NHL Trade Deadline 2K4!

inactionman

I know it's a bit early for this (trade deadline isn't until March 9th) but most of the big trades go down before the deadline. Bondra is already on the Senators (still not enough to beat the Leafs) and the ****ing Red Wings just picked up Robert Lang for a prospect and two draft pick.



The Caps ares scratching Gonchar tonight because of 'flu' so he'll be heading somewhere tonight. Maybe Toronto. Hopefully Toronto.



So it has begun. The final push to the playoffs. Who is going where? What does your team need for the playoffs? Will Rangers sell off their roster of useless egos?



Seeing as the Leafs are winning the Cup this year does any of it matter.

moogs

[oops]



Uh... Yah. That Redwings trade irks me. I like Langer. Guys like him should be off-limits to the Wings.



Actually, he can join Niclas Lidstrom and Steve Yzerman as "the only Redwings I respect". Anymore trades like this and I'm going to have to stop "hating them".









PS - Sean Burke was a pretty big trade, since Comrie was involved.

curiousuburb

Canucks have been onagain/offagain trade rumours... usually including the line

"if we can make the team better, we'll pull the trigger, but we're not going to make any stupid moves"



Dream trade for most Vancouver fans would see 'Burnaby Joe' Sakic playing at home.



Avs would never give him up, of course, but we can still fantasize about a Naslund Sakic Bertuzzi Line.

moogs

That would be scary... I actually wonder if CO might trade Selanne or Kariya (or Sakic but I really doubt it) for a couple 1st round draft picks, since they've traded a lot of their talent away of late. Drury, Vrbata and Nieminen were all bad trades IMO... all of those guys were starting to excel or already exceling in CO and they were all very young.

inactionman

The Canucks don't need Sakic. They need a bloody goaltender. That's like the Sens adding Bondra to the lineup. They don't need scoring they need players that won't fold the second the checking gets a bit tighter in the playoffs.



Besides, the Leafs are going to trade for Toddzilla and Jeff O'Neil and reform the line that won the Memorial Cup back in the day. Tucker, O' Neil and Bertuzzi is my dream.

rageous

Yes!



I didn't know the Wings landed Lang til just now

moogs

Toddzilla must never be a Leaf! Anyway, who are they going to trade for him? The only person on that roster worth Bertuzzi is Belfour. Not going to happen. I agree btw that the Nucks need a more reliable netminder but I think Clouts is worth at least one more playoff shot.



Hedberg has done well in the playoffs so perhaps the Canucks can pull a Minnesota trick and have both goalies working the net during the Spring run for the Cup?

trick fall

All I can say is that I hope the Rangers are very active and get some youth and a real goalie!

matvei

I wish Toronto would get back to its sucky 80's period. Those were the days...



Soon... soon....

moogs

I wish Toronto would get back to their sucky period too!

buonrotto

Quote:

Originally posted by trick fall

All I can say is that I hope the Rangers are very active and get some youth and a real goalie!

They could have used about 6 defensemen to, but that's not about to happen with the current guard.

trick fall

Actually I don't think the defense is that bad. I think it would've been a much different year for the Rangers if Devries and Kasparaitas didn't get hurt. I don't think they were able to survive an injured defense and horrible goaltending.

moogs

That team has no chemistry. I sincerely hope Sather gets rid of Holik and a couple other egos on that team. He needs some friggin role players. DeVries was a good start, but Kasparaitis is no real help IMO. The guy has to be one of the worst position dmen there is. I mean he has big talent and can deliver some monster hits, but he lacks responsibility in his own zone. You can bet that that's why Colorado didn't re-sign him....

trick fall

I'd rather see Sather use Holik properly than get rid of him. Why he has Holik centering Jagr in Lindros' absence I'll never know. If anything I would've either had Lundmark center him or Kovalev. Might've gotten Kovalev going to give him that kind of responsibility. I'm telling you though, goaltending has killed this team. How hard would you play after awhile if everytime the opposition had half a scoaring chance the puck went in the net?

buonrotto

Actually, you're right, they have some decent defensemen, but they lack real 2-way forwards like Holik, who, yes, is wasted there. Lindros, Messier and Holik are good at defense, but who else really? (OK, I'm sure I'm forgetting someone but you get the point.) Dunham isn't so bad a goalie either, but he isn't *the* guy. You have to make the goalie your team MVP and spend money where it counts. The Ranger lack role players, set-up men, two-way players and good outlet passing defensemen. They aren't patient and they don't create enough turnovers to capitalize on their talent.



Anyhoo, interesting trade the Devils made for Kozlov. They did need a big center, they rather undersized on O anyway. I'm not sure where exctly he fits in, which line he goes on except he probably won't break up the Gomez line for the time being. What's more interesting is that Lamorillo doesn't seem too interested in a safety net for Scott Stevens' position. The Devils are staring at their position in the NHL without Stevens, which is above average but not great like they were. I wonder if Lamorillo will make a big move in the offseason for a young, punishing, talented defenseman, but who is in the market? You know he doesn't want to give much up, maybe a couple of his rookie D guys, but preferrably a free agent I suppose. They have big plans for Hale and Martin, but how patient can he afford to be with them?

moogs

Kovalev is not a natural center and unfortunately plays the same wing Jagr does, otherwise I think they'd play well together. I think Holik has attitude issues but certainly no more than Jagr does I admit. You can forget about Lindros coming back, given two doctors have already told him to retire, and that he was less than effective before his recent concussion. I just think Holik is sort of "old blood" at this point and needs to go somewhere he can excel. Anaheim or someplace.



Kozlov was a good pickup for the Devils whose weakness (as always) is offense. Don't know that he fit the bill to a T, but I think he can only help make them stronger offensively. I know he was a bit of a locker issue guy, but I still don't know why Lou gave up on Arnott. He could have been their core power forward guy for years to come.

inactionman

The Habs landed Alexei Kovalev from the Rangers so I guess the great NY fire sale of 2004 has officially begun. The Leafs may snag Leetch if Gonchar is too pricey. It's going to be a huge finish in the East.



Go Leafs Go!

matvei

Wow... Kovelev... It's enough to get me to actually watch some games now!



To the cup... and beyond!

inactionman

Bruins landed Gonchar for one player and draft picks. dammit. every team in the east is loading up except the Leafs. Though Washington was asking for a lot more from the Leafs than Boston gave them. It clearly indicates a leauge wide conspiracy to stop the Leafs from winning the Cup. I'll be calling Gary Bettman tonight to discuss this matter.

cam'ron

leafs suck anyways, there is no help for them. i cant believe siden and oconnell actually got that wallet open up wide enough to get a guy like gonchar. im happy to see them trying to make a run for it. i would like to see them or The Sens going to the cup. and hopefully we will see the leafs fizzle out in the first round!



ps. for some stupid reason the leafs (and fans) think Colaiacovo is the second coming of Bobby Orr, which is cleary untrue. this is why there is no gonchar in t dot

inactionman

it wasn't Coco that was at issue. IT was him and Antropov AND a high draft pick. Too much for Gonchar. The Leafs already gave up too much future to land Nolan last year.



And the Sens in the Cup final!?! Not if they have the play the Leafs at any point. The Sens know they can't beat the Leafs in playoffs.