Set a few weeks earlier than prior seasons, this year's NHL trade deadline featured plenty of movement, but not a lot of substance. Some teams tweaked, some teams loaded up, and some teams waved the white flag. For all the furor made over the new elements of this year's deadline as a retardant for movement (salary cap, earlier date, increased parity), there were a record number of trades.
We Want The Cup
When there's magic in the air, you gotta go for it. That's why Carolina GM Jim Ruthorford and Ottawa GM John Muckler pulled the trigger on two deals that will give their respective clubs necessary padding and depth for a long playoff run. Ottawa claimed Blackhawk problem child Tyler Arnason in an attempt to get some second line scoring behind Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley.
The Sens, with Martin Havlat out, had become increasingly dependant on the production of the Team Canada duo, so the need for a second wave of attack became absolutely necessary. With the hopes of a playoff return by Havlat, the Sens have enough firepower to take out any team. However, their season still lies in the hands (and groin) of injured Dominik Hasek.
Carolina was essentially set by grabbing Doug Weight from the St. Louis Blues until Erik Cole's horrific neck injury at the hands of Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik. With Cole gone indefinitely, it's up the fiery Mark Recchi to ride shotgun with Eric Staal. If Cole comes back for the playoffs, the Hurricanes will likely have a deeper offense than any other team in the NHL. Can the Stanley Cup land in Raleigh? Much to the chagrin of countless Canadians, the answer is yes.
Adding to the Arsenal
Philadelphia added Bobby Clarke's favorite type of player by obtaining Denis Gauthier from Phoenix: tough, big, and a little dirty. Gauthier won't solve Philly's biggest problem, however, since he's not a doctor who can ensure that Peter Forsberg is 100% healthy or a magician who can extract 100% consistent effort from his teammates. Clarke's addition of journeyman forward Niko Dimitrakos from San Jose is negligible. Dimitrakos has talented hands, but is lacking in will, hustle, and hockey sense.
Nashville already had one of the top defensive cores in the NHL before adding hulking Brendon Witt. The Predators paid dearly for a No. 3/4 stay-at-home defenseman, but considering their relative abundance in talented youngsters, a high first-round draft pick won't be missed. Witt adds reinforcement and toughness, but isn't a gamebreaker by any means.
In the same vein, an already-potent New York Ranger squad added power play expert Sandis Ozolinsh to run the blueline. While the Rangers' fate hangs solely on the shoulders of Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Lundquist, Ozolinsh's passing and skating abilities will help any team. To a lesser extent, throw Dallas' acquisition of Willie Mitchell and Detroit's addition of Cory Cross under the same category.
Filling Holes
Give kudos to Kevin Lowe: he saw what his team needed and he tried to address it as best as he could. What he got, however, is hit and miss. Sergei Samsanov will help any team, but the jury is out on whether Dwayne Roloson is really that much of an upgrade over Ty Conklin. Roloson is steady, but not spectacular. Still, goalies with lesser resumes have caught fire in the Stanley Cup playoffs (see: Johan Hedberg), and the Oilers will win or lose as a team.
Similarly, Vancouver got some backup for Alex Auld by plucking talented but rusty Mika Norenon from Buffalo. Canucks fans are hoping that Norenon is the second coming of Mikka Kiprusoff — their worst nightmare is that Norenon's relative lack of play this season will throw him off his game — or worse, easily injured. On the blueline, the Canucks picked up a number of defensemen who will help out, but won't replace the void left by Ed Jovanovski and Mattias Ohlund.
The L.A. Kings picked up up some enigmatic talent in Mark Parrish and Brent Sopel, who will boost the Kings' playoff push, but any real hopes the Kings have in pursuing the Stanley Cup lie in the team's questionable goaltending and health of leading scorers Pavol Demitra and Alex Frolov.
Spare Parts
Will Jeff Friesen push the Mighty Ducks into the playoffs? Will Ville Nieminen spark the Sharks into the postseason? Maybe yes, maybe no. Quite a few teams picked up a few parts for their playoff push, but these deals did not amount to any significance.
Firesale!
The Phoenix Coyotes and New York Islanders essentially waived the white flag and began their umpteenth rebuilding phase. The Coyotes, hovering around the .500 mark despite the loss of leading scorer Ladislav Nagy, couldn't afford Denis Gauthier's asking price, but managed to keep talented Derek Morris for a few more years, and did not unload the core of the team. The Islanders jettisoned contract after contract, marking the end of the Mike Milbury era with the legacy of the untradeable Alexei Yashin.
Standing Pat
Many observers will point to the Tampa Bay Lightning's lack of movement, specifically in goal, as the number one reason why the defending Cup champions won't repeat. Along the same lines, faced with an aging squad that won't make the playoffs, Toronto GM John Ferguson, Jr. opted to stay the course, meaning that the team is neither rebuilding nor contending. They just ... are.
And Finally...
Colorado Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix ships out David Aebischer, who performed well in the 2003-2004 campaign and stabilized his play over the past two months, for an injured headcase who has lost his form. To make matters worse, Jose Theodore's whopping contract will have many salary cap implications as the Avalanche move forward. Theodore's MVP season was several years ago, and he has admitted to having trouble adjusting to the new pad regulations adopted by the league — not to mention the Propecia hair-growth chemical scandal from a few weeks back.
What's even worse for Avs fans is that the team, already on the playoff bubble, will try to push for the postseason without a No. 1 goalie until Theodore returns, perhaps in time for the first round of the playoffs, in addition to the loss of leading sniper Marek Svatos.
Way to tarnish your legacy, Mr. Lacroix.
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