Is it possible that we as Canadian hockey fans over hype the trade deadline? I mean 3 major networks (TSN, Sportsnet, the Score) with 10+ hours of coverage for an NHL Trade Deadline. Nahhh of coarse not, I mean this is the one day of the year that I almost get as excited as I do for Christmas morning. Hell, I even woke up at 7:30 to make breakfast before the coverage even started on TSN and Sportsnet (the Score started their coverage at 10 am). Now that's an accomplishment! To put all of this in perspective, if I had class that early in the morning I probably wouldn’t even go. In fact I was supposed to travel home on Wednesday and didn't leave until after 4 pm just because I wanted to see all of the trades that would trickle in right at the deadline. But I can't help but feel a little let down by this years deadline.. No real big surprises, and a lot of the big names that were expected to move, didn't.
With the deadline being almost a full week behind us I though I would look back at the deadline that was.
- To OTT Pascal Leclaire & 2009 2nd RD. Pick / To CBJ Antoine Vermette
Winner.. I'm going to have to go with Ottawa although they aren't going to reek the benefits of having a true number 1 goaltender until next season.
- To CGY Jordan Leopold / To COL Lawrence Nycholat, Ryan Wilson & 2009 2nd RD. Pick (from MTL)
Winner.. Calgary, although it seems like they did give up a lot to get Leopold, they had just picked Nycholat up off waivers the day before, and Leopold should be one of the final pieces in what should be a legitimate Cup contender.
- To PIT Andy Wozniewski / To STL Danny Richmond
Winner.. Who cares? There both losers in my opinion for even making this meaningless trade.
- To BUF Mikael Tellqvist / To PHX 2010 4th RD. Pick
Winner.. Buffalo. With Ryan Miller on the IR right now the Sabres really needed a tender with some NHL experience to help out the ever-inconsistent Patrick Lalime in making a final playoff push.
- To BOS Steve Montador / To ANA Petteri Nokelainen
Winner.. Draw. Boston was looking to add some depth to their defense for their playoff run, and Anaheim was looking to add some depth up front.
- To CGY Olli Jokinen & 2009 3rd RD. Pick / To PHX Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust, & 2009 or 2010 1st RD. Pick
Winner.. Calgary in the short term. They believe they have a legitimate shot at winning the cup this year and were willing to sacrifice some of their future in order to solidify that shot. Lets hope Jokinen can rekindle some of that magic he once had under Mike Keenan.
- To BOS Mark Recchi & 2010 2nd RD. Pick / To TB Matt Lashoff & Martins Karsums
Winner.. Boston for adding some additional depth and experience to their lineup for their playoff run, but I think the real winner is THE RECKING BALL for getting the hell out of Tampa and getting a shot at another cup!
- To PIT Bill Guerin / To NYI 2009 Conditional Pick
Winner.. Pittsburgh. Getting a guy like Guerin could be huge for this young team and their hopes of making the playoffs this year.
- To PHI Dan Carcillo / To PHX Scottie Upshall & 2011 2nd RD. Pick
Winner.. I'm going to have to say Phoenix, I just feel as though Philly gave up to much to get Carcillo, who plays the same style as many of their other players.
- To NYR Nik Antropov / To TOR 2009 2nd RD. Pick & 2010 Conditional Pick
Winner.. The Leafs for actually getting something for this plug, long overdue.
- To NYR Derek Morris / To PHX Dmitri Kalinin, Petr Prucha & Nigel Dawes
Winner.. Derek Morris? Come on now.. Phoenix definitely came out on top of this one, I could see this package going for Ed Jovanovski but not Derek Morris.
- To BUF Dominic Moore / To TOR 2009 2nd RD. Pick (from CAR)
Winner.. Going to have to wait and see on this one, kind of sad to see Moore go but he'll realize in the summer that he won't get as much money as he was asking for.
- To ANA Erik Christensen / To ATL Eric O'Dell
Winner.. Anaheim, have you seen the mitts on Christensen? Dirtyyyyyyyy! Just needs to figure out how to use them in game situations now and not just the shoot-out.
- To FLA Steve Eminger / To TB Noah Welch & 2009 3rd RD. Pick
Winner.. Tampa Bay, if you can call them that. Eminger is terrible, Welch just needs more time to develop and I'm sure Tampa will come out on top of this one.
- To CBJ Kevin Lalande / To CGY 2009 4th RD. Pick
Winner.. Not to sure what to say about this one. Lalande is a former Belleville Bulls Alumni, so we'll just give this one to the Blue Jackets.
- To PHI Kyle Mclaren / TO SJ 2009 6th RD. Pick
Winner.. The fact that San Jose even got anything for this guy is a surprise. But oh wait, they didn't after all because Mclaren couldn't pass his physical so this trade was nullified.
- To CHI Sammy Pahlsson, Logan Stephenson & 2009 Conditional Pick / To ANA James Wisniewski & Petri Kontiola
Winner.. Gotta go with the Blackhawks on this one. Pahlsson has Stanley Cup experience, and when healthy is one of the best checking line players in the game.
- To SJ Travis Moen & Kent Huskins / To ANA Nick Bonino, Timo Pielmeier & Conditional Draft Picks
Winner.. San Jose seeing as how I have never heard of any of the guys going the other way in the deal. Moen is a great energy player and Huskins is a good depth defenseman who is starting to show some upside.
We will just group the next 3 trades together..
- To CAR Patrick O'Sullivan & 2009 2nd RD. Pick (from CGY) / To LA Justin Williams
- To CAR Erik Cole & 2009 5th RD. Pick / To EDM Patrick O'Sullivan & 2009 2nd RD. Pick
- To EDM Ales Kotalik / To BUF 2009 2nd RD. Pick (from CAR)
Winner.. Edmonton has to be the real winner here. They added a young talented player in O'Sullivan who can produce and some more talent in Kotalik, while parting ways with a struggling Erik Cole who is hoping to regain his form back in Carolina. LA is likely to make out alright with former 30 goal scorer, Stanley Cup champion and Cobourg, ON native Justin Williams if his health concerns are finally in his past and he can begin to play up to his ability.
- To TOR Olaf Kolzig, Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers & 2009 4th RD. Pick / To TB Richard Petiot
Winner.. Going to have to say the Leafs on this one. This was nothing but a salary dump here for the Lightning as all they did was give Toronto 2 players who are out for the rest of the year (Kolzig & Heward), swapped minor leaguers and threw in a 4th RD Pick for getting these guys off their books.
Final thoughts..
Although this deadline lacked some of the luster of years past in seeing some of the big names that had been rumored to go (Bouwmeester, Pronger, Gaborik, Lecavalier) fact not be traded... Anyone else feel as though the West Coast teams seem to be at a bit of a disadvantage come Trade Deadline day seeing as how the deadline is set at 3 pm Eastern, which would only be Noon Pacific on the West Coast.
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