HOCKEYTALK NHL QUICK SHOTS BY JOSH BREWSTER

NHL QUICK SHOTS
By Josh Brewster | March 5, 2009

NHL Trade Deadline in Review

MARCH 5, 2009 -- LOS ANGELES -- It was a typically busy race to the finish this season, as the trade deadline featured some notable surprises from some clubs, plus some notable silences from others.

Click here for deadline deals

WESTERN CONFERENCE

PACIFIC DIVISION

ANAHEIM DUCKS:

Bob Murray hedges hits bets: Chris Pronger, with one year left on his contract, still owes the Ducks another season. Murray was not under the gun to deal him, and didn't.

Scott Niedermayer has yet to decide what his plans will be next season. Since Murray wasn't under the gun to unload salary--although he's very close to the cap limit--he chose to keep the future Hall-of-Famer for the team's current playoff run.

Bob Murray makes a hard decision: Center Samuel Pahlsson is a fan favorite, a Selke nominee ('07) and nearly walked off with the Conn Smythe when his performance in the 2007 Cup Final raised eyebrows and he emerged as one of the toughest defensive forwards in the game. But with Pahlsson (and Travis Moen and Kent Huskins) insisting on testing the free agent waters this summer, and contract extension talks going nowhere, Murray bit the bullet and sent all three away for top prospects from the Sharks organization (C Nick Bonino and G Timo Pielmeier) and a bread-and-butter defenseman, James Wisniewski, from the Blackhawks.

DALLAS STARS:

Brendan Morrison was claimed off waivers from Anaheim. Morrison, whose recovery from ACL surgery has hampered virtually everything he's tried to do on the ice, will try to help the Stars at center, in light of the recent injury to Brad Richards.

LOS ANGELES KINGS:

Patrick O'Sullivan's contentious contract talks with GM Dean Lombardi had nothing to do with his being jettisoned to Edmonton via a three-way deal with Carolina. Really, it didn't. Really. We mean it.

PHOENIX COYOTES:

Fire sale. Redo the lease, send as much salary out of town as possible and we'll see you in the fall. Matt Lombardi, rookie Brandon Prust and a number one pick are the return for dispensing with Olli Jokinen. Had the Coyotes' been good enough for a playoff spot, no way would Jokinen have been dealt. Hard realities for a club whose very existence is in question.

GM Don Maloney plucked some useful young parts when he acquired Dmitri Kalinin, Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes for Derek Morris. Prucha's downfall is strange; maybe some time under coach Wayne Gretzky's guidance will unleash the Prucha we knew when he was playing alongside Jaromir Jagr. If anyone can get Prucha going, it's Shane Doan, who remains the heart of this franchise. Scottie Upshall is an improvement over NHL penalty minutes leader (174) Dan Carcillo.

SAN JOSE SHARKS:

So much for the Chris Pronger and/or Ryan Smyth rumors. Forward Travis Moen and defenseman Kent Huskins (currently injured, but set to return within a week or two) come over from oddball trading partner, the Ducks. Moen and Huskins were sandpaper guys during the Ducks' Cup run, and while they don't pack the flash of a Pronger or a Smyth, they will help tremendously as the Sharks try to remove the "playoff failure" millstone off their necks.

CENTRAL DIVISION

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS:

Sammy Pahlsson's acquisition drove straight to the heart of the matter. An astute decision rendered with surgical precision, the 'Hawks bit the bullet, jettisoned a solid defenseman in James Wisniewski to Anaheim, and struck gold. Gold with mononucleosis (he returns in a week or two), but still gold. Pahlsson was one of the keys to the Ducks' Cup win in 2007, and easily could have won the Conn Smythe Trophy. One of the best shutdown forwards in the game, Pahlsson's addition may force Dave Bolland to the fourth line, but in general, shouldn't be too disruptive. This deal strikes at the heart of the matter: Winning in the playoffs requires sandpaper. Pahlsson's the sandpaper.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS:

Antoine Vermette has scored only nine goals in 62 games this season. He has, however, managed 141 shots on goal (2.27 per game). GM Scott Howson views Vermette as a top-six forward and his confidence could substantially increase, and if it does, Vermette may be well worth the price, which turned out to be goaltender Pascal Leclaire. On a recent night, Howson visited Ottawa and witnessed Vermette's faceoff prowess in a game in which he went 14-0 in the circle.

DETROIT RED WINGS:

Nothing. The fans shake their heads over the lack of a move to shore up the club's goaltending (currently ranked 17th), but the fans' memory is short: Only 9 months ago, Chris Osgood backstopped the Wings to a Cup, his third with the Wings (second as playoff starter). Not to mention Osgood's 383 wins. In addition, Ty Conklin, who has recorded six shutouts this season, is a legitimate backup and worth a gamble if Osgood falters.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS:

All quiet on the Tennessee front, as club, whose members begged for help at center ice, got nothing done at the deadline. But you know how it is in Nashville: Coach Barry Trotz finds a way to make a gourmet meal out of a Denny's lineup.

ST. LOUIS BLUES:

Standing pat, and that's just fine. The idea of shuffling Keith Tkachuk away on a rental is a distasteful one to GM John Davidson, who rightly paid his respects to a hard-working Blues club that is a long shot for the playoffs, but remains in the mix. "The integrity of this team should be held intact because they've earned that right," Davidson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "They've told us and our fans that they're a good group that works their tails off." Amen. Itchy trigger fingers will get you nowhere, and patience is a tough sell in this economy, but Blues fans have to be optimistic that the club is in the right hands with Davidson and owner Dave Checketts.

NORTHWEST DIVISION

CALGARY FLAMES:

If paper translates to ice, then the Flames are ready to go back to the conference finals. Olli Jokinen is itching for a shot at the playoffs, and the strapped Coyotes were forced to look at him as nothing but an asset. Watch Olli's shots-on-goal totals. Normally, Jokinen is amidst the league leaders. This season, he's down roughly 25%. If he can shoot four or more times per game, it'll be the first indication that he's back and ready. Jordan Leopold returns to his former club. Regehr, Phaneuf, Aucoin, now Leopold...pretty tough crew.

COLORADO AVALANCHE:

The Avs will have three of the first 60 picks in this June's Entry Draft, thanks to their trade of Jordan Leopold back to Calgary. Too bad the Avs didn't get more out of the Alex Tanguay deal. Ryan Smyth? Well, it seems that either no club wanted to meet GM Francois Giguere's price, or the team really does like Smyth. Maybe a bit of both.

EDMONTON OILERS:

Astute pickup, getting Ales Kotalik. Underachieving in Buffalo this season, Kotalik brings a swift set of hands and, since this is the last season of his deal, could look to stick with the Oilers in future seasons. Why? He's a Czech Olympian and a very good friend of Ales Hemsky, who alerted Kotalik to the trade before he was told officially by a GM of either club. Hmm. Hemsky can always use a shooter on his line, and familiarity between the two is a good chemistry move by GM Kevin Lowe, who gave up only a 2nd round pick. Oilers on the bubble, the Kotalik deal eases some pressure on the up-and-down Dustin Penner, and Kotalik could provide some key goals en route to an April playoff appearance. This club need a jump-start, and in addition to Kotalik, managed to squeeze Patrick O'Sullivan out of the LA Kings simply by entering a three-way deal and sending struggling Erik Cole back to Carolina (in fairness to Cole, he has bounced back lately). Look for O'Sullivan to relish his new opportunity after playing on some brutal Kings teams.

MINNESOTA WILD:

Signing Nik Backstrom and ending the uncertainty surrounding him was as good a "deadline deal" as you can get. Now back to the Marian Gaborik uncertainty!

VANCOUVER CANUCKS:

GM Mike Gillis likes his team, and stood pat. The club might have benefited from Travis Moen, Mark Recchi or Sammy Pahlsson, for the sake of some veteran forward depth, but at the same time, Gillis has reason to like his club's bounce-back year. A fifth-place finish is likely, and there's no need to rock the boat or sacrifice too much future for a team that's a dark horse at best, but one with a bright future.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

ATLANTA THRASHERS:

Another fire sale. Matt Schneider's $5.75M is thankfully off the books; Erik Christensen is off to Anaheim. Where this club is headed is anyone's guess, and the only issue of importance right now is whether the team can re-sign Ilya Kovalchuk, who will make $7.5M next season, his last under his current contract.

CAROLINA HURRICANES:

Welcome back, Cole. In a three-way deal, Erik Cole returns to the locale of his finest days. He won a Cup with the team in 2006, but missed the playoffs that year after fracturing a vertebra. He tasted champagne and pain alike in Carolina, but GM Jim Rutherford is happy to have him back. Cole has four goals and one assist for five points in his last seven games, with 16 goals total this season. Rutherford gets back at the LA Kings for stealing defensive prospect Jack Johnson away last season: Patrick O'Sullivan for Justin Williams is a definitive trade win for the Hurricanes. Younger, healthier, and able to score for a Kings team that's known more downs than ups during O'Sullivan's time in LA.

FLORIDA PANTHERS:

Jay Bouwmeester stays put for now. Give credit to GM Jacques Martin for showing confidence in his Panther club's ability to get into the postseason. Give Martin credit for having confidence in his ability to build a club from which Bouwmeester will not flee. He may be wrong on that front, but the season is in full swing now, and why should Martin shoot himself in the foot by sending his young stud defenseman away? He may get nothing if Bouwmeester signs with another club after July 1st, undoubtedly for a large sum, but now, the onus is on Bouwmeester: What's the goal for this young man? Does he want to be a heart-and-soul Panther? The decision is Bouwmeester’s now. Jacques Martin is done deciding, and he's voted for his guy. Hopefully Bouwmeester, who has taken the club to arbitration twice, will remain faithful to Florida.

Defenseman Steve Eminger provides depth, coming over from Tampa for defenseman Noah Welch and a 3rd round pick. With Nick Boynton patching things up with coach Steve DeBoer after a three-game club-ordered suspension, the Panthers' defense is looking to help the club upset a powerful Eastern Conference opponent in the playoffs yet to be determined (Washington?).

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING:

Prudent moves, dumping Olaf Kolzig on the Leafs, along with 37 year-old journeyman defenseman Jamie Heward and defensive prospect Andy Rogers, plus a 4th round pick, for Richard Petiot. Petiot is a 26 year-old defenseman who is a decent gamble, having seen a few years in the AHL with Manchester after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2001 draft by the Kings.

Steve Eminger to Florida for Noah Welch and a 3rd round pick is a deal which can't be measured until the end of next year: Both are too young and green to determine a trade winner. Not trading Vinny Lecavalier is the only sign of stability that this wacky franchise has shown this season.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS:

Quiet. Ready to roll into the playoffs with a winning record (3-0-1) vs. the Boston Bruins.

NORTHEAST DIVISION

BUFFALO SABRES:

The Sabres signed gifted-but-oft-injured center Tim Connolly to a two-year contract extension worth $9 million. A curious decision, because Connolly has played only 142 regular season games over the past four seasons (of a possible 310). If Connolly doesn't bounce back healthy, similar to oft-injured Martin Havlat, who has been healthy all season in Chicago after years of injuries, the Sabres will have made a big mistake. Early in his career, Connolly missed only three games over his first four seasons in the league.

Ales Kotalik, gifted but underperforming, was shuffled out of Buffalo for a 2nd round pick. Surely the club wanted to get something for Kotalik, a UFA as of July 1, 2009, and did, although a defenseman, not a pick, was what the Sabres really need right now.

Dominic Moore comes over from Toronto and Phoenix’s Michael Tellqvist is a quality backup to relieve Pat Lalime as Ryan Miller struggles with a sprained ankle.

BOSTON BRUINS:

Peter Chiarelli has an itchy trigger finger, picking up Mark Recchi for a couple of prospects, plus sturdy 29 year-old (and +14) defenseman Steve Montador for prospect Petteri Nokelainen. Nokelainen is a steep price (the Ducks coveted him), but the Bruins know that they are on the verge of contention, and Chiarelli paid, but not too dearly, for a couple of useful parts. Evidently, the price for Chris Pronger would have been Phil Kessel and much more, so Chiarelli was right to yield for mid-range deals. Don't discount Mark Recchi: 1426 points in 1472 games, including 535 goals. At age 41, Recchi's 13 goals are respectable, and a few well-placed markers in the playoffs could deliver Recchi his second Stanley Cup.

MONTREAL CANADIENS:

No Vinny. Well, the 'Bolts' GM Brian Lawton said he wouldn't, and didn't, deal him away. The overrated Canadiens will stand firm having added defenseman Doug Janik (Dallas) and Matt Schneider (Atlanta), both short-term solutions, as both are in the final year of their deals.

OTTAWA SENATORS:

Pascal Leclaire is a nice pickup at the trade deadline, a time normally devoted to quick fixes. Leclaire, who enjoyed a brilliant 2007-08 with nine shutouts, succumbed to injury this season and will likely return in full swing next year. For a team that needed to shore up its goaltending, the 26 year-old Leclaire is a fine solution, a player with his head screwed on straight for a club that's lost a few marbles over the past two seasons. Antoine Vermette is a small price for a quality netminder, despite Vermette's talents. Jason Spezza stays put in another surprise.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS:

A fire sale, not quite on the scale anticipated, but a sale nonetheless. Even 21 goals couldn't keep Nik Antropov from being dealt by GM Brian Burke.

Dominic Moore was sent to Buffalo, if for no other reason than to subtract the presence of Steve Moore's brother from Burke's line of sight on a daily basis. Who can blame Burke? Would you want to be reminded of hockey's darkest moment in recent years? Especially since Prince of Darkness Todd Bertuzzi's suit has yet to settle. Better to jettison Moore across the Peace Bridge to Buffalo, with a firm handshake and a shrug that says, "No hard feelings, Dom."

Smartly, Burke picks up goaltender Martin Gerber, who is a better goalie than he ever showed in Ottawa. Burke, former Ducks' GM, is familiar with Gerber and the Leafs are already better in goal with Gerber than the clowns who play in their nets presently (the team ranks 29^th in goals against average). Wait until summer: Burke will be cleaning house with a blowtorch.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

NEW YORK ISLANDERS:

Done with Bill Guerin and his contract. Entry Draft in June. GM Garth Snow will hope to land John Tavares. Season: Fini.

NEW YORK RANGERS:

I assume that the Rangers feel that they're a playoff club, and the standings bear that out, but if any club is stumbling into the postseason, it's the Blueshirts. Defenseman Derek Morris and forward Nik Antropov are both UFA's upon season's end, and are quality additions for a club about to welcome back Virus A: Sean Avery. If the Rangers are smart, they'll extend Morris' deal before he hits free agency on July 1st. Antropov, who has scored 21 goals so far this season, may thrive away from the Toronto media spotlight.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS:

So much for Scott Niedermayer's rumored return as Lou Lamoriello plays it conservative on deadline day. Nic Havelid will help shore up the defense and provide veteran smarts in his return to the playoffs, which he's seen only once (with Atlanta) since leaving Anaheim. The Devils are peaking nicely now, and with recent returnees Brian Rolston, Brendan Shanahan, the club has some cagey, hungry old vets to support what may be a contender.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS:

The last time Bill Guerin was a rental player, he did a decent job with the San Jose Sharks. He's so far along in his career, though, that it's curious why Pittsburgh felt that they had to add him, especially since they just added a youngish (29) Chris Kunitz to play wing. It seems excessive, and Guerin's not the cream of the crop in leadership. Plus, this Pens team is not on the verge of contention. The Guerin deal just fails to excite Hockeytalk.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS:

Adding only veteran defenseman Kyle McLaren from the Sharks indicates that the Flyers have total faith in Braydon Coburn, Ryan Jones, Kimmo Timmonen and crew. That's a curious choice, especially considering that McLaren has spent the season in the minors, but it's not like the Penguins were going to ship Ryan Whitney across the state, so it's understood why McLaren was attractive. Got to wonder why the Flyers didn't make a play for Derek Morris or Jordan Leopold, but the Flyers are hard against the cap.

The really curious move comes from adding NHL penalty minutes leader (174) Dan Carcillo from Phoenix for useful sandpaper guy Scottie Upshall, who has recorded only 63 and was well-liked around Philly.

TOP

HOME

2011 Western Hockey Network

MORE QUICK SHOTS:

2008-09 Season -

February 21, 2009
Keep Pronger

February 11, 2009
Brunette Decision Worst of Season

February 4, 2009
Shane O'Brien Blurts it Out; Plus: The Alexei Yashin Award

December 9, 2008
Melrose's refreshing candor

Nov. 24-31
No time for junk, Mr. Sanford

Nov 1-9, 2008
Tacky: Rangers want pick for Cherepanov

2008 Off-Season: