NHL Trade Deadline Deals - analysis

Trade Deadline!

Calgary deals Weimer to the Devils for a 4th

Verdict: Flames drop a useful 3rd/4th liner with size on the Devils for a mid round pick. Good trade both ways.

Phoenix trades F Jamie Lundmark to the Flames for a pick

Verdict: Lundmark is a bubble forward who may just need the right situation to flourish. He's been a ppg in the AHL, so we know he has skills, but his speed may not be front line calibre, he's washed out of the Rangers and in a short time made himself expendable from the Coyotes. He's running out of chances, but if his work ethic is good, Sutter will find a way to make him earn his place. Not sure what Phoenix is doing except shifting deck chairs on the Titanic.

Florida trades C Petr Taticek to the Penguins for D Rik Jackman

Verdict: Taticek is a young prospect with size and some scoring ability, not that disimilar from current Pens prospect Milan Kraft. He has upside potential to be a full-time player, and he'll get a shot at being a top 6 forward with the Pens down the road. Jackman is a powerplay specialist with little defensive zone acumen. He'll fit in to Florida's top 6 as the rusher given a solid anchor partner, and could be used to help groom Bouwemeester's powerplay skills. Overall, a wash.

Vancouver made seperate deals to address their blueline and goaltending, all involving picks;

From the Blues, D Weinrich for a 3rd

From the Ducks, D Carney for 2nd (previously the Islanders) and mediocre D prospect Brent Skinner

From the Devils, D Brown for a 4th

and from the Sabres, G Noronen for a 2nd

All in all, three solid defensive defensemen, including Carney who can play pro minutes in your top 4, and a solid prospect netminder with #1 potential for four picks and a player not on the main roster. In other words, everything the Canucks needed to do, they did. Verdict: Full marks.

Islanders get a 3rd rnd pick for Oleg Kvasha.

This one is a headscratcher. Why pay anything like a third round pick for Kvasha? Does he really look like a top 6 forward for the Coyotes? He's fully bust IMO, and Mike Barnett looks like an ATM in this one.

Dallas sends D Martin Skoula and D Shawn Belle to the Wild for D Willie Mitchell and a 2nd.

Verdict: Skoula is a tweener D man, he's got enough offense to keep you interested, but he never overwhelms anyone, and his D is good enough to get by, but isn't airtight. He should fit well though into the Wild system as he has the wheels to play Lemaire hockey (see: Andrei Zyuzin and Alexandre Daigle as Wild reclamation projects that worked for that reason). Belle is a massive swift skating blue-liner who has a tonne of upside. His decision making is what is still suspect, which is why he's on his third team since being drafted by St Louis. Eventually, he'll be a regular on the blue-line. Willie Mitchell was the object of affection here, as he brings a solid defensive defenseman game to Dallas and will fit comfortably into the teams top 4. He'll bring a nasty streak to the team that is essential for playoff hockey.

Overall, a solid trade bothways, but I'd rather be the Wild's GM after this season is over when re-looking at the deal at that time.

Senators flip pre-season wonder L Brandon Bochenski and a 2nd to the Chi-Hawks for C Tyler Arnason.

Verdict: I think Bochenski has the potential to be a useful 2nd line scoring winger and Chicago may eventually be the right situation for him to flourish. Ottawa adds a pivot with speed and some playmaking to bring depth to the centre position. Is he really a 2nd line centre? Or is his future as a checking pivot ala Kris Draper? The upside with Arnason is definitely higher given the speed and experience advantage over Bochenski, which warrants the inclusion of the 2nd rnd pick. Overall, I'd say Chicago got what they needed in terms of building blocks for the future in a young player and decent draft pick, and the Sens got a skilled forward to compliment their top six. Call it even, so long as Arnason doesn't score a GWG in the playoffs en route to a Cup, and Bochenski doesn't flip the switch and turn into Brett Hull.

Oilers get Sergei Samsonov from the Bruins for forwards Marty Reasoner and Yan Statsny and a 2nd rnd pick.

Verdict: I love Kevin Lowe as a GM. The Bruins deal an elite offensive winger (albeit one who is injury prone) for a forward best suited to the AHL (Reasoner), an unproven forward who looks to be a solid third line winger (Yan Stastny) and a 2nd round pick. No wonder the Bruins suck if this is the best they can do in trades (see Thornton for Stuart et al). Samsonov will fit right in with the Oilers as his game is built on elite skating, speed and phenomenal hand skills. To get an offensive performer like him for two duds and a pick is just sick.

Nashville trades a 1st rnd pick and AHL forward Kris Beech to the Capitals for D Brendan Witt.

Verdict: Witt returns to the GM who drafted him, and will bring some much needed size, nastiness and defensive presence to the Predators. The pick is costly, but Washington needed to get a good return for Witt and a 1st is excellent. Beech returns to the team that drafted him in the Caps after a stop in Pittsburgh. He's never been able to crack an NHL lineup because of his speed defeciency, and while he'll get another new start in the depleted Washington cadre of forwards it will be tough for him to displace either of the other young two-way pivots ahead of him (Gordon, Laich) or Jeff Halpern who seems to have a lock on the 2nd line centre spot. In the end, the Predators overspent to get Witt, but he could pay decent dividends especially in the playoffs. Washington sheds salary and gets both a prospect and a 1st so you know they are happy.

The Rangers pick up Sandis Ozolinsh for a 3rd rnd pick.

Verdict: Sather has reversed several years of mediocre performances being able to spend whatever it takes and has turned in two solid years in a row rebuilding the Rangers within a budget. Ozolinsh for a third? Ridiculous. I don't care what problems he has off-ice, his on-ice contributions - especially within a system like the Rangers, will far outstrip the value of that 3rd rnder. The Rangers may have just added the guy needed to get them out of the tough Eastern conference.

Carolina releases Mark Recchi from the lottery bound Pens for two forward prospects in Nordgren and Kolanos and a 2nd rnd pick.

Verdict: The Canes lost a top 6 forward in Cole for the season and replaced him with an even better one in Recchi at the cost of two mid-ling prospects and a 2nd rnd pick. Word is that Recchi will not re-sign with the Canes and intends to end up as a Penguin again next year as his contract runs out. In that light, its a high price to pay for a rental player, but Recchi is everything you want in a rental, highly skilled, excellent leadership, playoff experience, and an easy slot into one of your top lines.

Anaheim aquires L Jeff Friesen from the Caps for a 2nd rnd pick.

Verdict: Washington gets another building block, this time cheaply as Friesen has had a horrible offensive season and frankly isn't worth a 2nd rnd pick. I'm not sure what Anaheim's GM Burke is thinking, as Friesen isn't likely to be more than an excellent checking winger in the mold of Paul Ranheim as his career winds down, but maybe there is more life in him than I see.

Colorado sends G Aebischer to the Canadiens for G Theodore

Verdict: I say its a no-brainer. Aebischer is an OK #1, but best suited to either a platoon or backup role. Theodore (when his head is on straight) is a potential all-star and a legit #1 who is a threat to win hardware if he can get back to his peak. I say Colorado simply hosed Gainey on this one, but Theodore's salary could be problematic moving forward if he pulls a Jim Carey. I don't see it. He's got game.

The Oliers send a 1st rnd pick, and a conditional pick to Minnesota for the Wild's G Dwayne Roloson

Verdict: Kevin Lowe is a genius part 2 - not. Ooops. Colour me contrarian but Roloson is a mirage as a #1, and at 36 I think clearly isn't worth a 1st rnd pick. He's at best a stop gap until the Oilers can groom a #1 from within, and I suspect he'll make them regret this deal if the Wild manage to select an NHL player of any decent calibre with that pick in the first. Risebrough laughs at the Oilers once again.