like the great Foppa should be returning soon and apparently for more than just this year. This week provides some immediate interest as well with Selanne (FINALLY) making his 07-08 debut on Tuesday or Thursday for the reigning champs who seem to be struggling all of the sudden. A couple of quick notes:

Shawn Horcoff, on a career pace this season for the Oilers, will apparently miss the rest of the season as he has elected to have his shoulder surgically repaired. It's a shame since Horcoff was having such a great year for the young Oilers who are already without key player Raffi Torres and Sheldon Souray.

Georges Laraque wasn't suspended for cross checking Flyers super-pest Steve Downie from behind into the boards, so will Ryan Hollweg receive a just punishment for his nasty hit from behind in Sunday's only game? We should know by the end of today.

Marc-Andre Fleury participated in his first full practice Friday since suffering a high ankle sprain but with the solid play of Ty Conklin I wouldn't expect to see Fluery back at least for another month.

The NHL is back on NBC and has a great re-match of the Western Conference finals on Sunday as the Ducks face the Redwings in about as close to primetime as hockey gets nowadays.

The Rangers have returned to early season form after winning 4 of their last 5 against teams like Philadelphia and New Jersey. The Rangers were down in Sunday's game against Montreal but rallied back behind their big free agent signings. They have four games this week and currently sit in 7th place in the East only 3 points behind the division leading Flyers which would equate to second in the East overall. The Atlantic Division (Penguins, Flyers, Devils, Rangers, Islanders) is one of the most competitive in the NHL right now.

Minnesota, off a 7-2-1 record over their last 10 games, has jumped over Calgary to take over the lead in their division by 3 points which puts them in 3rd out West. Could they pick up a scoring winger to push them over the top?

San Jose has 4 games in hand over the division leading Stars and the Anaheim Ducks and is only 2 points out of the division lead as is. Never before has winning a division been so necessary for so many good teams.

Nashville, having only failed to get points in 2 out of their last 10 games, has moved up to the 8th and final spot in the West. However, only 4 points separates them from the 12th position.

Atlanta is one of the most talked about teams in regards to the trade deadline and yet they are no tied for the lead in their division with Carolina. In fact, the teams have identical records as they both are 26-25-4. The similarities go even further as their home and road records are nearly the same. However, Washington and Florida are only 3 points behind them and the Caps have 2 games in hand while the Panthers have 1.

Montreal...who would have known? Montreal is quietly the most dangerous team in the East right now behind the incredible play of Cristobal Huet and a group of young forwards. they are now only 3 points behind the Eastern Conference leading Ottawa Senators and have been a much better team than the Sens as of late. This makes their game against the Senators tomorrow night one of the biggest this week and definitely one to follow. Rumors are also swirling that have the Canadiens and Thrashers talking trade, reportedly for Marian Hossa. An acquisition like that could make Montreal the team to beat in the East.

Youthful Potential for Aging Experience?

The Chicago Blackhawks made a strange trade over the weekend when they sent Radim Vrbata to the Coyotes for Kevyn Adams. Vrbata, the number two scorer on the team, is 26 years old and posted 41 points (14 goals and 27 assists) in 77 games last season. It was the best season of his underachieving, yet young, career. Kevyn Adams, at the ripe age of 32, put up a whopping 3 goals and 9 assists in 68 games last season evenly splitting his time between Phoenix and Carolina.

While I'm the first one to point out that hockey is about more than putting up points and one should never overlook the value of experience and leadership, I do wonder why a young team would trade away their second leading scorer for a checking line center. While Adams is a solid face-off man with a Stanley Cup to his name, won with Carolina two seasons ago, his plus/minus leaves much to be desired (-20 last season and only an even rating on the run to the Stanley Cup the previous year) and he's prone to injuries. It saves Chicago money since Vrbata stood to make $1.255 million while Adams is only going to make $650k, but it still looks to be a typical Chicago move of sending away talent and getting very little in return.

While many may see Patrick Kane, the first overall pick in this year's draft, as the justification for Vrbata's departure, I see it as the opposite. I think we may have seen Vrbata continue to increase his production if he were given the chance to play with another talented, speedy forward. Instead, he'll be out in the desert, most likely playing with Shane Doan, putting up a career best 50+ points and playing in a place where at least people will come to watch him play.

The Latest Transactions

Bruins and Blues Swap Prospects

The Boston Bruins traded young goaltending prospect Hannu Toivonen to the Blues in exchange for Carl Soderberg. Toivonen was a first round draft pick, 29th overall, in 2002 but has yet to live up to his expectations and has split time between the NHL and the AHL. He's projected to eventually be a number one goaltender, but the acquisition of Manny Fernandez made him expendable. He still has a tremendous upside so this trade could, eventually, come back to haunt the Bruins. Soderberg, on the other hand, is more of a wild card. He has great size at 6-3 198 lbs and it very developed for a 21 year old. He as yet, however, to play a single game in the NHL but has averaged roughly a point-per-game in the Swedish Elite Leagues and showed tremendous potential in the Under-18 division.

Senators Keep Their Man

Ray Emery, who led the Senators to the Stanley Cup finals, was the biggest name in arbitration. It was rumored that he wanted somewhere around $4 million per year while the club wanted to sign him to a deal similar to that of Ryan Miller in Buffalo or Cam Ward in Carolina, which would put him at around $2-2.5 million. It looked like the 24-year-old was going to head into arbitration and most likely receive a substantial raise but at the last minute, the two sides found some middle ground. He signed a three-year deal worth $9.5 million. This is a substantial raise over the $925,000 he made last season but I'm guessing that the arbitrator would have awarded him an even larger payday simply for making the finals.

I was a doubter of Ray Emery early on but he showed some poise in the playoffs. He's still very young and has a lot of developing to do, but I think this is a great sign by the Senators who have always struggled at the goaltending position. Now if they could just unload Martin Gerber's salary.....

Par for the Course and Today's Trade

Roenick

In typical fashion Jeremy Roenick is going back on his retirement claims, saying that he isn't sure whether or not he's going to hang up the skates. I'm guessing he looked at his gambling debts and thought "hmmm, I bet I can sucker some team into signing me for another year at a couple million.....that should at least cover my super bowl losses." If you're unaware of Roenick's previous transgression look no further than this article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2919-2004Aug15.html.

If you're looking for additional reasons to hold little respect for Roenick, refer to this article where he claims that "It would be a travesty" if he wasn't on the USA hockey team and threatens that if he fails to make the cut Team USA "better hope that I don't get a job as a commentator on NBC for [the Games], or it'd be 'Go Canada' all the way, and I don't want that."

Here's the article: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2252497

Of course, they left the old, withered man off the roster and he had this to say about it: "I know nobody on that team has more points in the National Hockey League than me. So if they want to go that way, good luck," Roenick said.

Considering that Mike Modano was on the USA hockey team, that's a pretty stupid claim....even for Roenick. Frankly, the man is totally devoid of class. The only reason I'd like to see him come back is so I watch him suffer through another 20 point season and punctuate his career with a massive, vomit-inducing concussion at the hands of Chris Pronger, Chris Neil or any other player in the NHL. It's over, it was over a long time ago, let it go and please, for the love of everything holy, don't go into broadcasting.

Ottawa and Boston

Now, on to more interesting news and better players, the Ottawa Senators cut salary today by trading Peter Schaefer to the Bruins in exchange for Shean Donovan. Schaefer is definitely a more talented player but this was done to create cap space in order to accommodate what will be a substantial raise for their number one goaltender Ray Emery.

Preparing for the 2007/2008 NHL Season!

Its to early to start a countdown - that would just depress us! However - Free Agency starts in 4 days ... July 1!!! Are YOU ready?