NHL Deadline..., wow! | Kev316's Blog

I just finished eight hours of coverage on the NHL trade deadline and, a few things kind of shocked me. Like Dallas getting Richards..., don't get me wrong here, I like Brad Richards and he desperately needed out of Tampa. But I'm not sure if Dallas was the right situation for this guy. Sure, he can learn from Modano and the others but, I always thought the Stars were like Jersey..., defense first. And for Dallas unloading Mike Smith was, in my eyes, a mistake. He's been outplaying Turco lately and will be a number one guy in this league but him in Tampa is a mistake. Dallas had a decent defense ahead of Smith and Tampa..., even with the resigning of Boyle (not really surprised at that), just makes me wonder if Tampa's going to go after defense this off season. Wait and see I guess.

Pittsburgh..., good old Pittsburgh! I was stunned when I heard that they acquired Hossa! I thought he was going to Montreal but, then again, nothing surprises me! Getting rid of Esposito, Christensen and Armstrong (who I liked in Pittsburgh!) was risky for a guy like Hossa but Pittsburgh, and myself, believe they can win the East! Ottawa did nothing accept get an overrated Lapointe, Montreal dealt their best goaltender (why?) and Carolina acquired Ruutu. Pittsburgh is now is position, with Crosby returning, to ice two good lines with Malkin, Malone and Sykora, then Hossa, Crosby and Taffe or Roberts. Their defense got Gill but, he's only a 'depth' player at this point and Conklin's been floating to Earth after a great start. When Crosby and Fleury return, this will be the team to beat!

Toronto..., can't blame Fletch for only moving Kilger, Belak and Gill for picks as McCabe and the others wouldn't lift their NTC's..., his hands were tied in more knots than a pretzel stand! I like these moves though..., it frees up cap space for next year and gives the young guys in the minors a shot at the big show..., nice job for what he could do.

Washington..., nice moves by McPhee! Getting Federov is kind of a strange move but if he can play alongside Ovechkin and Semin, it'll be a steal for the Caps! And now that they got Huet from Montreal (again... why?), they now have a legit shot at the Southeast title!

All in all, an eventful day spent sitting at home and watching the deadline unfold..., even if it was a long day! Early Stanley Cup prediction..., Pittsburgh vs. Anaheim! I just don't see Dallas going all the way this year. Later!

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February 26, 2008 05:53 PM ET

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The only question we're hearing here in D.C. is: how are the Caps gonna keep THREE goalies on the roster??
Only thing I see here is, EITHER Brent Johnson gets released...OR, Olie'll be asked to accept a backup role to Huet. (My gut feeling is #2.)
FINALLY, George McPhee gets it. If this Caps team misses the playoffs, it AIN'T gonna be for a lack of trying. Not with THIS talent on board. Sergei Federov, a CAPITAL?? I'm still picking my jaw off the floor on that one...

DC Sports Nut: Nats,…

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February 27, 2008 06:11 PM ET

First off RUGator, thanks. As for Sundin sticking around in Toronto..., at first I was ticked he didn't waive his no trade. I mean, they could've got a decent young player and a few draft picks for this guy. But after thinking about it a little..., Sundin's been a Leaf for 13 years and he's dedicated to this organization, no matter how screwed up it is! He said earlier that he wanted to be a part of a Stanley Cup winner from October to June..., think he's too late on that part here. For short term..., he'll resign for a year, maybe cut back on his salary so that the new guy can sign some good players and hopefully, return to the playoffs before he hits 40! Sundin's been a great player for this team for 13 years, he's the heart of the Leafs and as sad as I am not to see him leave..., it's kind of hard seeing him staying you know? We'll see in the next few months where the Leafs are..., hopefully unloading some of those NTC's they got! Thanks for the comments!