In the three days leading into the NHL trade deadline last season, teams made 40 trades involving 68 players including a record 31 swaps and 51 players on March 3 alone. The move that made the biggest splash was made a month earlier when Ilya Kovalchuk was shipped from Atlanta to New Jersey.
Chicago was quiet in acquiring Nick Boynton, Hannu Toivonen and Danny Richmond and promptly giving their three newcomers a bus ticket to AHL Rockford. Boynton surfaced for seven games during the season and three more in the playoffs, making a minor contribution during their run to the Stanley Cup.
Kovalchuk was the biggest move, but it was hardly the best one. Two days later, Philadelphia acquired Ville Leino from Detroit for defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and a fifth-round pick. Leino, who had 16 points in 55 career games before the swap, had seven goals and 21 points in 19 playoff games en route to the finals.
The best minds in the business will tap into every resource available, which basically includes knowledge, experience and old-fashioned gut instinct, in an effort to find a player or more in the next week who can put their teams, as they say, over the top. Some provide marginal help, some none at all.
Ultimately, very few make a difference.
Keep it in mind when you see players changing teams in the days ahead. The Sabres, for example, have several options. They could help their future if they dumped salary and created salary-cap space. They could keep their roster intact and attempt to make the playoffs. They could add for the playoffs and unload money.
All have their advantages. There's no right or wrong this time around for Buffalo. They aren't built for a long playoff run, but creating excitement under a new owner can help going into free agency. Of course, they could sell off dead weight, miss the playoffs and still create excitement under a new owner.
Management should always make an attempt to improve in some area. The Sabres could accomplish both if they trade Tim Connolly and/or Jochen Hecht and get a high draft pick and a solid prospect in return for the future. They have an abundance of defensemen and teams such as Vancouver and Montreal that need them.
OK, what is Craig Rivet worth?
General Manager Darcy Regier's job is not on the line based on what he does in the next eight days. Regier has a track record. You believe in him or you don't. You need a fresh face or you don't. The trade deadline isn't likely to make or break his tenure with the Sabres or their season. For the most part, what's done is done.
And that's true for many teams.
Boston grabbed Tomas Kaberle with the idea he can contribute enough on the power play and provide enough experience to get the Bruins beyond the second round. They were in position to make the attempt -- and they did -- because Kaberle just might be the missing piece. They're capable of making a deep run, but nobody knows for sure.
The Bruins paid a steep price in 2008 first-round pick Joe Colborne, their first-round pick in June and a conditional pick. To also had to clear salary-cap space to make room for Kaberle, who will be an unrestricted free agent July 1. They gained just under $2 million when they traded Blake Wheeler and Brad Stuart to Atlanta for Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik. Do they also waive streaky forward Michael Ryder, a free agent this summer?
Such decisions are being made across the league. Vancouver is down to its 13th defenseman this season, has cap problems and doesn't want to disrupt the chemistry in its dressing room. Rivet has carried himself like a first-rate professional and would be a good fit. The Canucks first need to decide if they want him, then make room for him.
Ottawa is dumping whatever it can and is prepared to sell the Rideau Canal for future considerations. Edmonton is ready to deal in the Wild West, where all five Pacific Division teams entered the weekend among the top eight. Six teams between fourth and ninth were within two points of one another.
Let's take a twirl around the league and examine the possibilities.
- Los Angeles is looking for help up front and has had an eye on Edmonton's Ales Hemsky, but it could cost the Kings a first-round pick and a prospect. The backup plan could be Stephen Weiss or David Booth. The Kings had several scouts at the Florida-San Jose game last week.
- Connolly's name has been floating around Washington, which is looking for a second- or third-line center and someone who can help on special teams. He's also been mentioned as being on the Kings' short list. A change in scenery could be enough to bring out his talent on a consistent level.
- The Blackhawks hit the weekend in 11th place, four points and three teams behind eighth place. GM Stan Bowman would love to get his team back in the playoffs after dismantling a Cup winner. He's looking for a defenseman who can kill penalties, and word is Buffalo's Steve Montador is included in a group he admires.
- Brad Richards wants to stay in Dallas and they want to keep him, but the Stars were on a 2-7-1 slide and had lost three straight. If it continues, they will consider trading him. He'll be an unrestricted free agent in an unstable ownership situation. They could wait until after the season and try to move him before July 1.
- Montreal's Jaroslav Spacek is out for the year with a knee injury along with Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges. Hal Gill also is injured but should return.
The trade for Paul Mara last week looked like a panic move. Rivet spent 11-plus seasons with the Habs.
- Talk that former Sabres winger J.P. Dumont could be on the move escalated last week with Montreal scouts in the Music City. Would he waive his no-movement clause to play for the hometown Habs? He's making $4 million this year and again next season. He has only nine goals this season, five of which came in back-to-back games.
- Columbus wants to dump defenseman Rostislav Klesla and the remaining $8.925 million on his contract over the next three years. He's been out with a bruised knee since Jan. 22, and some inside the organization are questioning his toughness. Jan Hejda is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Forwards Kristian Huselius (20 points in 34 games, minus-15) and Ethan Moreau (five points in 23 games) are also available.
- Colorado traded goalie Craig Anderson for Brian Elliott, but that's a backup plan. The Avalanche would like to get their hands on Kings backup Jonathan Bernier. Los Angeles would likely want a package that would include a goaltender and a forward, such as David Jones, for things to get serious.
Dean Miller pulled off a rare winter double when he visited Florida twice in a matter of days while taking road trips with sons Ryan and Drew. The Sabres took their fathers with them Feb. 10 while the Red Wings returned last week.
"I came home, dumped my dirty clothes and grabbed some new stuff and I'm back on the road," Dean Miller told the Detroit News.
Dean Miller is part of a long line of Millers who have lived in Lansing, Mich., played for Michigan State and cheered for the Red Wings. The two trips had a distinctly different feel. It's much easier seeing Drew play a regular shift than watching Ryan play the most important position in the ice.
"It's a little more stressful with the Sabres and a little less stressful with the Detroit Red Wings," he said. "I'm not as worried about things when Drew's on the ice compared to when Ryan is on the ice. I'm the goalie dad in Buffalo, so I'm shunned and off in the corner. Drew's kind of that fourth-line grinder, hardworking, penalty-killer guy so I don't think I'm allowed to talk too much."
Thrashers migrating?
With an ownership situation that looks worse by the day and a fan base that has been mostly uninterested, you can't help but believe the Thrashers are eventually destined for Winnipeg or another hockey outpost.
Co-owner Michael Gearon, in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, warned that the team could be sold to an owner who would relocate the team if the Thrashers don't start getting people in the seats. Winnipeg for years has been trying to bring back a team after the Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996.
"If we are faced with that as the only alternative, that's what's going to happen," Gearon told the newspaper. "I don't think there is an ability to stomach another $20 million in [yearly] losses. We just can't do it. The reality is we need fans showing up and we need investors or a primary investor."
- Tyler Seguin scored his 10th goal last week in a 6-3 rout over the Islanders, joining rookie Brad Marchand (16 goals) in double digits. It marked the first time the Bruins had two rookies score 10 or more since 1992-93, when Dmitri Kvartalnov netted 30 and Steve Heinze had 23.
- Strange winning goal last week for San Jose in its victory over Washington when Dan Boyle took a shot from the point that bounced off Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley before slipping past Michal Neuvirth. Boyle took the shot but didn't even manage the second assist. "A bunch of greasy forwards we got," Boyle cracked.
- Don't be surprised if Colorado misses the playoffs and coach Joe Sacco is fired. There's talk his players are tired of taking turns in his doghouse. He scratched Chris Stewart early in the season and benched John-Michael Liles, two of their best players, to make a point. President Pierre Lacroix isn't known for his patience.
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