3:53pm - Almost 1000 hits for the site today, 6 from Morocco. Whoever you are, thank you. And a special shout out to my Moroccan readers.
3:50pm - With just a minor league move completed today, Montreal fans must be up in arms.
3:47pm - Are the Florida Panthers going to be able to dress a full team for their next game!?
3:43pm - Listening to Bryan Murray one would think that he feels he will be back next season, and perhaps even beyond that.
3:37pm - The Charlie Sheen jokes are too easy to be funny.
3:30pm - Why do we need a Brian Burke press conference? Probably to teach us how to undo and re-tie a tie nice and quickly.
3:28pm - "Lapierre should be the best 4th-line C in the show, but is too much side show" - Chris Manning.
3:21pm - Edmonton is done for the day, per TSN.
3:20pm - By adding Arnott, Sturm, and Wideman the Capitals have done enough to get through one playoff round, but they are not ready to compete with Boston and Philly.
3:17pm - Florida makes another trade, this time sending Chris Higgins to Vancouver.
*Instant Analysis - Higgins is currently out with a broken finger, and this trade will work out nicely for Vancouver if it takes a long time to heal...
3:16pm - Calgary has acquired Fredrik Modin from Atlanta for a 7th-Round Pick.
3:12pm - Anaheim has traded Maxim Lapierre, who they acquired from Montreal earlier this year, to the Vancouver Canucks for forward Joel Perrault and a 3rd-Round Pick.
*Instant Analysis - This was the last thing Vancouver needed: a player who never stops yapping and flip flops around all game long. Mark my words, he will take a bad penalty or two in the playoffs and cost his team a game along the way.
3:09pm - Remember that the trades will continue to come in until around 4pm EST.
3:06pm - The Washington Capitals have acquired C Jason Arnott from New Jersey for forward David Steckel and a 2nd-Round Pick.
3:04pm - Dustin Penner didn't have his "cell phones" (plural) with him at practice. What a baller.
3:01pm - The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded C John Mitchell to the New York Rangers for a 7th-Round Pick.
2:59pm - The big ticker is counting down to zero behind the panel. Mike Peca is asleep.
2:53pm - I'm not sure why Craig MacTavish is so adamant that Brad Richards is not going to re-sign in Dallas this summer.
2:41pm - The panelists have warned us that there some out there using fake twitter accounts to dupe us into believing trades have taken place. The fake trades are more exciting than the real ones, so I have no problem with it.
2:29pm - This indicates the asking price for Ales Hemsky is astronomical.
2:25pm - Edmonton has traded Dustin Penner to the LA Kings for a 1st-Round Pick, Colten Teubert, and a 3rd-Round Pick in 2012.
*Instant Analysis - While this helps LA a little bit, a big thumbs up for Oilers' GM Steve Tambellini. He got maximum value for an inconsistent player who lacks the foot speed to make a difference in the playoffs. The Oilers weak spot is on the back-end, so if Teubert pans out, this will be one of those trades we look back on and wonder how it ever happened.
2:24pm - FYI, John Shannon: Jason Arnott doesn't play the point on the power play.
2:21pm - Both major networks are taking credit for breaking the Campoli trade and informing him personally. How will this conflict be resolved?!
2:19pm - Seven deals so far. 56 goals have changed teams according to TSN.
2:07pm - If you are waiting for more trades, don't hold your breath. Stan Bowman may have just killed what was left of the day by massively overpaying for Chris Campoli.
2:00pm - The Anaheim Ducks have acquired Brad Winchester from St. Louis for a 3rd-Round Pick.
1:56pm - The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired Chris Campoli from Ottawa for a 2nd-Round Pick and Ryan Potulny.
*Instant Analysis - This is absolute larceny by Bryan Murray. Before the announcement my trade panel was speculating that it would be a 5th-7th round pick going to Ottawa.
1:52pm - Sportsnet is reporting that the Devils are talking with the Capitals about Jason Arnott.
1:50pm - Word is Chris Campoli is on Chicago's radar. That's not the kind of defenceman they should be focused on, unless they are making a separate deal for a stay-at-home type player.
1:47PM - The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired D Bryan Allen from Florida for winger Sergei Samsonov.
*Instant Analysis - I'm disappointed to see Samsonov exit Carolina because he has been, and could still be effective for them in the playoffs. Having said that, this opens up some cap space for the Hurricanes to go out and get an upgrade at forward.
1:35pm - Brian Burke's tie is undone. Something's up.
1:27pm - Ryan Rishaug is hearing "a bunch of nothing" in Edmonton.
1:26pm - The Adjustment Bureau, in theatres March 4th. I'll be there.
1:23pm - The Edmonton Oilers have traded D Shawn Belle to Colorado for Kevin Montgomery.
1:21pm - Sounds like Dave Hodge is a follower of Slink on Hockey.
1:08pm - Sources out of Nashville say GM David Poile is up to something. Stay tuned.
1:06pm - Sharks GM Doug Wilson is on the phone with James Duthie. He should be on the phone trying to trade for a defenceman. This is a bad sign for what's to come the rest of the day.
1:02pm - Daymond Langkow has hit the ice with the Flames for the first time this season.
12:58pm - Just over two hours to go.
12:51pm - Columbus acquires Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepisto from Phoenix for Rostislav Klesla and Dane Byers.
*Instant Analysis - The Bluejackets first ever draft pick finally departs after an up-and-down season, and career. He is an elite shot blocker and can go one-on-one against top lines, which will help Phoenix down the stretch and allow the offensive-minded Keith Yandle to roam free a little bit more. Upshall was becoming irrelevant in the desert, as was Lepisto, but they can help in Columbus, so it's a good move for both teams.
12:49pm - Pierre Maguire has implied that there is a big trade coming.
12:43pm - The TSN Tradebreakers have now resorted to filling time by talking about Facebook "Creeping" and "tweeting." What would Charles Barkley say...
12:38pm - Is this the year Nashville wins a playoff round?!
12:33pm - I hope the fact that Vancouver has spent so long in first place hasn't made GM Mike Gillis too complacent. The team, as constructed, is not good enough to beat the Detroit Red Wings in a best of seven playoff series.
12:31pm - The Pizza is here. Four mediums with two toppings on each for $19.99. That's value.
12:29pm - Food for thought: Would the Panthers consider moving David Booth to Vancouver for Mason Raymond?
12:25pm - Pascal Leclaire has cleared waivers. Someone please explain how Bryan Murray is still employed?
12:20pm - Some rare kind words about Steve Downie, a one-time pick-up hockey line-mate of mine, from former Bolts GM Brian Lawton.
12:19pm - After getting beat down in Boston, Montreal has a need for some toughness. Sportsnet is reporting that they may be inquiring about Zenon Konopka.
12:18pm - If Chicago can bring in Jim Vandermeer without giving up a draft pick that would be a great move.
12:14pm - The panel has resorted to re-visiting last year's trades. I'm not quite ready to sink to that level. Especially with pizza on the way.
12:10pm - It looks like David Clarkson might be moved out of New Jersey. Stay tuned.
12:06pm - As a result of the aforementioned waiver pick-up, the Sens can send Robin Lehner back to Binghamton.
12:03pm - Waiver time! Defenceman Brett Carson has been claimed by Calgary; Goaltender Curtis McElhinney has been claimed by Ottawa and; Robbie Schremp has been claimed by Atlanta.
11:59am - Ray Ferraro is convinced the Flames can sustain their level of play and get into the playoffs. I disagree, given that they have played more games than many of the teams they are battling for the 7th and 8th seed.
11:55am - The Detroit Red Wings have re-signed G Jimmy Howard to a two-year contract extension worth $4.5 million.
11:53am - I think the Wideman trade will stimulate the trading of more D-men. I'm a little bit concerned with the direction Florida is headed. Wideman, despite his massive minus rating, has been effective for them and is under contract for next season. The return is minimal and even though they have Gudbranson and Kulikov in the fold, this is a sideways step at best.
11:47am - The Washington Capitals have acquired Dennis Wideman from the Florida Panthers for Jake Hauswirth and a 3rd-Round Pick.
*Instant Analysis - Dennis Wideman is a very capable puck-moving defenceman with a rocket of a shot and I love this move by the Capitals. My one concern is that this means Mike Green's injury is more severe than we think.
11:46am - I bet you wouldn't believe that Alexei Yashin is still the highest paid player on the Islanders.
11:39am - Who ISN'T ordering a Gino Reda mug?!
11:36am - Mike Babcock is the man.
11:33am - Time for a segment I like to call "I Bet You Won't Believe That..." I bet you won't believe that Curtis Glencross has 20 goals.
11:31am - Do you think Dan Murphy has to wear special shoes while walking around Rogers Arena so that he doesn't slip on the trail of gel emanating from Roberto Luongo's hair?
11:29am - Wouldn't it be great if three-time Stanley Cup champion turned mediocre analyst Aaron Ward announced a signing: his own!
11:25 - Would Gary Valk be a more productive analyst if Yannic Perrault and Sergei Berezin were sitting next to him?
11:22am - Leafs' Assistant GM Dave Nonis is talking to the media right now. Which means he's not talking to other General Managers.
11:21am - The TSN panel is discussing the possibility of young goalies moving. The idea is that Jonathan Bernier and Cory Schneider will never get their chance at a number one job behind the likes of Jonathan Quick and Roberto Luongo. While they're correct in saying that, I believe deals involving these goalies will take place over the summer. Today's moves are typically meant to address the playoff run that lies ahead.
11:18am - If the asking price for Hemsky is in fact Wayne Simmonds, Colton Teubert, and a draft pick, I don't see what the Kings are waiting for.
11:15am - The Senators are taking calls on just about everyone, including Jason Spezza. Only Bobby Butler, Erik Karlsson, and long-time captain Daniel Alfredsson are untouchable there.
11:07am - Radek Dvorak is saying all the right things about being shipped to Atlanta, but I'm not sure he's as excited as he would have been going to other teams that could have used him, such as LA or Washington or Pittsburgh.
11:05am - According to the Reporters, the Edmonton Oilers fans are quite "sophisticated."
11:00am - I wish mike Sillinger still played in the league. He would have been traded by now.
10:50am - If the Kings are unable to land a top-line player by 2pm or so, it might be wise to inquire about the availability of Thrashers' C Nik Antropov. They have plenty of cap space, and he makes the same money ($4 million) as Michal Handzus does now. He would be a nice complementary player them over the next two seasons.
10:46am - Tim Connolly's name keeps getting thrown around. I wouldn't give up any assets for him.
10:45am - The Senators are practicing until noon. We'll have a report from Ottawa after that.
10:38am - The Florida Panthers have traded Radek Dvorak and a 5th-Round Pick to the Atlanta Thrashers for Niclas Bergfors and Patrick Rissmiller.
*Instant Analysis - I reported that Dvorak would be traded, and that it would be wise to pick him up, but I'm a bit surprised it was Atlanta that acquired him because I don't think they'll be in the playoffs. I hope I'm wrong, because Dvorak deserves a chance to play in the playoffs. From Florida's perspective, this is an excellent move. Dvorak is their all-time leader in games played and will re-sign there this summer, and Bergfors is capable of scoring 20-25 goals a season if given the opportunity. Rissmiller was a salary dump that Florida was forced to take if they wanted Bergfors.
10:37am - Talk of Andrei Kostitsyn being moved out of Montreal. His younger brother Sergei has had tremendous success in Nashville, so maybe Andrei would be well-served going elsewhere. I think he can help teams like Minnesota or San Jose.
10:30am - The Atlanta Thrashers have signed D Mark Stuart to a 3-year contract extension worth $5.1 million.
10:25am - Brian Burke has announced that Jonas Gustavsson will be re-called today. This might quash the idea that the Leafs are after a secondary goaltender.
10:23am - I like the way Steve Yzerman has been slowly re-constructing the Tampa Bay Lightning. The addition of Eric Brewer solidifies their defence, and with one more add on the blue line to complement their stellar and balanced attack up front, I think Tampa can challenge teams like Pittsburgh and Washington in the playoffs.
10:15am - The TSN panel is discussing what the Washington Capitals need to do to be competitive. The list is long and unlikely to be met.
10:09am - The Thrashers and newly acquired Mark Stuart are working on a contract extension, per TSN's Bob McKenzie.
10:08am - Devils' centre Jason Arnott is willing to waive his no trade clause, but given the way things are going in The Swamp nothing is imminent.
10:01am - The Los Angeles Kings have signed winger Justin Williams to a 4-year contract extension worth $14.6 million.
*Instant Analysis - This is a reasonable signing as far as dollars go, and I like that Kings' GM Dean Lombardi is making an effort to keep Williams, who has decent chemistry with star centre Anze Kopitar. However, the Kings are still in desperate need of a first-line winger if they want to make any noise in the West this season and through the next couple of seasons as well.
10:00am - Coming into today, I am extremely impressed with what the Boston Bruins (Tomas Kaberle, Rich Peverley, and Chris Kelly) and Pittsburgh Penguins (James Neal, Matt Niskanen, and Alex Kovalev) have done.
9:54am - Trade winds are blowing. Expect something to be completed within the next 20-25 minutes.
9:51am - It would be wise for Ottawa to trade Craig Anderson. I know they just got him, but if they think he's the answer in goal, as far as the future goes, they are sorely mistaken.
9:50am - My sources in Denver are awake, alert, and say the mood around the team has been restless for a few days. With Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk already moved, Matt Duchene and Erik Johnson may be the only untouchables on the team.
9:48am - If Doug Maclean, Pierre Maguire, and I joined forces, we would produce tremendous results.
9:46am - As I speculated last week, Zach Bogosian will not be moved today.
9:45am - TSN is about to address the state of the Senators. That shouldn't take long. It's simple really: abysmal. Remember when they had Chara and Havlat and Hossa and Vermette? They have nothing valuable to show for losing them. This franchise is the pinnacle of bad management.
9:36am - I watched a good chunk of the Coyotes/Blackhawks game last night and it became quite clear that if Chicago wants to work their way into the playoffs and have success there, they'll need to pick up not one, but two defencemen today. Nick Leddy is nowhere near ready for full-time NHL duty and Jordan Hendry never will be. Brian Campbell has checked out mentally, so that leaves too much pressure on Keith, Seabrook, and Hjalmarsson.
9:33am - Michael Farber, one of my favourites, is encouraging Brian Burke to be a buyer today.
9:27am - According to Sportsnet, the Sens are interested in Ales Hemsky.
9:26am - I'm hopeful Brian Burke will make it a priority to keep the MaCarthur-Grabovski-Kulemin line in tact. They can be a capable second-line moving forward.
9:17am - Look for San Jose to move the streaky Devin Setoguchi for blueline help this afternoon, once the marketplace is set.
9:14am - According to Ray Ferraro, San Jose's Ryan Clowe was "a man" in his game against Calgary last week. Interesting point Ray. What exactly is Ryan Clowe during all his other games?
9:13am - All these people picking Vancouver to win the Stanley Cup know that Roberto Luongo is still their goalie, right?
9:07am - After his tremendous effort in Ottawa on the weekend, I wonder if there will be any takers for Nik Zherdev today.
9:05am - May Day! May Day! What a suit.
9:03am - TSN's Reporters all agree that Vancouver, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Boston are the four teams with the best chance of winning the Cup. What do you think? Vote in the poll on the right side of the page.
8:57am - According to TSN, JM Liles will not be traded to Toronto. Good news considering we just got rid of Tomas Kaberle, a more capable player of the same ilk that makes about the same amount of money.
8:52am - Kings fans can relax, Brayden Schenn isn't going anywhere.
8:49am - Hold the phone: Pierre Gauthier has been ordered off the aforementioned plane by the ownership group.
8:47am - If we do have to wait a couple hours for a trade, at least we can talk about the Oscars.
8:45am - My sources tell me that the Chris Neil to New York rumours have no substance.
8:44am - Weiss update: Darren Dreger is suggesting Toronto is not interested in Stephen Weiss. This is good news in my opinion. He is not even an upgrade on Grabovski.
8:42am - FYI Sportsnet: Joni Pitkanen is not "in play."
8:41am - If, as reported, Dennis Wideman, David Booth, and Stephen Weiss all get traded out of Florida today, there are going to be some angry fans in South Florida.
8:39am - The guy from the Fusion Pro Glide commercial is exceedingly annoying also, but man, that is a quality product.
8:38am - I seriously hate how explicit the sexual innuendo in this Swiss Chalet commercial is.
8:37am - Habs fans better start getting concerned. GM Pierre Gauthier will be on a plane for a couple hours today, taking himself out of the trade mix, albeit temporarily. If this is a sign that he's done dealing after having acquired Brent Sopel and Nigel Dawes from Atlanta last week, then Montreal has no chance at surprising anyone in this year's playoffs (if they get there).
8:32am - Does anyone else think the Blackhawks paid way too much to keep Brent Seabrook?!
8:31am - According to my compatriot Nick "The Mad Greek" Kypreos, Stephen Weiss will only wave his No-Trade Clause to go to the Maple Leafs. Doug MacLean is convinced a Weiss/Kessel combo is not the right kind of mix as a number one line if your ultimate goal is winning a Cup. He's 100% correct.
8:29am - Last year, the first trade of the day went down at 10:26am. Stay tuned.
8:24am - There's lots of Dustin Penner talk going on. If he does get moved, look for Buffalo to show interest. I know they already acquired Brad Boyes, but with Derek Roy injured, they don't have any left shooting top-six forwards.
8:23am - As an Ovechkin fan, I'll be keeping a close eye on the situation in Washington. I think they are a long way from being competitive with Boston and Philadelphia. They badly need an offensive centreman and a shut-down defenceman. Let's hope GM George Mcphee has a better TradeCentre than he did last year.
8:19am - For whatever reason, most ex-hockey players aren't as competent as analysts as their NFL counterparts are. There are exceptions to the rule (such as Kelly Hrudey) and I think Mike Johnson is slowly working his way into the exception.
8:13am - The TSN Player Panel is playing "Either-Or." First up, Jason Arnott or Tim Connolly. Arnott is the unanimous choice, and the right one. Next, Ales Hemsky or Dustin Penner. More debate, but for my money (and that of the teams with interest) I believe Hemsky is the better player. Finally, Jan Hejda or Steve Montador. Either! Or both, if you're Washington, San Jose, Chicago, Washington, or Montreal.
8:10am - Buyers for the day look like they will be (or at least, should be) the Canucks; Sharks; Wild; Blackhawks and; Kings in the West. Canadiens; Capitals; Penguins; Sabres and; Hurricanes in the East.
8:05am - 25 trades and 51 players were involved on Deadline Day last year. I would expect less today. The TSN Panel is suggesting otherwise, but let's remember, they kind of have to say that.
8:03am - In case you missed it last night, a couple of players were taken off of today's market. Former first-overall pick Chris Phillips signed a three-year contract extension with the Ottawa Senators worth $9.25 million. Inconsistent forward Brad Boyes was sent from St. Louis to Buffalo for a 2nd round pick.
*Instant Analysis - Another puzzling move from Senators' GM Bryan Murray. Chris Phillips has been on the decline since the Lockout. My friend Dave and I call him "The Momemtum Killer" for a reason. He takes untimely penalties and makes perplexing turnovers. Of all the people to cut out of the mix, this should have been a prime candidate.
In terms of Brad Boyes, I like this move from Buffalo's perspective for the simple fact that it is the first sign of things to come as a result of the recent ownership change. GM Darcy Regier is usually forced into cutting payroll and waving goodbye to quality players (Danny Briere, Toni Lydman, etc.), but now has some house money to play with.
