Trade Deadline...Finally...Part 6

Following the trade deadline on Tuesday, the most polled about issue on hockey related web sites was "Who was the biggest winner at the trade deadline?" Though last night's five point introduction by Stars' center Brad Richards would currently shoot Dallas to the top of that pole, many have made an argument for the most active team at the deadline: the Washington Capitals.

After the first month of the season, many in the hockey world believed the Caps would most definitely be sellers as opposed to buys during the trade deadline. However, the hiring of long-time minor league head coach Bruce Boudreau has not only given the Caps a surge in their play to push for the playoffs, but a new identity. Throughout much of his coaching career Boudreau has been characterized as too unpolished to become a successful National Hockey League coach, a reputation which, intentionally or not, Boudreau has responded to by coaching his teams fight for every inch with successful results.

The same underdog attitude that Boudreau has carried with him has begun to translate into success in the NHL through the Washington Capitals. With one of the biggest young superstars in the league, the Capitals have the opportunity to become the rag-tag feel good story of this hockey season, much the same way their coach could.

And after Tuesday's trade deadline, that "feel good" story is looking more and more realistic.

The first trade of the day for the Caps came with the acquisition of soon to be unrestricted free agent goaltender Cristobal Huet from the Montreal Canadiens for a second round pick in 2009. One of the most shocking deals of the day, most in the hockey world believed that the Habs would hang onto Huet for the playoff push and another few years until Carey Price was deemed ready to take over the number one spot. Apparently Habs GM Bob Gainey felt the 20-year-old Price was up for the task, a decision which was likely helped by the shaky play of Huet over the past few weeks.

To add more to the shock of the trade is the fact that the Capitals have a goaltender that has manned the crease for the franchise steadily over the past eleven years in Olaf Kolzig. Though Kolzig played it cool in an interview on Versus after the Caps 4-1 win over Minnesota the night after the trade deadline, Kolzig's agent Art Breeze has begun to stir up a hornet's nest.

The need for a change in goal that Caps GM George McPhee has obviously expressed has been the result of Kolzig's lack of consistency this season. Beyond that, Kolzig is 38 and could be showing signs of the end of his career. Though Huet could prove to be nothing more than a rental player, McPhee must have traded for the French goaltender with the intention of signing him to a contract extension. At 32, Huet could be entering the prime of his career and it has yet to be seen what he is or is not capable of over a full season (he has never played more than 42 games in one season). If the Caps do make the playoffs this season due to any form of stellar play from Huet, expect him to be asking for a hefty salary considering his upcoming contract will be the biggest contract opportunity of his career.

The Caps followed up the Huet deal with another stunner. For days rumors had Sergei Fedorov waiting for the go-ahead to hop on a plane to Detroit to rejoin the Red Wings; instead Fedorov joined an extensive cast of fellow Russians in exchange for the Caps 2007 second-round pick, defenseman Ted Ruth.

Having lost center Michael Nylander to season-ending shoulder surgery the Caps were in need of a second line center, but in the process of fulfilling that need they also added several years of playoff experience. Though the 38 year-old Fedorov is nowhere near the same player he was when he was competing with Wayne Gretzky for the scoring lead fourteen years ago, Fedorov is still a great skater with phenomenal hands. Beyond that, Fedorov can also serve as a mentor on and off the ice for a young comrade that just so happens to be one of the league's brightest young stars in Alex Ovechkin.

Though no one realistically believes Fedorov will put up the same numbers he did earlier in his career, playing with Ovechkin could provide a significant bump from the 28 points in 50 games he put up while playing in Columbus this season.

After the splashes GM McPhee made with these two deals, it would seem that he firmly believed that the Caps would be in the playoffs when he made his final significant trade by dealing Matt Pettinger to the Vancouver Canucks for agitator Matt Cooke. Cooke, a player right up coach Boudreau's alley, will provide the Caps with the grit and nasty play necessary to throw teams off their game plan in the playoffs. Plainly and simply, Matt Cooke was acquired for the playoffs.

Due to the way in which each of these trades addressed specific needs for the Caps, it would appear that the team that could gain further notoriety as the latest "feel good" story were the overall winners at the trade deadline. Now that the GM has done his job, it is up to the coach and his players to prove whether or not they truly are improved or just made for a good story for part of the regular season.

Maybe First Isn't The Best

Apparently getting off to a great start in the hockey season isn't the best way to start your year out. The Ottawa Senators fired head coach John Paddock and assistant coach Ron Low following a 4-0 thumping at the hands of the Boston Bruins. This all comes in the midst of a trying period for the Sens in which they have struggled after starting 16-3. That just teaches all NHL coaches to take the "Mike Keenan New Philosophy on Coaching", start out struggling early so that everyone believes your team is excelling even in the midst of mediocrity.

Trade Deadline...Finally...Part 5

The day we've all been waiting for has finally come and gone. Some expected deals finally came to pass, most didn't happen at all, and one just surprised the heck out of everyone. For a list of every trade at the deadline head over to TSN.com or TheFourthPeriod.com, otherwise keep reading for an analysis of the biggest deals of the day.

Pittsburgh Penguins acquire F Marian Hossa and F Pascal Dupuis from Atlanta Thrashers for F Colby Armstrong, F Erik Christensen, F Angelo Esposito, and a 2008 1st Round Pick

Despite the fact that this deal involves a player that everyone knew was on the move, this is the most jaw dropping deal to occur during the deadline. It had been reported for a few weeks that the Pens had an interest in acquiring Hossa, but as TSN Insider Darren Dreger reported last night the Penguins did not make a significant offer to Atlanta GM Don Waddell until two to three hours before the official deadline.

The shocking aspect of this deal is the players that Pittsburgh gave up in order to acquire two possible rental players. Both Esposito and Armstrong were former 1st Round Picks, and Christensen has developed into a physical centerman that has moved between the second and third line for much of the season. Though Hossa's abilities outweigh those of the other three, the Pens have put a serious dent in their roster if Hossa decides to sign elsewhere over the summer.

Pens ownership and GM Ray Shero are likely taking Hossa's word that his decision on where to sign this summer will be based upon which team has the brightest future to win as opposed to the deepest pocket book because the Pens will not have much to offer Hossa financially. Consider that both Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal are nearing the end of their entry-level contracts and will be looking for hefty contracts, there may not be enough money to satisfy Hossa's contract expectations.

With such a risk, this deal absolutely means one thing: the Penguins believe they can win the Cup now.

As for Atlanta, they still have not solidified a number one centerman and they have just lost a huge part of their offense. However, the Thrashers have become a much deeper team from this deal as Armstrong and Christensen will make them tougher physically. If Angelo Esposito matches up to the hype that surrounded him when he was sixteen-years-old, this deal could prove to be either tremendously lopsided or extraordinarily even in three to five years. Either way, both teams are taking a significant risk.

Dallas Stars acquire F Brad Richards and G Johan Holmqvist from the Tampa Bay Lightning for G Mike Smith, F Jeff Halpern, F Jussi Jokinen, and a 2008 Fourth Round Draft Pick

Yet another player expected to be on the move, Brad Richards admitted to the press that he was relieved to be given a fresh start in a new city. In return for the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner, the Lightning obtained a goaltender that they believe is ready to become a number one goaltender as well as some spare parts.

As reported earlier this week, the Stars obtained Richards to help in this year's playoff push and to become the team's number one center as Mike Modano steps into the twilight of his career. This will be Richards chance to prove his critics wrong as many have stated that he and his $7.8 million are overrated.

It is a bit of wonder that Tampa Bay went after Smith when other proven goaltenders were available (Dwayne Roloson, Ray Emery/Martin Gerber), especially since speculation throughout the season placed Marty Turco heading to Tampa for Martin St. Louis while Dallas would make Smith their new number one. Apparently us pundits had the right teams, but the wrong players.

Many around the league believe that Smith can handle himself well as the main backstop in Tampa, and it looks like he'll have his chance over the next fifteen games to prove them right.

Trade Deadline Madness...Hopefully Part 4

The next series of possible players on the move during this year's trade deadline was going to focus on Tampa Bay's Dan Boyle and Vaclav Prospal, but the Lightning saw to it that those players were dealt with quickly. As of a few hours ago, Dan Boyle was signed to a six-year, $40 million contract extension and Prospal was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for young defenseman Alexandre Picard and a conditional 2nd or 3rd round pick. Both moves are great for the Lightning, as Picard has a great deal of potential, Prospal was highly unlikely to re-sign during the summer, and Boyle has been solid both offensively and defensively on the blue line.

That being said, we're right around the corner from all hockey madness breaking out and there are still plenty of players to go around.

6. John-Michael Liles, Colorado Avalanche

Since the lockout, the Avalanche have seemingly been a vehicle leaking oil all over the pavement with no way to clog the broken, leaky line. Casualties of the situation have been Adam Foote, Rob Blake, and Peter Forsberg to name a few and, as of tomorrow, you can add John-Michael Liles to that list. Unlike the other three players though, the Avs don't seem interested in retaining Liles' service when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Over the past few years, Liles has proven to be an undersized, but highly mobile puck moving defenseman. Such a player is in high demand on quite a few teams, so the Avs shouldn't have any problem trading Liles by tomorrow while obtaining quality players and/or picks in the process.

Possible destinations for Liles range from the Rangers, Hurricanes, Canadiens, Sharks, and Canucks. All five of these teams are in the market for a player of Liles quality, and all five have the assets to offer that would interest the Avalanche. The least likely team of the five to acquire Liles is the Hurricanes due to their acquisition of offensively minded defenseman Joe Corvo last week.

Any of the other four would be a fine fit for Liles and, possibly due to the fact that Liles is American, the Rangers just seem to be the perfect match.

Prediction: Liles to the Rangers for Marek Malik and Nigel Dawes.

7. Brad Stuart, Ladislav Nagy, Any Los Angeles Kings Veterans

With the exception of Rob Blake, every veteran on the Kings is up for grabs for the right price. Though rumors are still in circulation about Blake waiving his no-trade clause, it has already been made quite clear by Blake that he wants to retire in L.A. Of course, last year I was adamant that former Kings' captain Mattias Norstrom would not be traded so there is always the chance that I'm mistaken, but the rumors of Blake being willing to waive his no-trade clause to go back to Colorado strike me as nothing more than talk.

In the case of veterans Brad Stuart, Ladislav Nagy, Tom Preissing, Kyle Calder, and Brian Willsie, there is no controversy involving no-trade clauses.

Given Stuart's recent play, it's likely the Kings would attempt to sign him to an extension. However, there may not be time enough to get Stuart signed and, unless Kings' GM Dean Lombardi is extremely trusting of the player which he drafted while in San Jose, Stuart could be moved to any number of teams. The teams looking to enlist Stuart's services are likely to overlook Stuart's failure as a rental player with Calgary last season due to the fact that Stuart was injured during much of his time with the Flames. Said interested teams will include San Jose, New Jersey, Montreal, Dallas, and Vancouver. In any of these situations, it's likely Lombardi would be seeking picks and prospects.

As for Nagy, Lombardi may have much more trouble moving him than any of his other veterans. For a month, Nagy has been on the shelf with an unspecified neck injury, a fact which could cause most teams to turn away from any deals for the forward. Nagy signed a one-year deal with the Kings this past summer, so don't count on Lombardi allowing Nagy to walk without anything in return, even a low draft pick.

Brian Willsie is the next likely player to be moved as he has struggled to find his place on the Kings since his arrival last season. Willsie could be an excellent pick up for a playoff team looking to add scoring depth on their third or fourth lines and, once again, Lombardi could easily acquire a draft pick for the veteran.

The two wild card veterans for the Kings are Preissing and Calder. Considering the contracts that each of these players signed with the Kings during the off-season, it would appear that the team planned to have each of them in their current and long-term plans. Unfortunately, neither player seems to fit into the teams plans of building around a solid core of young talent. Preissing, a defensive stalwart in San Jose and Ottawa, has appeared to be more of an accessory for coach Marc Crawford than the dependable defenseman that he was brought on board to be.

In Calder's case, a three-year deal and hard nosed play in front of the net and in the corners seemed to have placed Calder in the good graces of the Kings. Lack of production and a need for draft picks have put Calder on the long list of players that the Kings are willing to part with. Though it's unlikely that either Calder or Preissing will be dealt due to their hefty contracts, Lombardi has made it clear that he is ready and willing to listen to offers for all of his veterans.

Predictions: Stuart signs a contract extension, Nagy is dealt to New Jersey for a fourth round pick, Willsie is dealt to Washington for a fifth round pick, Preissing and Calder remain Kings.

The Captain Goes Down With The Ship

As discussed earlier, Mats Sundin could have been a great asset for any team to acquire during the last two months of the playoff push. I stress "could have" because such a situation has become purely hypothetical. As of Sunday morning, Sundin informed the Leafs that he has no interest in waiving his no-trade clause.

Most interesting are the comments Sundin released in a statement regarding his reasons:

"I have always believed I would finish my career as a Toronto Maple Leaf so the actual request was still a very difficult one for me to contemplate."

And best of all:

"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."

What really boggles the mind is that, after these statements, most of the talk regarding this decision focuses on Sundin being portrayed as selfish. In a world where loyalty is hard to come by in any form, Sundin should be commended for his actions and statements.

Is it selfish that Sundin wants to win a Stanley Cup that actually has significant meanings? Maybe. Is it selfish that he won't provide the prospects to his team that would be garnered in a trade because he doesn't want to uproot his family for a short time? Sure.

And could anyone with any true moral fiber and depth look at this situation and blame Sundin for making such a decision? Hasn't Sundin earned just as much right, if not more than a player such as Scott Niedermayer to make a personal decision that could adversely affect his team?

Granted, the Leafs are in a tough situation. According to TSN Insider Bob Mckenzie, the Leafs asked Pavel Kubina, Darcy Tucker, Bryan McCabe, and Tomas Kaberle to waive their no-trade clauses, and all offered the same negative response. Most Leafs fans were hoping for a complete overhaul of the team and the beginning of a rebuilding phase for the franchise, both of which look bleak at best now.

None of that is Sundin's fault. After fourteen years with the same franchise, Sundin has earned the right to decide his future with said team. And any Leafs fan that would call their captain's desire to retire as a Leaf selfish should take a long look in the mirror, because that my friend is the pot calling the kettle black.

Trade Deadline Madness...Hopefully Part 3

We are T-minus thirty-nine hours to the trade deadline and though very little has actually happened on the trade front thus far, talk surrounding potential deals is creating a great amount of excitement. The buyers and sellers are slowly being fleshed out, making this season's trade deadline one of the most interesting in recent memory. Though situations that involve rental players do not typically work out, the moves that occur during this season's trade deadline could greatly influence the outcome of this year's playoffs. Especially if the next two players are moved to playoff teams.

4. Brad Richards, Tampa Bay Lightning

At 27 year-old, Brad Richards could prove to be the highest impact player to move during this year's trade deadline. Though Richards comes with a hefty price tag ($7.8 million per year for the next three years), he also comes with one thing that many of the players moving at this year's deadline lack. Playoff experience.

Richards played an integral part in the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup run, a part which earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. Know of any other playoff MVP's that will likely be moving to another team in the next week?

Throughout much of the season speculation has surrounded the possibility of Richards leaving the Lightning via trade due to his hefty contract restricting the team's ability to improve. With the heavy contracts of Richards and mega-stars Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, the Lightning have had difficulty in finding secondary scoring and have not been able to put money towards a proven goaltender. Moving Richards would likely allow for the possibility of adding one of these elements to a team that expects much more of itself than missing the playoffs.

According to TSN.ca, the Lightning approached Richards to ask for a list of teams that he would approve being traded to, much more than a formality considering Richards' no-trade clause. There has been no confirmation of the teams on Richards' list, but the teams that are being reported as most active in pursuing the center are Columbus, Dallas, and Vancouver. All three teams are in desperate need of centers (Columbus and Vancouver a first line center, Dallas a second who can potentially become their first), but are these teams willing and able to give up the asking price for a player such as Richards?

As stated earlier, the Lightning are looking for secondary scoring as well as a proven goaltender. At the moment, Dallas does not seem to have either of these elements to give up unless they have decided that backup goaltender Mike Smith is ready to take the reins from former All-Star Marty Turco. Though Lightning GM Jay Feaster would likely make the deal for Turco in a heart beat considering his team's goaltending woes since the departure of Nikolai Khabibulin, the Stars would likely be less than enthusiastic about giving up one of the top five goaltenders in the league.

Vancouver could part ways with a troupe of players such as Ryan Kesler, Matt Cooke, Alex Burrows, or long time Canuck blue-liner Mattias Ohlund, but such a move involving any combination of these players and draft picks would be very unlike Vancouver GM Dave Nonis. A student of former Vancouver and current Anaheim GM Brian Burke, Nonis does subscribe to the philosophy of giving up the farm for one player. The only way Nonis would make such a deal would be if he truly felt that a core combination of Richards, Roberto Luongo, Kevin Bieksa, and the Sedin twins would be one that would bring a Stanley Cup to Vancouver. Though such a core does sound promising, it takes role players such as Kesler, Cooke, and Burrows to win a Stanley Cup. However, a player such as Brad Richards only comes along once in a great while, making for quite the situation.

In the case of the Columbus Blue Jackets, if this team is on Brad Richards list, look for them to provide the heaviest pursuit. The team may not have much to give up in the way of the elements that Tampa is looking for, but the Blue Jackets will likely throw everything else they have at the Lightning in an attempt to acquire Richards. Columbus GM Scott Howson has got to be literally salivating at the thought of having Richards centering a line with any combination of Nikolai Zherdev, Rick Nash, or Frederik Modin. However, one of those three players may be part of the asking price in a deal for Richards, and the Jackets would likely have no problems with sending Modin right back to the Lightning in a package deal. Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets a deal for Richards would likely help them much more than anything they could send in return, therefore such a deal is a long shot.

Prediction: The only team of these three on Richards' list is Vancouver, but he ends up being dealt with Johan Holmqvist to Ottawa for Antoine Vermette and Ray Emery or Martin Gerber.

5. Dwayne Roloson, Edmonton Oilers

Deadline talk of Roloson has only begun to pick up over the past week or so due to comments made by Roloson about moving his children out of town due to school yard teasing and his desire to be playing, whether in Edmonton or elsewhere. Roloson was once a participant in a deadline deal, the one that sent him to Edmonton in the first place. In fact, the year Roloson was dealt to the Oilers was the same year the Oilers reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. If not for a blown out knee very early in the Finals, the Oilers could have ridden Roloson's superb play to a Cup victory.

Unfortunately for Roloson, his days as a hero in Edmonton have long passed; on the bright side, Roloson may yet receive a second chance. There is one team still searching for solid goaltending in the NHL, and this team may be making a move before the deadline that could open up room for Roloson's $3.5 million salary. Assuming my Richards for Emery/Gerber prediction doest not come to fruition, look no further than the Tampa Bay Lightning.

As stated above, the Lightning will likely shed Brad Richards' $7.8 million salary in order to possibly make room for a proven number one goaltender. The Lightning find themselves in a situation where they need someone to take the reigns between the pipes for the next two to three years until highly touted prospect Kari Ramo is ready to take over. Roloson could slide perfectly into this situation and the Oilers would likely be more than happy to shed the salary cap space for next season.

Considering every other team in the league appears to be fairly content with their current goaltending (fairly being used lightly), the only outs for Roloson appear to be Tampa or an off-season buy-out.

Prediction: Unless they pick up Gerber/Emery, Rollie the Goalie to Tampa Bay for third or fourth round pick.

Trade Deadline Madness...Hopefully Part 2

Looks like we're inching ever closer to the trade deadline excitement, as the Los Angeles Kings began to stockpiling even more draft picks by trading Jaroslav Modry to the Philadelphia Flyers. That being said, lets take a look at more of the top players that could be moved in the next week.

2. Mats Sundin, Toronto Maple Leafs

Realistically, there isn't much to talk about when it comes to Mats Sundin. At this point, only one person controls what happens in this situation and that person is Sundin. Being the leader of the no-trade clause squad, Sundin must give Leafs' interim-GM Cliff Fletcher the go ahead to make any deal to any team and up till now Sundin has not expressed any interest in pursuing his first Stanley Cup with any other team besides the Leafs.

One thing that we can all be sure of is that if Sundin decides to waive his no-trade clause, every team that even has a sniff of the playoffs will attempt to pick him up. Granted, a team such as the Anaheim Ducks do not typically go after rental players, but would Brian Burke be able to pass up the opportunity of placing Mats Sundin between Teemu Selanne and Chris Kunitz? Such a prospect could make Burke reconsider his stance on the issue.

3. Brian Campbell, Buffalo Sabres

Campbell's situation is extremely similar to that of Marian Hossa's: Campbell is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer while his current team is knee deep in the fight to obtain a playoff spot. The major difference in Campbell's situation compared to Hossa's is that Campbell has the edge over his team in the contract negotiations due to the team's recent loss of its two biggest stars. Last summer, the Sabres lost co-captains Danny Briere and Chris Drury to free-agency; most of all, the Sabres lost the two stars for nothing.

Sabres GM Darcy Regier is sure to not make the same mistake thrice, therefore within the next week Campbell will either have the contract he's asking for (reported to be in the $6 to $7 million neighborhood) or he will find himself with a new address.

Teams that are likely to be showing the greatest interest over the next week should be the Rangers, Devils, Bruins, Canadiens, and Sharks. All five teams are in need of help on their blueline (three of the five due to the teams losing one of their top two D-men last summer) and one way or the other these teams will need to improve their defense if they hope to endure the playoffs.

The team most likely to end up with Campbell is the New York Rangers. Currently, the Rangers have a number of young, up-and-coming players that would fit neatly into the Sabres lineup for years to come. Most of all, the Rangers are the team that are only a few missing pieces away from being serious Stanley Cup contenders and one of those pieces is a defensively responsible, puck moving defenseman: enter Brian Campbell.

The next most likely team to acquire Campbell is the San Jose Sharks. Also in need of a puck moving defenseman, the Sharks reportedly were the reason for the Ottawa Senators asking Wade Redden to waive his no-trade clause last week. The offer on the table supposedly involved the Sharks' young, talented defenseman Matt Carle and likely a combination of draft picks and another ready to go young player. If San Jose was willing to make such an offer to Ottawa, the same deal will likely be on the table for Brian Campbell as long as the Sharks are confident that they can sign Campbell to a contract extension.

In the cases of the other three teams (Montreal, New Jersey, and Boston), a deal is not likely to be made unless they are somehow confident that they can sign Campbell to a contract extension. Any way that this situation goes, Campbell will greatly help any team that acquires him.

Trade Deadline Madness...Hopefully

Now that the Sens and 'Canes have finally kicked the tires on this season's trade deadline, it's time to take a look around the league and examine who could be changing their zip-code and who could be looking to enlist their services. Throughout the next two weeks, we'll examine the possible deals and situations that have been created by the February 26th trade dealine.

1. Marian Hossa, Atlanta Thrashers

Unless Thrashers GM Don Waddell can negotiate a deal that Hossa is willing to accept in two-and-a-half weeks, Hossa will likely end up being the best and most productive trade deadline rent-a-player in NHL history. Atlanta's particular situation is uniquely tricky in comparison with most teams that would be considered sellers due to the fact that the Thrashers will be pushing for a playoff spot all the way to the bitter end of the regular season. In fact, Atlanta could very well end up as the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture considering they are fighting with every Southeast Division team for the division lead. Atlanta could choose to take their chances if they do not re-sign Hossa before February 26th, keeping him around for the playoff push with hopes of successfully negotiating with him during the summer.

Moving Hossa simply makes more sense if negotiations fail before the deadline though. In the case that the Thrashers do make the playoffs with Hossa in their lineup, it would surprise many if the Thrashers make it out of the first round of the playoffs. The team would benefit much more from receiving quality players that would add more depth up front and on the Thrashers' blueline over the next 3-5 years.

Thus far, the teams that seem to have a legitimate shot at landing Hossa are Detroit, Anaheim, and San Jose. Though I don't personally put much stock in reports that San Jose is actively looking to move Patrick Marleau largely due to his contract, the Sharks could attempt to move their captain for Hossa, who would theoretically be a perfect fit in San Jose. The ink just dried on Marleau's signature to a contract extension and the Thrashers would finally receive the first line center they have been starved for ever since they entered the league. Throw in a defensive prospect and, on paper, you have a deal that makes sense. The possibility of Marleau continuing the slide he is currently on could squash this deal before it is even discussed by the men that matter though.

In Anaheim, GM Brian Burke is a huge fan of players that display the typical characteristics of the "Canadian style" of play. Burke also tends to shy away from any player that he isn't guaranteed to have under contract beyond the current season, unless he can do so without subtracting from his hockey club. And believe you me, any team acquiring Hossa will have to, in some for or fashion, subtract from their hockey club. Though it's likely that every team has inquired about the availability of Anaheim's first-round pick for this year's draft, obtained from the Edmonton Oilers as compensation for Dustin Penner, the Ducks would not be willing to part with the pick unless they can acquire a player that would help them now and for the long term. Beyond the first round pick, the Ducks have a plethora of young talent at their disposal, many of which could be had at the right price under the right conditions. However,unless Burke has a guarantee that he can sign Hossa to a new deal, he will likely look elsewhere or stand pat at the trade deadline.

The Detroit Red Wings may be the team that has the best chance of landing Hossa as a rental player. By way of a great scouting staff, the Wings have managed to maintain a consistent amount of depth within their club without having high draft picks over the past decade. Players such as Jiri Hudler would likely flourish on another team's second line, yet Hudler has spent most of the season on Detroit's fourth line or in the press box. Any deal involving the Red Wings will likely involve Hudler, and in the case of the Thrashers dealing Hossa names such as Brett Lebda or Derek Meech may be thrown into the mix. The probability that Atlanta would get a better deal for Hossa is highly likely though, so the Red Wings may have to make up the ante if they truly want to add Hossa for a Cup run.

Any way the Hossa opera finishes, the saga definitely won't take on the resemblance of the Ryan Smyth deal of last year, with one team ending up with nothing by summer's end and another team receiving less than the player is worth.