2012 TRADE DEADLINE RECAP & WEEKLY TV VIEWER GUIDE

Winger Dustin Penner is taking the Gretzky turnpike from Edmonton to Los Angeles...

  ...while Panthers GM Dale Tallon is trying to keep track of which player he just sent packing out the door

ANAHEIM: Acquired W Brad Winchester (STL), F Joel Perrault and a 3rd round pick in 2012 (VAN)
-A solid move by Bob Murray. The Blues get a serviceable forward to give them some depth beyond their top two lines. Perrault is a prospect.

ATLANTA: Acquired W Radek Dvorak and a 5th round pick in 2011 from Florida, claimed D Rob Schremp off of waivers (NYI), acquired D Brett Festerling (MON)
-The Thrashers already have a solid blueline, but it's mostly offensive. Festerling and Schremp gives them depth and a bit of grit. I really like the addition of Dvorak. It gives them some offensive punch up front, its an upgrade from the recently traded Freddy Modin, and Dvorak is plenty experienced. Rick Dudley did a nice job of acquiring pieces that could help without giving up a whole lot.

BOSTON: Acquired G Anton Khudobin (MIN)
-A prospect addition. The Bruins have made plenty of moves already.

CALGARY: Acquired W Freddy Modin (ATL), claimed D Brett Carson off of waivers (CAR)
-GM Jay Feaster wasn't in a position to do much, but he added quality depth up front with Modin. Modin is a streaky player but has a knack for scoring timely goals. The Flames have a good mix of wingers.

CAROLINA: Acquired D Bryan Allen (FLA)
-They had to give up Sergei Samsonov, but getting one more quality defenseman was more important than holding on to the streaky Samsonov (also, the Cory Stillman acquisition made Samsonov expendable). Jim Rutherford is great at making minor tweaks that go a long way, and this fits the mold.

CHICAGO: Acquired D Chris Campoli (OTT)
-Stan Bowman didn't have room to do much, but he's taken care of his blueline. Campoli brings a good balance of a steady defenseman that can also contribute at the other end of the rink. With rookie Corey Crawford having to be the guy for the defending champs, adding quality to the blueline was a big need.

COLUMBUS: Acquired W Scottie Upshall and D Sami Lepesto (PHX); F Greg Moore and F Michael Chaput (PHI)
-Upshall gives the Blue Jackets a good forechecker that can mix it up and produces in bursts. Lepesto is a young defenseman that is still coming along but has shown signs of being a solid rearguard. This isn't a move that will put Columbus over the top, but it will certainly help them a bit. The players from Philly are prospects. 

EDMONTON: Acquired D Kevin Montgomery (COL); D Colten Teubert, 1st round pick in 2011, and a conditional 3rd round pick in 2012.
-Montgomery was a young defenseman swap with Colorado for fellow D-Man Shawn Belle - nothing major of note there. As for the treasure chest they got for Dustin Penner...wow. Steve Tambillini knew that the Kings needed to add a big piece and got all he could for the big winger. Steve Tambillini is starting to get the the pieces he needs to build around 1st overall pick Taylor Hall.

FLORIDA: Acquired F Jake Hausworth and a 3rd round pick in 2011 (WAS); D Evan Oberg and 3rd round pick in 2013 (VAN); F Niclas Bergfors and F Patrick Rissmiller (ATL); W Sergei Samsonov (CAR)
-You don't see a team pull of three trades within the division in one day, but Dale Tallon pulled it off. The goal of the Panthers is to completely rebuild around the young talent they have coming up over the next couple of seasons, and they've accomplished that with new young talent and picks. Florida could be a powerhouse in 2-3 seasons. I was shocked that Tomas Vokoun wasn't dealt. Good luck to the Panthers TV and Radio PBP Voices while they learn a drastically new roster.

LOS ANGELES: Acquired W Dustin Penner (EDM)
-The Kings needed to make a big addition, and they did in multiple ways (6'1" - 245lbs, 39 points on the season). Penner uses his size to park himself in front of the crease and clean up the garbage. He also brings a Stanley Cup ring that he won with the Kings crosstown rivals back in 2007. Dean Lombardi got what he needed, but he definitely overpaid for Penner.

MINNESOTA: Acquired D Jeff Penner and F Mikko Lehtonen (BOS)
-Propsect additions.

MONTREAL: Acquired G Drew MacIntyre (ATL)
-After Carey Price, it's Alex Auld and Curis Sanford on the depth chart. Sanford got hurt, so MacIntyre gives them a goalie that the Hamilton Bulldogs can use down the stretch.

NEW JERSEY: Acquired F David Steckel and a 2nd round pick in 2012
-Lou Lamoriello has done it yet again. It's not a flashy move, but he gets a productive forward that fits right in to the Devils and a high draft pick.

NY RANGERS: Acquired F John Mitchell (TOR)
-The Rangers one glaring weakness is depth at Center. Mitchell probably won't get called up to Broadway anytime soon, but he'll get some quality time with the Connecticut Whale. Mitchell had been playing with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.

OTTAWA: Acquired G Curtis McElhinney on waivers (TB); F Ryan Potulny and a conditional 7th round pick in 2011 (CHI)
-Potulny is a journeyman that has bounced back and forth between the AHL and NHL numerous times. Getting McElhinney will make for a nice back-up for Craig Anderson next season.

PHILADELPHIA: Acquired F Tom Sestito (CLB)
-Sestito is a tough guy that fits the Flyers mold perfectly. He'll spend a lot of time with Adirondack (AHL).

PHOENIX: Acquired D Rotislav Klesla and F Dane Byers (CLB)
-Klesla gives them more experience and depth on the blueline. Byers was a player that Don Maloney drafted back when he was the Rangers assistant GM. Byers will see more time next season. I don't like this move for Phoenix because as good as Klesla can be, losing Upshall and Lepisto was a steep price to pay.

ST. LOUIS: Acquired a 3rd round pick in 2012 (Anaheim)
-The Blues have given up for this season and are building towards next season. It's the right move for the team this year.

VANCOUVER: Acquired F Maxim Lapierre and F MacGregor Sharp (ANA); W Chris Higgins (FLA)
-The Canucks are officially stocked for a deep playoff run. Lapierre is a gritty winger that can score the occasional goal. Higgins is a playmaker with a scoring touch that will fit right in to Alain Vigneault's system. The only thing that can stop Vancouver is themselves right now. 

WASHINGTON: Acquired F Jason Arnott (NJ); D Dennis Wideman (F)
-Arnott provides the Capitals with veteran leadership that can produce and is a savvy playoff vet. Wideman is a well-rounded defenseman and can be pretty productive when he doesn't have one of his bad turnover spells. George McPhee did a good job of making upgrades without giving up too much.

^Brad Richards is staying put in Dallas. After all the hoopla about whether he'd stay or go, GM Joe Nieuwendyk was stuck with Richards suffering from concussion symptoms. Hopefully Richards can make it back in time to contribute for Dallas down the stretch.

**Contract extensions handed out to: Red Wings Goalie Jimmy Howard (2 years, $4.5 million - a fair deal for both sides); Kings winger Justin Williams (4 years - $14.6 million - when he's healthy, he's worth that. Let me know when he stays healthy for a full season)

WEEKLY TV VIEWER GUIDE - WEEK OF 2/28

9 Nationally Televised Games spread out over 7 days (highlighted by a classic Original 6 match-up between the Hawks and Leafs on Saturday night)...yeaaaaa for the NHL stretch run!

MONDAY
Blackhawks @ Wild - 8PM - Versus

This is their last meeting of the season. They split at the United Center and Chicago won in Minnesota back in October. The Blackhawks have won 4 in a row while Minnesota is 3-3-1 in their last seven. Both have with 72 points, but the Wild are in 7th place while the Hawks are down in 9th. A regulation win would mean a whole lot to either winner.

Red Wings @ Kings - 10:30PM - NHL Network
This could be shaping up to be a playoff preview. A great 2nd game in the Monday night doubleheader (these are the lone two games in the NHL tonight). The Kings have taken both meetings this season (winning 3-2 in OT at home and 5-0 at Joe Louis Arena) and .The Red Wings snapped a two game losing streak with a shootout win in Buffalo on Saturday night (they had won 5 in a row before the mini-skid). Los Angeles has won three in a row and this will be the third game of a six game stretch at the Staples Center.

TUESDAY
Sabres @ Rangers - 7PM - Versus
This is the beginning of a seven game road trip for Buffalo. The good news is that they only have five road games the rest of the way. Buffalo has had an up and down month but has managed to remain in playoff contention. The Rangers will be coming off a 2-1 loss to the Lightning at home and will be happy to see February go (4-7-1 for the month). It should be a great goalie showdown between Ryan Miller and Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers have taken both meetings this year so far. Brad Boyes makes his Sabres debut in this game.

WEDNESDAY
Penguins @ Maple Leafs - 7PM - Versus

The Maple Leafs have earned at least a point in their last 7 games and won four of those games. Goalie James Reimer has been a nice find for Toronto and is the main reason the Leafs haven't fallen out of playoff contention. Toronto won the first meeting of the season, but Pittsburgh has won both since, including a wild 6-5 shootout win at the ACC on Saturday night. The Penguins injuries have finally caught up with them as of late, going 2-4-2 in their last eight.

THURSDAY
Blues @ Capitals - 7PM - NHL Network

The Blues have been a streaky team all season long. They've managed to keep themselves alive in the playoff race, but one more bad streak could leave them looking ahead to 2011-12. St. Louis comes home to play Calgary tomorrow to finish the home-and-home before heading to DC. The Capitals have won four of their past six and host the Islanders on Tuesday. The Caps won their lone meeting with the Blues 4-1 back on 12/1.

FRIDAY

Penguins @ Devils - 7PM - NHL Network

The Penguins get their 2nd nationally televised game of the week against one of the hottest teams in the NHL. The Devils are 17-2-2 in their last 21 and get a chance to avenge one of those regulation losses against Tampa Bay on Wednesday night. The Devils remain 9 points out of 8th in the East and can afford to only lose a couple of games down the stretch if they want to continue their miraculous run to the playoffs. Pittsburgh is 8-7-2 within the Atlantic this year while the Devils are 6-10.

SATURDAY
Blackhawks @ Maple Leafs - 7PM - NHL Network
No matter what the circumstances, Original 6 match-ups are always enjoyable. This is their only match-up of the season. Look for a battle between two of the best young goalies in the NHL between James Reimer (10-4-3 record with a 2.31 GAA and a .929 save percentage) and Corey Crawford (22-12-3 record with a 2.23 GAA and a .923 save percentage), but both teams are also capable of scoring goals quickly. 

SUNDAY
Flyers @ Rangers - 12:30PM - NBC
The NHL gives us our 2nd pseudo-doubleheader of the week, this time with NBC being the lead-in instead of Versus. While capturing the Atlantic Division lead from Philly is a dream that won't come true for the Rangers, a win against the Broad Street Bullies would give them a shot in the arm. The Flyers are 4-0 against the Rangers this year and this will be their last meeting in MSG for the regular season. This will be the third game in four days for Philadelphia.

Capitals @ Panthers - 5PM - NHL Network

This will only be the 4th meeting of the season between these two Southeast Division rivals. Washington has gone 1-1-1 so far against Florida this season. Florida has lost five of their past seven and will play @ Carolina, vs. Montreal, and @ Atlanta before this game. Both teams have played well inside the division this year (Washington is 10-6-2, Florida is 9-6-2). This will be Caps D Dennis Wideman's first game against his old team.

TRADE DEADLINE PREVIEW

 The big name that was supposed to move in the NBA this year was Carmelo Anthony. He now sets up shop at Madison Square Garden. Will we be able to say the same about Brad Richards by tomorrow afternoon?

A lot of teams have already made their big moves before the deadline tomorrow, but here is a quick synopses of what each team needs to do at the deadline...

ATLANTIC
Philadelphia: With the Flyers playing as well as they are right now, you don't want to tweak things too much. Acquiring winger Kris Versteeg from Toronto a couple of weeks ago was their big move. They claimed D Nick Boynton off of waivers this weekend which gives them some veteran depth on the blueline. I wouldn't expect any other moves to happen.

Pittsburgh: They acquired LW James Neal and D Matt Niskanen from Dallas and winger Alexei Kovalev from Ottawa. They were all good moves, but it was all in an attempt to fill the production void left by the Sidney Crosby concussion. You can't replace his numbers, but they have some depth at forward. Losing D Alex Goligoski hurts, but they are deep enough on defense to overcome it. Maybe one more minor move, but they are probably done making moves.

NY Rangers: This is another team that should be done making moves. They acquired winger Wojtek Wolski a few weeks ago and picked up D Bryan McCabe yesterday. McCabe gives them the veteran/puck-moving rearguard they've been craving. The Marc Staal injury prompted GM Glen Sather to pull the trigger on acquiring McCabe asap. John Tortorella keeps saying he loves his team, let's see how they perform.

New Jersey: Lou Lamoriello is a master of making minor tinkers to his Devils to get them ready for a deep playoff run. This year is a bit different for him. Unless the Devils rattle off another eight game winning streak, they are probably going to miss the playoffs. Unless he can shed an old veteran (basically, Jason Arnott), he should leave the team as-is.

NY Islanders: The Isles are probably done with their annual sell-off. Maybe D Radek Martinek will attract some suitors, but they sold off their two attractive pieces months ago (G Dwayne Roloson, D James Wisniewski). They have acquired a 2nd, 5th, and 7th round pick, added D Ty Wishart (playing alright) and G Al Montoya (played well in limited action).

NORTHEAST
Boston: The Bruins have been very active traders this year and acquired the pieces they need to make a deep playoff run. Centers Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly were added and so were D Tomas Kaberle and Boris Valabik. Boston gave up a decent amount of draft picks, but G Tim Thomas isn't a spring chicken. This team is good enough to have a shot at a championship now. Pete Chiarelli should be done making moves.

Montreal: They could make another move, but I don't see it happening. They've acquired a bunch of defensemen (James Wisniewski, Paul Mara, Brett Festerling, Brent Sopel). They have good depth at forward, but adding one more wouldn't hurt.

Buffalo: How will new ownership handle it's first trade deadline two weeks in to it's new toy? The Sabres aren't far out of the playoffs, but the team isnt built for a playoff run. They've already waived D Craig Rivet but added RW Brad Boyes from the Blues. C Tim Connolly and LW Mike Grier have been names that have come up in trade rumors, but it appears Dary Reiger is making moves that would give this team a boost for a playoff push. I can't see them dealing away Connolly or Grier unless they received assets they could use immediately.

Toronto: Brian Burke has traded away all of the tradeable assets he can probably handle (Kaberle, Francois Beauchemin, Versteeg) and has gotten a lot of high draft picks in return. He also got winger Joffrey Lupul and D Jake Gardiner. While the Leafs are a rag-tag bunch that are kidding themselves in to thinking they can get in the playoffs right now, I wouldn't rule out one move for Burke tomorrow.

Ottawa: Another team that has traded away most of it's quality assets (Chris Kelly, Kovalev, Jarkko Ruutu, Mike Fisher) for a variety of draft picks. The only big name that would have moved on the roster was D Chris Phillips, but inking a 3 year-$9.25 million extension ends the chances of that. Getting Craig Anderson from Colorado is a HUGE upgrade between the pipes.

SOUTHEAST
Tampa Bay: GM Steve Yzerman has done a fantastic job in his first year running the team. He needed a goalie, he went out and got Dwayne Roloson. He needed some improvements  on the blue-line, he traded for Eric Brewer and signed Marc-Andre Bergeron off the trash heap. He was even able to get rid of a bad contract in G Dan Ellis for a quality back-up in Curtis McElhinney. The Lightning are built for a deep run.


Washington: Will the Capitals finally stop kidding themselves and add the goalie they've wanted for years? They can say they're happy with the young duo they have now (Varlamov and Neuvirth), but they've become so focused on playing defense that they can't score anymore. Having a veteran presence in the crease will allow them to get back to their puck-rushing ways. The name that comes up on and off is Panthers G Tomas Vokoun. George McPhee has a lot to think about tonight.

Carolina: They added a veteran winger in Cory Stillman, but does the injury to Eric Staal make them add another forward? Jim Rutherford is not one to make impulse decisions, so if they do add a center, it won't be a huge addition (wouldn't it be something if they got Brad Richards though?)

Atlanta:  The Thrashers played too well early in the season for Rick Dudley to give up on the season. He acquired the talented RW Blake Wheeler and young D Mark Stuart in the deal that sent Peverely and Valabik to Boston. Adding a center would help, but they aren't in the market to pay a lot. If Atlanta decides to sell, look for RW Niclas Berfors to be on the move.


Florida: The Panthers filled the space left by Bryan McCabe with former Predators D Alexander Sulzer. They dealt Stillman to Carolina, and Michael Frolik to Chicago (they main piece they got back from Chicago was D Jack Skille). Dale Tallon is clearly in rebuilding mode for this team and is getting as young as he can. There are still a couple of movable pieces, but nothing that would fetch a huge return.

CENTRAL
Detroit: Getting C Mike Modano back is like adding a veteran center at the deadline. I don't think Ken Holland will make any moves since the team is built for the long haul. I could see him acquiring a quality back-up goalie (since the Evgeni Nabokov deal fell through), but that's it.

Nashville: This is another team I see being pretty boring at the deadline. Acquiring Mike Fisher earlier in the year was a big need that David Poile addressed. The Preds could use a veteran winger (bring back Jason Arnott, perhaps?) but not at any large cost.

Chicago: Not having a lot of cap flexibility hurts Stan Bowman from really making any upgrades. The Blackhawks have their core in place (a very nice 5-year extension for D Brent Seabrook over the weekend) and will add and move pieces around it as they see fit for the next few seasons. Already acquiring forward Michael Frolik will be their big addition for this season.


Columbus: For some reason, I get the feeling the Blue Jackets could make a couple of below the radar moves tomorrow. They wanted to add a veteran presence on the blueline and addressed that need with claiming Craig Rivet from Buffalo. They could certainly use some more scoring talent up front.

St. Louis: This is another team who made their big moves and should be quiet tomorrow. They acquired D prospect Brock Beukeboom, D Kevin Shattenkirk, and F Chris Stewart. They did say goodbye to D Eric Brewer, former first overall pick D Erik Johnson, and C Jay McClement. It appears that the Blues have their focus on next season, so they shouldn't do anything unless they feel it improves them for next season and beyond.


PACIFIC
San Jose: The amount of talent on the Sharks is never in question. They have a great mix up front and added D Ian White from Carolina recently to add some veteran depth. A few weeks ago, goalie was a cause for concern. But Antti Niemi has finally found his playoff form from last season. They also added some grit with Ben Eager back in January.


Phoenix: Coyotes GM Don Maloney is one of the more underrated GMs in the league. Winger Wojtek Wolski wasn't performing well, so he turned a problem in to filling a void with former Rangers D Michal Rozsival (they needed a veteran defenseman). Phoenix has been a hot team lately and is one quality forward away from having a team many wouldn't want to see in a seven game series. Even with the new ownership, I expect a move to be made.


Los Angeles: This team is desperate to get one more talented forward. It may cost them one of their great young defenseman. Dean Lombardi is notorious for not wanting to make big deals that shake things up too much, but he's going to have to if he wants to get the top-notch producer his team craves.

Dallas:  Ahh yes, what will Joe Nieuwendyk do with C Brad Richards. Coming in to the season, it was as sure as anything that Richards would be moved by the deadline. Then Dallas made a surprising storm to the top of the Pacific Division standings, and moving Richards would have been seen as giving up on a potentially prosperous season. Then the Stars hit the skids and Richards suffered a concussion. Now nobody knows what to think. Nieuwendyk certainly won't get as much back as he would have originally with this concussion lingering. He did get the puck moving D-man he needed in Alex Goligoski and adding winger Jaime Langebrunner earlier in the season was a no-brainer. Tick Tock, Joe.

Anaheim: Bob Murray has done a good job of making small tweaks to this team while not taking away too much. Adding forward Jarkko Ruutu gives them an edge, and bringing back D Francois Beauchemin gives them a steady, reliable presence on an overachieving blueline this season. G Jonas Hiller was having a career year before dealing with what is essentially vertigo. Getting Ray Emery isn't the entire answer, so Murray went out and got Dan Ellis to give him a 2nd chance. Anaheim is done with moves, and will need either Ellis or Emery to get VERY hot if they want to make the playoffs. 

NORTHWEST
Vancouver: The Canucks are the best team in the league and have incredible depth. I don't see Mike Gillis doing anything to shake this bunch up. I can see him adding a depth defenseman cheaply because of all of the injuries they've dealt with on the blueline, but that's it.

Minnesota: The Wild are another team on the "Add A Center" wishlist. The rumor I've heard is Tim Connolly from Buffalo. I don't see Chuck Fletcher making a huge move, but this team definitely needs a center, especially with Mikko Koivu hurt. They're playing well enough that the playoffs are within reach without any additions, but one more move could give them some separation in the tight West.


Calgary: What will interim GM Jay Feaster due in his first trade deadline in years is the big question. Calgary has played fantastic hockey lately and has put themselves in the drivers seat to earn a playoff birth - after spending much of the season in the conference basement. With all the teams in the league needing a center, maybe they can find someone willing to take C Matt Stajan to add some depth to the 3rd and 4th lines.


Colorado: The moves Greg Sherman has made over the past month have left some scratching their heads. Sending G Craig Anderson to Ottawa for G Brian Elliott made it seem like the Avs were giving up on the season after a 9 game losing streak. When they made the deal with St. Louis to acquire D Erik Johnson and C Jay McClement, it resembled more of a move to make sense for this season. McClement is an excellent penalty killer and gives them depth up the middle. D Erik Johnson has shown brief flashes of why he was once a #1 overall pick, and maybe a change of scenery helps him. This is a team that should be selling at the deadline. Teams could always use defensemen, and the aging veteran Adam Foote would net them a decent draft pick and Sherman could get a decent package for John-Michael Liles.

Edmonton:  The worst team in the NHL won't be making any impact additions for this season, that's for sure. The big names that could move from Edmonton are RW Ales Hemsky, LW Dustin Penner, and C Sam Gagner. They could get a lot back for those three and all three are players that many teams wouldn't mind adding for the right price. I expect Steve Tambillini to be very busy tomorrow.

Former Panthers D Bryan McCabe makes his Rangers debut against the Lightning @ Madison Square Garden in Sunday's Game of the Day

First off, I apologize for the lack of blogging this week. I will make up for that in the next 24 hours...

-I'll be tweeting my thoughts on Sunday's Game of the Day - Rangers-Lightning - LIVE from MSG. Follow @TheHockeyPress. The acquisition of Bryan McCabe pretty much means that D Michael Del Zotto will spend the rest of his season with the Connecticut Whale of the AHL.

-A complete transaction recap from the week AND whether teams should make a move or stand pat at tomorrow's trade deadline coming tonight

-Of course, the weekly TV Viewer guide and complete trade deadline updates and analysis tomorrow