Pittsburgh trades a 2009 conditional pick to New York Islanders for Bill Guerin.
-After acquiring Chris Kunitz a few days ago from Anaheim, the Penguins were back at it today. Bill Guerin has always been a strong forward to add to your lineup to count on goal scoring, and he also adds grit and leadership to a young Penguin team. For details on the conditional pick traded from Pittsburgh, TSN.ca offers an explanation at http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=269735&lid=sublink01&
Ponder’s Call: Pittsburgh has bulked up on offense with these recent acquisitions. Guerin is a fierce competitor with a strong background in tight situations. I do not like this deal for the Islanders; they made this trade with just over one hour to go in the deadline. It is my belief that if they had held on to Guerin about a half hour longer, they could have gotten better than a fifth round pick (which could turn into a third round pick, but who’s counting?). Advantage Pittsburgh.
Philadelphia trades Scottie Upshall and a 2009 second round pick to Phoenix for Daniel Carcillo.
-Carcillo, a gritty winger who scraps every chance he gets, will be missed in Phoenix by his beloved fans. But buck up ye Coyotes faithful; Scottie Upshall adds a slight better scoring touch and physical play as well. He has been used on the power-play, penalty-kill and all different situations for Philadelphia, despite his dismal 7 goals this season.
Ponder’s Call: Even though Upshall has had a poor season, he was a first round pick who was a 30-point scorer just a season ago. He could find his game again, maybe in the Western Conference. Carcillo is an agitator often compared to Tyson Nash from a few seasons ago that has almost zero offensive upside. With Upshall and a second round pick heading to Phoenix, the Coyotes get the nod on this one.
New York Rangers trade a 2009 second round pick and a conditional draft pick to Toronto for Nik Antropov.
-It has been obvious that the Maple Leafs were looking to unload Antropov, and who better to take him than the New York Rangers, who are in the midst of a playoff hunt? With 21 goals in 63 games, Nik has not really been what the Leafs have been looking for. Drafted tenth overall in 1998, the Leafs saw him as a top-tier player, but has been sort of a disappointment.
Ponder’s call: New York is taking a chance on this 29 year-old winger. Bill Clement of NHL Live speculated that Antropov could see some time at center, due to the fact that the Rangers have no size up the middle. Toronto got some decent draft picks, so I think this was a pretty even deal.
New York Rangers trade Dmitri Kalinin, Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha to Phoenix for Derek Morris.
-New York made another splash on deadline day with this big deal for defenseman Derek Morris. Russian defenseman Kalinin has been on the hot seat for the Rangers this season for the most part, scoring just one goal in 58 games. He is heralded as a highly-offensive defenseman, but things have not worked in his favor this season. Dawes and Prucha have also been on the hot seat this season (almost like the entire Rangers roster), but are still considered very valuable players to be dealt. Morris on the other hand has played well enough this season, being one of the top defensemen for the Coyotes. Despite his -13 rating, he has played against top lines and looks strong under pressure.
Ponder’s Call: New York has really shook up their offense the past couple of days, with this deal, plus adding Antropov and recently claiming bad boy Sean Avery from re-entry waivers. Morris should fit in well on a team that is desperately fighting for the playoffs, since players like Wade Redden and Marc Staal have been playing under their potential in New York. Morris’ value did rise since he had many offers coming his way, so New York had to unload a lot that they maybe would not have if this deal was made in the summer. Because of that, I give Phoenix the slight edge.
Buffalo trades a 2009 second round pick to Toronto for Dominic Moore.
-The 28 year-old Moore was expected to be moved today, after a deal with the Blackhawks fell through earlier. He has played pretty strong for the Leafs this season, recording 12 goals and 29 assists in 63 games. He has seen a lot of time killing penalties and on the top line at times for Brian Burke’s club, who is in the outside of the playoffs looking in.
Ponder’s Call: Moore will add speed and defensive play to an already tight defensive team. It doesn’t hurt to have that reassurance for your third line though. Good deal for both teams.
Chicago trades James Wisniewski and Petri Kontiola to Anaheim for Samuel Pahlsson, Logan Stephenson and a 2009 conditional draft pick.
-The basis and cornerstone of this trade was so Chicago can add another experienced center to the lineup. Samuel Pahlsson is a former Stanley Cup winner with Anaheim, and played a very vital role to the victory. He is a forward who can throw a hit every now and then, and can be a strong two-way player on any roster. Logan Stephenson is a big, tough defenseman who is widely known across the AHL for his big hits and grit in front of his team’s net. He is unlikely to crack the Blackhawks’ defensive squad, but will be a big piece for the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL. Wisniewski adds NHL experience to the Ducks, and he can be used as a sixth or seventh defenseman if need be in the playoffs. Kontiola has been accused by his critics as being too lean; he needs to add muscle. But many scouts say that this 24 year-old could be a legitimate second line center on an NHL club if utilized properly.
Ponder’s Call: Chicago saw the Dominic Moore trade fall through, but showed determination by still making this deal happen. Anaheim adds defense and a possible center next season with this move. Both teams got what they wanted. No tip either way in this one.
San Jose trades Nick Bonino, Timo Pielmeier and a 2009 conditional draft pick to Anaheim for Travis Moen and Kent Huskins.
-San Jose added toughness to their third line, as well as another sixth defenseman if needed for the playoff run. Moen, like Pahlsson, played an important role in the Ducks’ 2007 Cup run. Moen is a utility man that can be put on any line, but is strongest in the checking role. Kent Huskins has been used sparingly this season by the Ducks, playing in just 33 games and scoring six points. His +6 plus/minus rating is something to be desired as well. On the Ducks receiving end, Bonino has been under the gun by Sharks management to ship up or ship out. The near-24 year old has a bit of size (6’1” 202 lbs.), and has been talked up of being a “top nine forward in the NHL” by hockeysfuture.com. Pielmeier, a 6’0” goaltender, has a lot to prove still, as he was ranked pretty low on the Sharks prospect chart.
Ponder’s Call: San Jose ended up with the better end of the deal because Moen and Huskins are strong utility players on a NHL-caliber team. Anaheim traded away some depth, and for players that have huge question marks next to their names.
Three-way deal:
Carolina receives Erik Cole and Edmonton’s 2009 fifth round pick; Los Angeles receives Justin Williams; Edmonton receives Patrick O’Sullivan and Los Angeles’ 2009 second round pick.
-Three-way deal analysis; these are always fun. Basically, the Kings let O’Sullivan go for too little in this writer’s opinion. Granted, O’Sullivan supposedly has been a menace in the Kings’ locker room this season, but he is still young (24 years old), and has plenty of talent. Receiving Justin Williams, whose 10 points and -9 rating in 32 games is hardly attractive, is not enough for O’Sullivan. Patrick has been a strong skater and a great player for the Kings since arriving in 2006. Erik Cole on the other hand has been better the past while, and is expected to pick his game back up where he left it in Carolina last season.
Ponder’s Call: Edmonton comes out way on top in this deal. They traded someone that has not been strong for them and got a good, young forward who is expected to do great things in the NHL for years to come.
Edmonton trades a 2009 second round pick to Buffalo for Ales Kotalik.
-Kotalik has seen his numbers drop slightly this season (23 goals in 79 games in 2007-08, 13 goals in 56 games in 2008-09). Watch for Edmonton to try and pair him with fellow countryman Ales Hemsky, who is in the midst of a 20 goal season. Both players are expected to be big parts of the Oilers’ roster in the upcoming playoffs.
Ponder’s Call: Landing a second round pick for a 30-year old utility man is a pretty good move by Buffalo. Even though I think that Kotalik will be strong for the Oilers, I think that Buffalo gets the nod with what will be a fairly high pick in the second round.
Toronto trades Richard Petiot to Tampa Bay for Olaf Kolzig, Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers and a 2009 fourth round pick.
-Richard Petiot is a 26 year-old defenseman, originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings. His hard hits and gritty play overshadows his offensive ability, but he still is considered a possible NHL player. He has faced a few injuries and has never really been able to get back on his development plan, but Tampa Bay obviously thinks he can. Olaf Kolzig has had a very trying season with Tampa Bay. In just eight games played, he has seen 25 pucks go past him, giving him a 3.66 GAA. Jamie Heward is a veteran AHL defenseman, who is 37 years old and has seen minimal NHL time. Rogers is purely a defensive defenseman, as he himself has stated in the past, “I’ve never been considered a super-offensive player.” He has a small shot at seeing NHL time, but it is doubtful.
Ponder’s Call: Unless the Maple Leafs are trying to improve their AHL team’s chances (The Toronto Marlies are currently in fifth place in the Western Conference with 69 points), this deal is pretty much meaningless for both teams. In any way, the best player in this deal was Petiot, so Tampa Bay gets the upper hand in this deal.
Smartest team at deadline: Calgary Flames.
Acquired: Jordan Leopold, Olli Jokinen, 2009 third round pick
Traded: Lawrence Nycholat, Ryan Wilson, Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust, 2009 second round pick, first round pick in 2009 or 2010
Keywords: Ales Hemsky, Ales Kotalik, Bill Guerin, Brandon Prust, Brian Burke, Chris Kunitz, Daniel Carcillo, Derek Morris, Dmitri Kalinin, Dominic Moore, Edmonton Oilers, Erik Cole, James Wisniewski, Justin Williams, Kent Huskins, Matthew Lombardi, Nick Bonino, Nigel Dawes, Nik Antropov, Olaf Kolzig, Olli Jokinen, Patrick O'Sullivan, Petr Prucha, Richard Petiot, Samuel Pahlsson, Scottie Upshall, Sydney Crosby, Travis Moen
