(Welcome to the first edition of Two Guys and a Puck. Andrew and I will do sporadic chats about top stories in the NHL. Our debut edition talks about the moves at the trade deadline)
Will this be the home of the Western Conference Champions in Calgary?
Two Guys and a Puck w/ Andrew Bogusch and Adam Bernard
Adam Bernard: We'll start off on the Red Mile up in Calgary...the Flames acquire D Jordan Leopold from Colorado for D Lawrence Nycholat, D Ryan Wilson and a 2009 2nd round pick and they also acquire Olli Jokinen from Phoenix for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a conditional 1st round pick...I know you're not as ga ga over this trade as everyone else is
Andrew Bogusch: I like it, Adam, to the extent that Calgary got itself a #1 center and a veteran defenseman who's been a Flame before; therefore, there shouldn't be any chemistry issues
What I don't like is Leopold isn't the same player he was during the Flames' Finals run. And more importantly, Jokinen in a big spot is a major question mark for me. A.) He's never been in the playoffs and B.) He was just not good when the Coyotes needed him most after the All-Star Break.
Adam: I think bringing Leopold back is gravy for Calgary because they already have a steady group of defenseman and this gives them a solid puck-mover, even if he isn’t the player he was from 5 seasons ago. I like the addition of Jokinen because their top line now (Iginla, Jokinen, Cammalleri) might be the best top line in hockey now AND they already were a tough match-up for San Jose...this makes Calgary-San Jose a more intriguing series than San Jose-Detroit
Andrew: And that top line can go up against any other top line in the Western Conference. But Jokinen is an unknown to a certain extent. Maybe all the bad teams he was on
was more his fault than we think.
Adam: that’s a valid point, but how often was Jokinen on a playoff contender in his career? He's never had much help....plus Mike Keenan will light a fire under his ass if nothing else
Andrew: He was his best under Keenan, that's for sure. And Iginla will handle all the leadership things. I just need to see what Jokinen does when the spotlight is truly on him for the first time.
Adam: If I'm a Coyotes fan, I'm happy with what they got from the Jokinen deal. A 1st round pick is always good, Prust is a young player with a lot of potential, and Lombardi is a good all-around player
Andrew: And what they got for Derek Morris and Dan Carcillo. They had an odd mix of forwards -- it was hard to balance those lines, at least in my opinion. Now they have some depth at both wing spots.
Adam: Petr Prucha is a player that thrives on consistency, and playing two games, sitting four, playing one, sitting seven doesn't work well for him. Nigel Dawes can be an excellent scorer if he is on the right line. Scottie Upshall is another good all-around player, and they get back a 2nd round pick. Dmitri Kalinin is a non-factor for me, but maybe a change of scenery will get him playing a little bit better
Andrew: Now we have to hope they Coyotes exist past this season to see what this roster can do over 82 games.
Adam: And Shane Doan is the glue of that team and he sets a good example for all of the younger players on the roster now. Bryzgalov is a quality goalie. We saw what Phoenix is capable of at the end of 2008 and they can be a playoff team next year if they stay healthy. Staying in the Pacific, an interesting deal between two rival teams in San Jose and Anaheim. San Jose gets Travis Moen and Kent Huskins for three guys I don't know much about in F Nick Bonino, G Timo Plemeier and a conditional 4th round pick. The only question on San Jose's blueline is who becomes the 7th Defenseman now, Lukowich or Huskins?
Andrew: Clearly, Ducks GM Bob Murray didn't like this roster. Moen and Sammy Pahlsson were moved yesterday. They were two-thirds of Anaheim's best line in their Cup year. This team won't do much in the playoffs (if they it gets there). I think Lukowich or Huskins will be a nightly question, depending on opponent since they bring different things to the ice.
Adam: I think Anaheim will be left out come mid-April by the way...they got cold at the wrong time. I know you were a big fan of the Moen addition
Andrew: Moen's a good player, the type of player you need to have to win a Stanley Cup. There will be nights where you don't notice him too much, but with Roenick and Lemieux old, and Torry Mitchell trying to get healthy, Moen will come up big for SJ.
Adam: what I like about the San Jose moves is that they were already close. You don't want to rock the boat too much and they added quality depth...staying with Anaheim, they send out Sami Pahlsson, D Logan Stephenson and a conditional 09 pick and they get back Petri Kontiola and D James Wisniewski...I'm a big Wisniewski fan...the few times I saw Chicago this year, he was a solid two way D-Man
Andrew: They've certainly prepared themselves for losing Pronger and Niedermayer. Not that Ryan Whitney or Wisniewski are that quality of D-man, but they're NHL regulars.
Adam: I think we'll see Pahlsson win a Selke before his career is over, and with all of the speed Chicago has, this gives them a guy that can be matched against other team's top lines and be a hassle
Andrew: That was definitely one of the shrewdest moves Wednesday. You put Pahlsson next to Andrew Ladd and you have a nice checking line for a deep playoff push.
Adam: Lets go to the Ducks other move...acquiring F Petteri Nokelainen and sending D Steve Montador to Boston...I love the move for Boston...with Nokelainen, the jury is still out on him
Andrew: You can flashes of skill when you watch him, but this move is about Boston. Montador makes their blueline better. And Mark Recchi will help a lot. On top of the goals, his voice will be needed in that locker room in the postseason.
Adam: You're right...one thing Boston lacked is an experienced presence in their locker room. Chara is the captain and Kessel and Savard and Lucic are all great players, but Recchi brings an extensive resume...oh and his name is on the Stanley Cup...plus Recchi is still a threat on the power play. Staying in the Northeast, Buffalo and Toronto were both active teams. I like the Sabres addition of Dominic Moore...he will be a fan favorite at the HSBC Arena...he's a hustle guy that plays both ways and is having a nice year offensively.
Andrew: Moore has been very surprising this year and he'll play in all situations for Buffalo. Plus, he's insurance for the next Tim Connolly injury, which we know is coming soon.
Adam: Of all of the guys the Islanders let get away, Connolly was the only one that they were right about
Andrew: Yeah, but let's not pat them on the back for being right once in 25 trades
Adam: I like the addition of Mikael Tellqvist too. He's a guy that can start in stretches but gives you insurance on the bench. I find it pretty funny that Patrick Lalime had a great night against Montreal hours after the Tellqvist deal
Andrew: It's about time -- Lalime hasn't been good enough for them this year.
Tellqvist is an OK goalie, but Ryan Miller's ankle better get better in a hurry.
Adam: I agree. At the end of the day, unless Carolina hits the skids (we'll get to them in a moment), Buffalo will be the odd-man out in the East
Andrew: Yeah, I don't love the Hurricane roster, even with Eric Cole.
Adam: In Toronto, Brian Burke started the rebuilding process yesterday, acquiring a lot of draft picks (a 2nd round pick in the Moore deal, a 2nd round pick in the Antropov deal to the Rangers) and a 4th round pick in the Tampa deal that sent D Richard Petriot to the Lightning and they get back G Olaf Kolzig, D Jamie Heward and D Andy Rogers and they acquired G Martin Gerber off of waivers yesterday as well
Andrew: Which is a lot of moves, but I thought we'd see more from them. Kaberle's hand injury Tuesday was a big reason we didn't.
Adam: My only question is who is going to be Toronto's goalie next year...is it Gerber, Toskala, do they spent a year developing Pogge?
Andrew: Still, Burke did a good job because this organization has no talent on the horizon. He needs to use ALL of these picks very smartly.
Adam: I didn't think Kaberle was going anywhere regardless of the injury, I was shocked to not see Pavel Kubina go anywhere
Andrew: Gerber is probably the odd man out. He's done less than Toskala to prove he's a #1 guy. Apparently, Burke likes Kubina now.
Adam: Let’s talk a little about the Rangers and Antropov...I like this for the Blueshirts because it gives them a big body that can be a factor on the power play and maybe, just maybe can be the wing that Scott Gomez can play with
Andrew: Maybe that'll happen. But did you have to give up a 2nd round pick for a guy who was almost untradeable a month ago?. He was sabotaging himself until Burke publicly called him out...in a contract year! The Rangers needed size and he's big. But what if checks out mentally again?
Adam: In fairness to Antropov, he's been a name that's been on the trading block for months now on a team that everyone knew had no chance at the playoffs in September
Andrew: And he should've played as well as possible to be traded off that team. Or to cash in this summer. And that wasn't happening until his boss embarrassed him.
Adam: When Antropov has had talent around him, he's played well...and the Rangers have talent. Adding D Derek Morris yesterday addressed the Power Play QB/Puck Moving defenseman they've needed for 4 seasons...I know he's a little past his prime, and as you pointed out to me earlier, his PP point total is less than sexy, but the fact that Sather didn't try and build another video game team is a step in the right direction
Andrew: I've gone back and forth on both of these moves and I think, in the end, the best thing about them will be both players being UFAs this summer.
Adam: I guess the reason why I like the Rangers deals is because now they have two solid scoring lines, a hustle/energy line that can score and beat and bang, and their fourth line is the only thing that has been consistent for them the past two seasons
Andrew: They are better than they were last week, but I think PIT and BUF will end up in the playoffs ahead of them.
Adam: Staying in the Atlantic, the Isles send Bill Guerin to the Penguins for some hockey tape and a skate sharpener... or a conditional 2009 pick, whatever you want to call it
Andrew: Pretty shocking, right? Antropov and Moore land 2nd-rounders, while Guerin barely brings back anything. I'm not in love with the move, but it does make the Pens slightly better, especially if Guerin can keep up with Crosby or Malkin.
Adam: this is also another one of those locker room additions. Ask anybody that has played with Guerin and they'll tell you he's a great teammate on and off the ice.
Andrew: We'll see, though, how he handles that locker room since this is clearly Sid's team.
Adam: The first move of the day was with Ottawa and Columbus...the Blue Jackets get Antoine Vermette and they send back G Pascal Leclaire and a 2nd round pick. When Leclaire is healthy, he's a good goalie. I know Brian Elliott has been playing well for them, but this gives them a solid 1-2 punch heading in to 2010
Andrew: If Vermette clicks with rick Nash, this is a steal. The Blue Jackets need a better #2 goalie, but Leclaire was expendable. And now Ottawa adds another name to their starting goalie lottery.
Adam: At this point, if something happens to Steve Mason, their season is shot anyways. Vermette fits right in with the Ken Hitchock system. Before we get to the big non-trades, Edmonton was a busy team yesterday...let’s start with the addition of Ales Kotalik from Buffalo
Andrew: Another guy that could benefit from a change of scenery. Edmonton is very fast now with all those kids, Hemsky and Kotalik.
Adam: How deep can Edmonton go with this lineup in a top heavy west? They certainly are a fast team and could make one of the higher seeds work to get out of the 1st round
Andrew: Dwayne Roloson is capable of stealing a series. But I'm not sure Edmonton is tough enough or healthy enough (Ethan Moreau's eye) to knock off SJ, who'd they play in round one if the playoffs started tonight.
Adam: Edmonton has been a very Jekyll and Hyde team this year too. They also add another speedy guy in Patrick O'Sullivan
Andrew: I like O'Sullivan and I think he'll mesh well with Ales Hemsky. Edmonton hasn't always had the right guys around him. But you're right, they're too inconsistent to predict a major playoff upset.
Adam: The Justin Williams acquisition in LA confuses me. They give up O'Sullivan and a 2nd round pick for a guy who can't stay healthy
Andrew: Which no one really has discussed. It was an odd move, especially since Williams makes more money than O'Sullivan.
Adam: If Williams stays healthy, then he fits right in to LA's system (also another speedy team), but if not, they took a step back from the progress they've made this season
Andrew: On the flip side, and after saying I like O'Sullivan, he wasn't putting up huge numbers in LA. Maybe Dean Lombardi knows something we don't.
Adam: and finally in trades that did happen, we head to Carolina, they bring back Erik Cole. While I don't think this move makes them a lock to make the playoffs, it certainly can't hurt them to add him when all it cost them was O'Sullivan and the 2nd round pick they just acquired from LA and they get a 5th round pick in the deal too
Andrew: Eric Staal and Cole were at their best when together. That's the hope here, but it won't happen. Something's different about Cole since he hurt his neck -- something Staal can't fix.
Adam: at the end of the day, they are rolling the dice on something that has worked in the past for an injury prone player, I like what Jim Rutherford did. Now there's always the non-moves...my top 5 non-moves are Jay Bouwmeester (FLA), Jason Spezza (OTT), Vinny Lecavalier (TB), Marian Gaborik (MIN) and Montreal sitting on their hands
Andrew: I understand Bouwmeester and I never expected Spezza or Vinny to move. Gaborik I don't get it. The Wild can't re-sign him this summer. Why not get anything for him?
Adam: I agree on Jay-Bo...once Florida made their run in to playoff positioning, you can't alienate that fan base and trade the best player...besides, if they draw Washington in the first round, they could play them tough
Andrew: Word...they had to keep him and make the playoffs and try to convince him to stay. This team is legit -- David Booth and Keith Ballard are studs.
Adam: I also agree on Gaborik...but I thought Spezza was a lock to be moved. Vinny could have brought a King's ransom to Tampa and Vokoun is playing really well between the pipes for Florida.
Andrew: Vinny could be moved this summer at the Draft. Spezza too. Not giving away Gaborik was a mistake. But at least Doug Risebrough re-signed Niklas Backstrom
Adam: how about Montreal...if anyone needed to make a shake up, it was them. Getting Mathieu Schneider was nice, but they needed to do more
Andrew: And Bob Gainey has a lot of pieces to play with. He certainly checked in on Vinny. And hopefully he looked into Jokinen. But let's not forget that just because they didn't make a move means he didn't try. The other GM has to say yes, too.
Adam: I understand that, but other than Washington (who didn't really need to make a move for anything besides a backup goalie), Montreal was the only other team in the Top 10 in the East that didn't make a move to improve themselves...there had to be something out there. One waiver wire addition I liked was Dallas getting Brendan Morrison...while he doesn't fill the void of Brad Richards...it gives them some depth up the middle
Andrew: But you can't make a trade for the sake of making a trade. And Schneider was a nice pickup. We like Recchi and Montador in Boston, but the Bruins didn't add Marian Hossa and Chris Pronger. I'm over Morrison. I can't even believe he's on your radar.
Adam: Lol...we'll see about Morrison...any other moves or non-moves that were on your radar
Andrew: Did we mention Kevin (?) Lelande to Columbus?
Adam: how could we forget about the biggest deal of the deadline...there's the backup goalie they needed
Andrew: I'll take your word on that.
Adam: I know nothing about Lelande other than that his name is Kevin
Andrew: And he's now Blue Jacket property. Congrats to him and his family. Dreams can come true, kids...
Adam: lol...the same congrats go out to Andy Wozniewski in Pittsburgh and Danny Richmond in St. Louis
Andrew: Keep reaching for the stars, boys.
Our next edition will be in a few weeks when we do our playoff preview.
Will this be the home of the Western Conference Champions in Calgary?
Two Guys and a Puck w/ Andrew Bogusch and Adam Bernard
Adam Bernard: We'll start off on the Red Mile up in Calgary...the Flames acquire D Jordan Leopold from Colorado for D Lawrence Nycholat, D Ryan Wilson and a 2009 2nd round pick and they also acquire Olli Jokinen from Phoenix for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a conditional 1st round pick...I know you're not as ga ga over this trade as everyone else is
Andrew Bogusch: I like it, Adam, to the extent that Calgary got itself a #1 center and a veteran defenseman who's been a Flame before; therefore, there shouldn't be any chemistry issues
What I don't like is Leopold isn't the same player he was during the Flames' Finals run. And more importantly, Jokinen in a big spot is a major question mark for me. A.) He's never been in the playoffs and B.) He was just not good when the Coyotes needed him most after the All-Star Break.
Adam: I think bringing Leopold back is gravy for Calgary because they already have a steady group of defenseman and this gives them a solid puck-mover, even if he isn’t the player he was from 5 seasons ago. I like the addition of Jokinen because their top line now (Iginla, Jokinen, Cammalleri) might be the best top line in hockey now AND they already were a tough match-up for San Jose...this makes Calgary-San Jose a more intriguing series than San Jose-Detroit
Andrew: And that top line can go up against any other top line in the Western Conference. But Jokinen is an unknown to a certain extent. Maybe all the bad teams he was on
was more his fault than we think.
Adam: that’s a valid point, but how often was Jokinen on a playoff contender in his career? He's never had much help....plus Mike Keenan will light a fire under his ass if nothing else
Andrew: He was his best under Keenan, that's for sure. And Iginla will handle all the leadership things. I just need to see what Jokinen does when the spotlight is truly on him for the first time.
Adam: If I'm a Coyotes fan, I'm happy with what they got from the Jokinen deal. A 1st round pick is always good, Prust is a young player with a lot of potential, and Lombardi is a good all-around player
Andrew: And what they got for Derek Morris and Dan Carcillo. They had an odd mix of forwards -- it was hard to balance those lines, at least in my opinion. Now they have some depth at both wing spots.
Adam: Petr Prucha is a player that thrives on consistency, and playing two games, sitting four, playing one, sitting seven doesn't work well for him. Nigel Dawes can be an excellent scorer if he is on the right line. Scottie Upshall is another good all-around player, and they get back a 2nd round pick. Dmitri Kalinin is a non-factor for me, but maybe a change of scenery will get him playing a little bit better
Andrew: Now we have to hope they Coyotes exist past this season to see what this roster can do over 82 games.
Adam: And Shane Doan is the glue of that team and he sets a good example for all of the younger players on the roster now. Bryzgalov is a quality goalie. We saw what Phoenix is capable of at the end of 2008 and they can be a playoff team next year if they stay healthy. Staying in the Pacific, an interesting deal between two rival teams in San Jose and Anaheim. San Jose gets Travis Moen and Kent Huskins for three guys I don't know much about in F Nick Bonino, G Timo Plemeier and a conditional 4th round pick. The only question on San Jose's blueline is who becomes the 7th Defenseman now, Lukowich or Huskins?
Andrew: Clearly, Ducks GM Bob Murray didn't like this roster. Moen and Sammy Pahlsson were moved yesterday. They were two-thirds of Anaheim's best line in their Cup year. This team won't do much in the playoffs (if they it gets there). I think Lukowich or Huskins will be a nightly question, depending on opponent since they bring different things to the ice.
Adam: I think Anaheim will be left out come mid-April by the way...they got cold at the wrong time. I know you were a big fan of the Moen addition
Andrew: Moen's a good player, the type of player you need to have to win a Stanley Cup. There will be nights where you don't notice him too much, but with Roenick and Lemieux old, and Torry Mitchell trying to get healthy, Moen will come up big for SJ.
Adam: what I like about the San Jose moves is that they were already close. You don't want to rock the boat too much and they added quality depth...staying with Anaheim, they send out Sami Pahlsson, D Logan Stephenson and a conditional 09 pick and they get back Petri Kontiola and D James Wisniewski...I'm a big Wisniewski fan...the few times I saw Chicago this year, he was a solid two way D-Man
Andrew: They've certainly prepared themselves for losing Pronger and Niedermayer. Not that Ryan Whitney or Wisniewski are that quality of D-man, but they're NHL regulars.
Adam: I think we'll see Pahlsson win a Selke before his career is over, and with all of the speed Chicago has, this gives them a guy that can be matched against other team's top lines and be a hassle
Andrew: That was definitely one of the shrewdest moves Wednesday. You put Pahlsson next to Andrew Ladd and you have a nice checking line for a deep playoff push.
Adam: Lets go to the Ducks other move...acquiring F Petteri Nokelainen and sending D Steve Montador to Boston...I love the move for Boston...with Nokelainen, the jury is still out on him
Andrew: You can flashes of skill when you watch him, but this move is about Boston. Montador makes their blueline better. And Mark Recchi will help a lot. On top of the goals, his voice will be needed in that locker room in the postseason.
Adam: You're right...one thing Boston lacked is an experienced presence in their locker room. Chara is the captain and Kessel and Savard and Lucic are all great players, but Recchi brings an extensive resume...oh and his name is on the Stanley Cup...plus Recchi is still a threat on the power play. Staying in the Northeast, Buffalo and Toronto were both active teams. I like the Sabres addition of Dominic Moore...he will be a fan favorite at the HSBC Arena...he's a hustle guy that plays both ways and is having a nice year offensively.
Andrew: Moore has been very surprising this year and he'll play in all situations for Buffalo. Plus, he's insurance for the next Tim Connolly injury, which we know is coming soon.
Adam: Of all of the guys the Islanders let get away, Connolly was the only one that they were right about
Andrew: Yeah, but let's not pat them on the back for being right once in 25 trades
Adam: I like the addition of Mikael Tellqvist too. He's a guy that can start in stretches but gives you insurance on the bench. I find it pretty funny that Patrick Lalime had a great night against Montreal hours after the Tellqvist deal
Andrew: It's about time -- Lalime hasn't been good enough for them this year.
Tellqvist is an OK goalie, but Ryan Miller's ankle better get better in a hurry.
Adam: I agree. At the end of the day, unless Carolina hits the skids (we'll get to them in a moment), Buffalo will be the odd-man out in the East
Andrew: Yeah, I don't love the Hurricane roster, even with Eric Cole.
Adam: In Toronto, Brian Burke started the rebuilding process yesterday, acquiring a lot of draft picks (a 2nd round pick in the Moore deal, a 2nd round pick in the Antropov deal to the Rangers) and a 4th round pick in the Tampa deal that sent D Richard Petriot to the Lightning and they get back G Olaf Kolzig, D Jamie Heward and D Andy Rogers and they acquired G Martin Gerber off of waivers yesterday as well
Andrew: Which is a lot of moves, but I thought we'd see more from them. Kaberle's hand injury Tuesday was a big reason we didn't.
Adam: My only question is who is going to be Toronto's goalie next year...is it Gerber, Toskala, do they spent a year developing Pogge?
Andrew: Still, Burke did a good job because this organization has no talent on the horizon. He needs to use ALL of these picks very smartly.
Adam: I didn't think Kaberle was going anywhere regardless of the injury, I was shocked to not see Pavel Kubina go anywhere
Andrew: Gerber is probably the odd man out. He's done less than Toskala to prove he's a #1 guy. Apparently, Burke likes Kubina now.
Adam: Let’s talk a little about the Rangers and Antropov...I like this for the Blueshirts because it gives them a big body that can be a factor on the power play and maybe, just maybe can be the wing that Scott Gomez can play with
Andrew: Maybe that'll happen. But did you have to give up a 2nd round pick for a guy who was almost untradeable a month ago?. He was sabotaging himself until Burke publicly called him out...in a contract year! The Rangers needed size and he's big. But what if checks out mentally again?
Adam: In fairness to Antropov, he's been a name that's been on the trading block for months now on a team that everyone knew had no chance at the playoffs in September
Andrew: And he should've played as well as possible to be traded off that team. Or to cash in this summer. And that wasn't happening until his boss embarrassed him.
Adam: When Antropov has had talent around him, he's played well...and the Rangers have talent. Adding D Derek Morris yesterday addressed the Power Play QB/Puck Moving defenseman they've needed for 4 seasons...I know he's a little past his prime, and as you pointed out to me earlier, his PP point total is less than sexy, but the fact that Sather didn't try and build another video game team is a step in the right direction
Andrew: I've gone back and forth on both of these moves and I think, in the end, the best thing about them will be both players being UFAs this summer.
Adam: I guess the reason why I like the Rangers deals is because now they have two solid scoring lines, a hustle/energy line that can score and beat and bang, and their fourth line is the only thing that has been consistent for them the past two seasons
Andrew: They are better than they were last week, but I think PIT and BUF will end up in the playoffs ahead of them.
Adam: Staying in the Atlantic, the Isles send Bill Guerin to the Penguins for some hockey tape and a skate sharpener... or a conditional 2009 pick, whatever you want to call it
Andrew: Pretty shocking, right? Antropov and Moore land 2nd-rounders, while Guerin barely brings back anything. I'm not in love with the move, but it does make the Pens slightly better, especially if Guerin can keep up with Crosby or Malkin.
Adam: this is also another one of those locker room additions. Ask anybody that has played with Guerin and they'll tell you he's a great teammate on and off the ice.
Andrew: We'll see, though, how he handles that locker room since this is clearly Sid's team.
Adam: The first move of the day was with Ottawa and Columbus...the Blue Jackets get Antoine Vermette and they send back G Pascal Leclaire and a 2nd round pick. When Leclaire is healthy, he's a good goalie. I know Brian Elliott has been playing well for them, but this gives them a solid 1-2 punch heading in to 2010
Andrew: If Vermette clicks with rick Nash, this is a steal. The Blue Jackets need a better #2 goalie, but Leclaire was expendable. And now Ottawa adds another name to their starting goalie lottery.
Adam: At this point, if something happens to Steve Mason, their season is shot anyways. Vermette fits right in with the Ken Hitchock system. Before we get to the big non-trades, Edmonton was a busy team yesterday...let’s start with the addition of Ales Kotalik from Buffalo
Andrew: Another guy that could benefit from a change of scenery. Edmonton is very fast now with all those kids, Hemsky and Kotalik.
Adam: How deep can Edmonton go with this lineup in a top heavy west? They certainly are a fast team and could make one of the higher seeds work to get out of the 1st round
Andrew: Dwayne Roloson is capable of stealing a series. But I'm not sure Edmonton is tough enough or healthy enough (Ethan Moreau's eye) to knock off SJ, who'd they play in round one if the playoffs started tonight.
Adam: Edmonton has been a very Jekyll and Hyde team this year too. They also add another speedy guy in Patrick O'Sullivan
Andrew: I like O'Sullivan and I think he'll mesh well with Ales Hemsky. Edmonton hasn't always had the right guys around him. But you're right, they're too inconsistent to predict a major playoff upset.
Adam: The Justin Williams acquisition in LA confuses me. They give up O'Sullivan and a 2nd round pick for a guy who can't stay healthy
Andrew: Which no one really has discussed. It was an odd move, especially since Williams makes more money than O'Sullivan.
Adam: If Williams stays healthy, then he fits right in to LA's system (also another speedy team), but if not, they took a step back from the progress they've made this season
Andrew: On the flip side, and after saying I like O'Sullivan, he wasn't putting up huge numbers in LA. Maybe Dean Lombardi knows something we don't.
Adam: and finally in trades that did happen, we head to Carolina, they bring back Erik Cole. While I don't think this move makes them a lock to make the playoffs, it certainly can't hurt them to add him when all it cost them was O'Sullivan and the 2nd round pick they just acquired from LA and they get a 5th round pick in the deal too
Andrew: Eric Staal and Cole were at their best when together. That's the hope here, but it won't happen. Something's different about Cole since he hurt his neck -- something Staal can't fix.
Adam: at the end of the day, they are rolling the dice on something that has worked in the past for an injury prone player, I like what Jim Rutherford did. Now there's always the non-moves...my top 5 non-moves are Jay Bouwmeester (FLA), Jason Spezza (OTT), Vinny Lecavalier (TB), Marian Gaborik (MIN) and Montreal sitting on their hands
Andrew: I understand Bouwmeester and I never expected Spezza or Vinny to move. Gaborik I don't get it. The Wild can't re-sign him this summer. Why not get anything for him?
Adam: I agree on Jay-Bo...once Florida made their run in to playoff positioning, you can't alienate that fan base and trade the best player...besides, if they draw Washington in the first round, they could play them tough
Andrew: Word...they had to keep him and make the playoffs and try to convince him to stay. This team is legit -- David Booth and Keith Ballard are studs.
Adam: I also agree on Gaborik...but I thought Spezza was a lock to be moved. Vinny could have brought a King's ransom to Tampa and Vokoun is playing really well between the pipes for Florida.
Andrew: Vinny could be moved this summer at the Draft. Spezza too. Not giving away Gaborik was a mistake. But at least Doug Risebrough re-signed Niklas Backstrom
Adam: how about Montreal...if anyone needed to make a shake up, it was them. Getting Mathieu Schneider was nice, but they needed to do more
Andrew: And Bob Gainey has a lot of pieces to play with. He certainly checked in on Vinny. And hopefully he looked into Jokinen. But let's not forget that just because they didn't make a move means he didn't try. The other GM has to say yes, too.
Adam: I understand that, but other than Washington (who didn't really need to make a move for anything besides a backup goalie), Montreal was the only other team in the Top 10 in the East that didn't make a move to improve themselves...there had to be something out there. One waiver wire addition I liked was Dallas getting Brendan Morrison...while he doesn't fill the void of Brad Richards...it gives them some depth up the middle
Andrew: But you can't make a trade for the sake of making a trade. And Schneider was a nice pickup. We like Recchi and Montador in Boston, but the Bruins didn't add Marian Hossa and Chris Pronger. I'm over Morrison. I can't even believe he's on your radar.
Adam: Lol...we'll see about Morrison...any other moves or non-moves that were on your radar
Andrew: Did we mention Kevin (?) Lelande to Columbus?
Adam: how could we forget about the biggest deal of the deadline...there's the backup goalie they needed
Andrew: I'll take your word on that.
Adam: I know nothing about Lelande other than that his name is Kevin
Andrew: And he's now Blue Jacket property. Congrats to him and his family. Dreams can come true, kids...
Adam: lol...the same congrats go out to Andy Wozniewski in Pittsburgh and Danny Richmond in St. Louis
Andrew: Keep reaching for the stars, boys.
Our next edition will be in a few weeks when we do our playoff preview.
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