Deadline Day

In what has more or less become a national holiday in the great white north the NHL trade deadline is upon us and this year may prove to be more intriguing than past for the simple reason that the shortened season has left so many teams still in it. Perhaps it should be deadline week as a number of the presumed trade bait has already snapped up but let's look at who may still be on the move.

The number of teams who don't have a shot at the playoffs is shorter than Brian Burke's temper and as a result the big moves that occasionally happen may not go down as teams aren't willing to tinker too much with their rosters. They may instead seek out depth for their roster as they make a playoff run or a rental to help push them over the top and into the playoffs rather than give up too much to go for it this year.

The salary cap falling next season will have an impact more a the NHL Draft in June, I believe, as so many teams are still in the hunt for a playoff spot that they don't want to risk missing it or send the wrong message to the players and they fans by trading away key players at a crucial time.

There are exceptions though like in Calgary where even mascot Harvey the Hound may not be safe. They shipped long time Captain and franchise player Jerome Iginla out to Pittsburgh and then sent Jay Bouwmeester to St. Louis, both for picks and prospects. It is clear they are building for the future and may not have got a lot in return for these players as of yet. GM Jay Feaster said he isn't done yet and it looks like they have more assets to deal so time will tell what they can bank moving forward.  Goalie Mikka Kiprusoff has stated he will not report if traded which obviously handcuffs them but if a team can convince him they should get a decent asset in return.

The Dallas Stars are still in playoff contention but had to make some move ahead of the deadline to get rid of pending UFA'S they weren't likely to sign in Brendan Morrow, Jaromir Jagr and Derek Roy. Reports indicated that they tried and couldn't come to an agreement so GM Joe Nieuwendyk did what was in the best long term interest of the franchise and got some prospects for them. The Stars are not a big spending club and may shed more veterans in an effort to build for the future.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made it clear they are going for it this year and despite the injury to captain Sidney Crosby who should be back around playoff time, they are a threat to win it all. They added veterans in Brendan Morrow, Jerome Iginla and douglas Murray to bolster an already loaded roster and if Marc-Andre Fleury can return to the form he displayed in their 2009 cup run they could again hoist Lord Stanley's mug.

The Anaheim Ducks are also rumored according to TSN tobe interested in making a substantial move in order to keep up with the Chicago Blackhawks in the west. GM Bob Murray is no stranger to deadline deals and so look for them to be active today.

Roberto Luongo remains one of the biggest names out there and apparently, somehow, there are four teams the Canucks are talking to, if you believe GM Dave Gillis. Whatever the situation it's clear over the last few weeks Cory Schneider has become their #1 goalie and they will roll with him into the playoffs. Where Luongo lands is still up in the air but they may wait until the summer to move him.

Where will your favorite team be standing when the dust settles?

NHL Weekend Wrap

Another weekend that was anything but dull in the NHL.

In Tampa Bay the Lightning dropped a 5-3 decision to Ottawa on Saturday then fired head coach Guy Boucher on Sunday before losing 3-2 to the Winnipeg Jets. The Lightning have underperformed this year and Steve Yzerman felt a change was necessary. The players said the right things but in watching the interviews didn't seem overly broken up about it. In fairness Boucher never had the kind of goaltending it takes to win in this league but the team was a mess defensively and should be better with the talent they have.

The Pittsburgh Penguins added another depth piece to their roster acquiring Dallas Stars captain Brendan Morrow and a third round pick for prospect, defneceman Joe Morrow and a fifth round pick. The trade will add some veteran presence and grit to the Pens line up. He is an unrestricted free agent at seasons end so may well end up being a rental. This is the kind of move Penguins GM Ray Shiero has made in the past for guys like Bill Guerin, or Hal Gill so it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Morrow is familiar with several players on the team and should help the Penguins defensively as well.

The Jerome Iginla trade talks are heating up with the Flames doing just enough not to be in the basement but still a ways out of a playoff spot and in need of a rebuild. He has apparently provided the team with a short list of teams that he would accept a trade to including Chicago, Detroit and Pittsburgh. His contract is up at the end of the season so there is again speculation he could even return after being traded as a rental ala  Keith Tkachuk several years back in St. Louis. Whatever he or the team decides Calgary needs to make some move for the future and could likely get some valuable assets for him.

Cory Schneider is looking like a man who wants to stay in net after leading the Canucks to another victory in Colorado last night. The team has won four straight and Schneider's play has looked sharp. They are tied with the Wild for first in the North West thought the Wild have two games at hand, but are trending in the right direction after struggling the last few weeks.

What stood out to you?