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March 19, 2002
Adam
Oates: With the impending trade deadline fast approaching teams are
beginning to beat down the door of Capitals GM George
McPhee, inquiring what it will take to get Adam
Oates. Most recently, the St. Louis Blues’ and the Colorado
Avalanche have come calling. Mike
Van Ryn and a draft pick is said to be on the table from
St. Louis
and Ville
Nieminen from the ‘Lanche.
Fantasy Impact: As we have
mentioned before, the acquisition of an Adam
Oates for either of those teams would be a big plus – particularly
for the playoffs. Oates is old, but still is one of the best passers in NHL
history – and shows no signs of slowing down. The best fit would be with
St. Louis
, who after getting Keith
Tkachuk back is desperate for that second line center, particularly
with Doug
Weight still side-lined. If the Blues do land Oates – we think
that they will be a dark-horse come the playoffs.
Robert
Lang : Tough to imagine a guy who is hurt is on many teams wish
list, but the
UFA
from the Pens is exactly the type of two-way center than many teams are
looking for. The smooth skating Lang, is a better scorer than passer – and
this a talent that many teams covet – more scoring. The Blues, the Sens,
the Avalanche and the Canadiens would love to acquire the services of Lang
before
3:00 p.m. EST.
Fantasy Impact: Lang’s
contributions to the Pens have gone largely unheralded – except by his
team mates and management. He has a good shot, has developed the defensive
side of his game and has established a level of consistency that many
NHL’ers wish they had. Lang will play well wherever he goes, but our only
concern would be how he would react under the pressure of being brought in
at trade deadline time, in anticipation of a playoff push for whatever team
nabs him. He’ll play well, just do not expect a HUGE contribution.
March 15, 2002
Peter Bondra (R/W – WAS) – after a week of rumors that the Dallas Stars
had narrowed their focus at the trade deadline on the enigmatic
Pavel Bure, the latest out of Big D has the Stars ready to move two-way
center
Joe Nieuwendyk to the Caps straight up for
Peter Bondra.
Fantasy Impact: Watching Bondra receive smooth, slick passes from the likes
of
Pierre Turgeon and
Sergei Zubov will make things much better in Dallas. Bondra has regained
his status as one of the league’s premiere snipers and would fill the void
left by the departure of
Brett Hull - and then some - in Dallas. Bondra has a terrific shot, and
the best breakaway speed of anyone in the NHL. Lethal on the PP and on the
PK, our only concern would be the style of play in Dallas. However, as the
undisputed star R/W in Dallas, we think Bondra would thrive. For the Stars,
Bondra would come cheaper, works harder and is less of a distraction than
Pavel Bure – something to consider.
Nieuwendyk to the Caps would allow the Capitals to replace soon-to-be-UFA,
Adam Oates. Under-rated in the face-off circle and as a leader, the only
knock against Nieuwendyk is that he can’t stay healthy. This is certainly a
concern in the physical Eastern Conference, facing the likes of Primeau,
Lindros, Holik, Arnott, Peca,
Curtis Brown, Brind’Amour, Roenick and Thornton. Every game would
challenge Joe physically – we think he just wouldn’t last. If he goes, watch
for a dip in stats, even with the increase in ice-time, because of the
injury risk.
Odds of Trade: 7-1
Jiri Slegr (D – ATL) – as we have speculated, the latest rumor out of
Atlanta has the Thrashers shipping Slegr to the Islanders for under-rated
and under-utilized
Dave Scatchard.
Fantasy Impact: The Isles have been looking to acquire another “puck moving”
defenseman, and Slegr may just fit the bill. His current under-achieving
stats are not indicative of his talent – he has a hard shot, plays solidly
in his own end and can move the puck quickly.
Dave Scatchard would give the Thrashers a poor man’s Mike Peca. Fighting
over minimum minutes behind Yashin and Peca, Scatchard does possess some
offensive skills – although his main priority is shutting down the
opposition. Scatchard could really bring a stabilizing force to the
Thrashers and would really benefit from the second unit ice-time.
Odds of Trade: 4-1
Dave Andreychuk (R/W – T.B.) - the latest out of Montreal has the
Canadiens desperate to add a little scoring punch up front and they are said
to be inquiring about the availability of the Lightning’s
Dave Andreychuk. Headed to Tampa would be a mid round dp.
Fantasy Impact: Andreychuk’s best years are clearly behind him. He will
never score 20 goals again in the NHL. However, he does bring the ability to
score as a PP specialist – able to camp out in front of the oppositions’ net
on the PP. Never blessed with any speed, Andreychuk now struggles to keep up
with today’s NHL. He is a big body (6’4” 230lbs) though and occupies a lot
of real estate in front of the opposition's net. He still has soft hands, so
anywhere from the 10’ range and in he can be deadly. The cost wouldn’t be
that much for Montreal, and the ability to score a few key goals down the
stretch could be difference of the Habs making the playoffs or not.
Odds of Trade: 2-1 March 14, 2002
Pavel Bure (R/W – FLA) – Well...the only thing hotter than the Florida
sun right now is the heat cranked up on the rumors of
Pavel Bure changing zip codes. Latest news had the NY Rangers requesting
Bure’s agent to restructure his deal to accommodate a trade. Rumored headed
to Florida would be
Igor Ulanov,
Mike York and young prospect
Filip Novak. The Dallas Stars are said to still be in the hunt, offering
to take Bure’s big contract “as is” in return for
Brenden Morrow, junior prospect
Steve Ott and Dallas’ first round dp this year. Florida is said to be
holding out for
Jamie Langenbrunner rather than Ott, as they already have an “Ott” like
players in last years’ draft pick
Stephen Weiss.
Fantasy Impact: Bure has recently come out to state that he is quite
happy in Florida, but if he had to, it seems likely that the Russian rocket
would like to go to the Big Apple over Big D. As we have mentioned, in New
York, Bure would get lots of ice-time (and you’d basically be able to kiss
Fleury good bye come the off-season). As we have stated in the past, a move
to the Stars, while invigorating the Russian Rocket in the short term, may
have not have the long-term success poolies hope for; remember that the
Stars success over the past few years has been as a result of their star
players buying into a “team first” concept.
Tom Poti (D – EDM) - GM
Kevin Lowe must be at his wits end. His team is desperate for is more
offense and some more size up-front. And what players do other GMs keep
inquiring about?
Tom Poti and
Mike Grier. Granted, he has been fielding offers for Poti almost all
season, but…the problem is that he needs immediate help rather than the
prospects that he keeps getting offered. One rumored swap had been with the
Penguins, in exchange for
Darius Kasparaitis. Another potential was Poti to the Predators for
Cliff Ronning and a dp. A potential swap of Poti and
Todd Marchant to the Rangers for
Radek Dvorak appears dead, as Dvorak is done for the season with a knee
injury. What team in the NHL would not want to acquire a young, smooth
skating offensive minded defenseman? Watch as the Boston Bruins may dangle
Brian Rolston,
Jamie Rivers and
Mike Knuble for Poti and
Mike Grier. The Ottawa Senators are said to be ready to move
Chris Phillips,
Petr Schastlivy and a dp for Poti and Grier.
Fantasy Impact: A bad situation all around for the Oilers as even
they must be getting tired of dealing proven NHL talent away for young
prospects, let alone the devout Oiler fan. The fact the Oilers are on the
outside looking in may soften the blow for the forever cash-strapped Oilers.
Poti is better than how he is playing – and would benefit immensely from a
change of address. Watch the Senators rumor carefully. Schastlivy is a late
bloomer and could be a diamond in the rough given an opportunity to play on
the top two lines. Grier would give the Sens a physical presence while
Phillips has pretty much worn out his chances with the Sens.
Odds to Move: 2-1
Cliff Ronning (C – NAS) – And speaking of the Senators, its hard to
figure that after celebrating Ronning’s 1000th game in the NHL just days
earlier, that his name would be the center of a rumored trade to Ottawa for
Chris Phillips or
Petr Schastlivy – but such is life in the NHL. Ronning is slick passer
with still a great nose for the net. He has lost a step in the past couple
of years, but remains a deadly PP threat.
Fantasy Impact: Ottawa is always interested in trying to increase its
threat to score goals, and Ronning would be a nice addition. That said,
Ronning’s impact would not be that significant in our view, as Ronning has
made it clear that he does not want to be moved. The fact that the Preds
captain,
Tom Fitzgerald was just dealt, has spurred the rumor that the Ronning
will become the next captain of the Preds.
Odds to Move: 20 – 1
March 13, 2002
Theoren Fleury (R/W – NYR) - To say that the relationship between Theo
Fleury and the NY Rangers is strained would be an understatement. Fleury
antics pre-Olympics and post-Olympics have left fans, family and his
team-mates scratching their heads wondering what the heck is going on with
the pint-sized sparkplug. Fleury’s antics in the Big Apple have begun to
embarrass the organization, and that’s not good – even in New York. However,
he still is a premiere forward with significant trade value, and the Rangers
are rumored to be taking offers. Leading the way are Phoenix, San Jose and
Los Angeles. Reported compensation has included
Lubomir Visnovsky and a dp from LA,
Teemu Selanne straight up from San Jose, and
Michal Handzus and
Wyatt Smith from Phoenix.
Fantasy Impact: There is no doubt that Rangers GM
Glen Sather would love to move Fleury for some prospects; particularly
with the number of good F/A available in the off-season. The problem for
Slats is two-fold: Fleury would have to waive his no-trade clause; and, the
Rangers currently own the 8th playoff spot in the East, and trading Fleury
for anyone else other than Selanne would seriously affect the Rangers
ability to turn on the red-light and hang on for that playoff birth. A bit
of a catch 22. Of course, Sather could let Fleury go in the off-season, by
not exercise the club’s option on him, and Fleury would become a free agent.
However, losing players for nothing is not something Sather has made a habit
of. Fleury has always played well in San Jose, and he currently owns a
summer home in Arizona, so Phoenix would be attractive to Fleury. If the
Rangers falter this week, Sather may pull the pin on Theo pronto.
Adam Oates (C – WAS) – Washington has been a very tough team to figure
out. Criticized for playing a boring, defense first style, ownership goes
out and acquires Jagr, the team starts to get lots of offense, but they are
not winning games. Remember at the beginning of the year
Adam Oates (inexplicably) was requesting a trade from the Capitals –
why?. No one is really clear. That said, clearly the Capitals have more
talent than what their record shows, which leads most to conclude that the
chemistry on the team is just plain bad. Seemingly disinterested in even
making a run for the playoffs, there may be no choice now, but for GM
George McPhee to “blow-up” his team and the first casualty could be
Oates. Potential suitors have included the Avalanche, the Blues and the
Ottawa Senators.
Fantasy Impact: Clearly, Oates’ best years are behind him, but how do
you explain his ability to post impressive numbers – year after year. This
year, he is fourth in the league scoring with 65 points in 64 games, and
still remains a premiere play-maker and one of the leagues best face-off
men. Surrounded by “finisher” type players, Oates could be a valuable
addition to any team.
The Colorado Avalanche are said to be the front-runners in trying to land
Oates; particularly after losing
Milan Hejduk for the remainder of the regular season, and Forsberg
remains a huge question mark. On the table for the capitals is young
Vaclav Nedorost and a high dp, but the Caps are said to be more
interested in young winger
Brian Willsie and defense rookie
Rick Berry.
Darius Kasparaitis (D – PIT) – At one time leading the list in terms of
players likely to be on the move at trade deadline time, Kasparaitis’ recent
status question seems to have clouded that trade certainty. The Penguins
would love to keep Kasparaitis around for the foreseeable future, but with
Lemieux and
Robert Lang on the shelf, that likelihood seems pretty remote. Hot to
get their hands on Kasparaitis is almost every team in the NHL; but leading
the pack are Detroit, NY Islanders, Toronto and Boston.
Fantasy Impact: Kasparaitis’ physical play would be a huge addition to
any team come the playoffs. His crunching body checks and overall aggressive
play are factors that can change a game - one of those guys that teams hate
to play against, but would love to have on their team. But, the Penguins
hold the cards with this one. Kasparaitis has a home still in Long Island,
and clearly GM
Mike Milbury would love to add the indomitable Kasparaitis to his
d-corps. The Isles are said to be dangling
Brad Isbister and
Mats Lindgren (salary dump), but the Pens are more interested in young
defensemen
Branislav Mezei. The Red Wings are prepared to part with either
Jesse Wallin or
Maxim Kuznetsov and cash, while the Leafs are dangling
Petr Svoboda or
Nikolai Antropov and a young defense prospect. In all of these reported
offers, the Penguins would benefit from the influx of ready made NHL caliber
players, while getting some return for Darius who almost assuredly will be
moving in the off-season. Problem for the Pens, is that they are quickly
looking like a team of average NHL players, with a few talented ones thrown
in. Granted Lemieux’s presence skews that observation, but his health is
such a question mark, it’s hard to put much stock in his reliability.
Jiri Slegr (D – ATL) – If
Jiri Slegr is still a Thrasher come Tuesday March 18, 2002, it will be
because the Thrasher’s brain trust blew it. Reportedly, no less than 10
teams are interested in acquiring Slegr for the playoff push. The Leafs,
Bruins and Islanders are the front runners. Slegr’s passing ability and
steady – if not now anonymous (he has 6 points in 35 games) – play are
sought after commodities come playoff time.
Fantasy Impact: Slegr’s play has been a reflection of the Thrashers
season – lots of promise, but not enough goods to deliver. That said, Slegr
now offers a prospective new team a solid defender with a good shot and some
decent passing ability. The Leafs, desperate to replace the loss of
Yushkevich are offering the aforementioned Antropov. He would be a good fit
for the Thrashers and Slegr is familiar with
Pat Quinn – having played under him in Vancouver.
The Bruins looking for a little more experience, are said to be ready to
offer
Jonathan Girard and a dp for Slegr. And finally, the Islanders are
offering
Mats Lindgren and a high dp, or
Raffi Torres for Slegr.
Wherever he ends up, expect an increased offensive contribution from Slegr
as he realizes he’s back in the Stanley Cup playoffs which should translate
to better numbers. March 11, 2002
As the NHL trade dealing approaches, we will take a daily look at the
players that may be changing postal or zip codes by the end of March 19,
2002. Today we look at some turtles.
Mike
Richter (Goalie - NYR): The recent poor play out of St. Louis and NYR
has fanned the flames of the rumored move of Richter to St. Louis. Buoyed by
an excellent Olympic performance, Richter’s play since then has been,
unfortunately for the Rangers, less than Olympic. Even though the Rangers
are hanging on to the final playoff spot in the East, there appears to be
pressure ion GM Glen
Sather to get something for Richter as he becomes an unrestricted F/A in
the off-season. The package said to be headed back to the Rangers would be
Freddy Braithwaite, a second round dp, and either Mike
Van Ryn or another younger defence prospect, Barret
Jackman.
Fantasy Impact: Richter has only recently come out publicly and
advised anyone who is ready to listen that he wants to finish his career in
New York. Richter has only ever played for the Rangers and it appears as
though he would to finish his career there. However, a move to St. Louis
certainly would bolster his chances at seeing another Stanley Cup final. The
Blues would welcome the experienced goaltending that Richter would bring
them, and wouldn’t have to part with a lot in order to get him.
Trevor
Kidd (Goalie – FLA): With Curtis
Joseph still on the shelf, there is a part of the TO brain trust that is
hoping that Corey
Schwab will allow the Leafs to play even .500 hockey until Cujo’s
return and the playoffs start. The urgency in Toronto will fluctuate with
Schwab’s play, but the early money has the Leafs certainly interested in Trevor
Kidd. The Panthers are committed to Roberto
Luongo, and with Cujo’s contract status unresolved, Kidd is still
young enough to give the Leafs a lot of good years. Headed to the Panthers
would be young defencemen, Petr
Svoboda.
Fantasy Impact: Perhaps only Trevor
Kidd and his agent believe that Kidd can be a #1 goalie in the NHL.
Drafted ahead of Olympic mainstay, Martin
Brodeur, Kidd just has not been able to establish himself as a
consistent top flight NHL goaltender. He is desperate for one last chance to
be a #1 – and if he went to Toronto, at least in the short term, he would
“da man”. Kidd would benefit from a change of scenery, but if he does
move to Toronto, he’ll be firmly in the cross-hairs of the pressure cooker
that is Hogtown. Our advice was be to leave him alone until he finally
proves he can be the goalie he thinks he is.
Tom
Barrasso (Goalie – CAR): After this past weeks acquisition of Kevin
Weekes, the writing has to be on the wall for Tom
Barrasso. An unrestricted F/A in the off-season, Barrasso played very
well early, but his play has leveled off in the second half of the season.
Still, a number of teams are reportedly interested Barrasso. At the top of
that least are the St. Louis Blues, who covet Barrasso only if they are
unable to secure Mike
Richter. Toronto is also said to be interested, but similar to Trevor
Kidd, a lot will depend on the play of Schwab and the long-range plan of
the Leafs. Barrett Jackman is the player said to be being dangled by the
Blues and Jonas
Hoglund from the Leafs. In a more back-up role, the Chicago Blackhawks
may make a move to acquire Barrasso, allowing Thibault a break down the
stretch and the Hawks a little piece of mind should Thibault get injured.
Fantasy Impact: Barrasso would love a chance to prove that this year
has not been a fluke and Toronto would be the best fit. However, TO remains
not anxious to make a move until Schwab shows signs of not being the stop
gap until Curtis
Joseph returns – particularly with Mogilny, Renberg and Yushkevich
out.. A better fit maybe the Hawks and Steve
Thomas or Igor
Korolev may be the right price for the Hurricances.
March 4, 2002
After some time away and the Olympic break, it’s a mere two weeks until
the NHL trade deadline. This week, the League’s GMs are meeting and we
have the insider information on some rumblings on trades headed into these
meetings.
New York Rangers – There are a bunch of rumors coming out of the
Big Apple. The most talked about player is the enigmatic Theoren
Fleury. After repeated blow-ups and break downs, Fleury has worn out his
welcome. Rangers GM Glen
Sather can’t bear the thought of losing Fleury in the off-season for
nothing. A bunch of teams have opted in, but the hottest rumors in a deal
that would send Fleury and Manny
Malhotra to the Sharks for Patrick
Marleau and Jeff
Jillson OR, straight up for Teemu
Selanne.
Fantasy Impact: Historically, Fleury has been a scoring
machine when he plays at the Shark Tank in San Jose. Fleury would likely be
quite pleased to get back in the more offensive Western Conference, and also
closer to his ties in Alberta. Fleury’s recent outbursts are
symptomatic of bigger than hockey issues for Theo. Out of the New York media
eye, he would blossom. Malhotra has been a bust in NY and any change of
scenery would be beneficial. He’s still only 25 and has some potential to
get better in a different system. Patrick
Marleau is a talent that is desperate for a change. He has taken two
steps backwards this year, after last year’s break out season, and appears
to have lost Coach Sutter’s confidence. Jillson is lost in the numbers
game, but is good enough to play the PP, though is old enough to be more of a
late-bloomer rather than bona fide prospect. Teemu
Selanne looks disinterested this year. He played more like himself at
the Olympics, and appears to just resigning himself to the fact that he is
going to under-achieve with San Jose. Being the “gunner” in NY just
might be the tonic needed to bring him out of his funk – and give the
Rangers an opportunity to see whether they would like to sign the UFA in the
off-season. Toronto Maple Leafs – With the injury to Curtis
Joseph, the search is on for a goalie that will bridge the gap until
Cujo’s return. No one in hockey believes that Corey
Schwab is the answer for 6 weeks – and as a result there are just a
few options for the Leafs: Ron
Tugnutt from C-Bus, Ed
Belfour from Dallas,
Tom Barrasso from Carolina, Trevor
Kidd from Florida, Rick
Dipietro from NYI, Jeff
Hackett from Mtl, Kevin
Weekes from TB, Mike
Vernon from Cal, Steve
Shields from Anaheim, Garth
Snow from NYI and Brian
Boucher from Philly. Fantasy Impact: While a deal is not
immediately imminent, much of what the Leafs will do here depends on if they
feel they can re-sign Cujo or not. If they do think that they can sign him,
then it’s likely they will pursue a veteran back-up. Of this group above,
the most likely would be Tugnutt or Hackett. The cost would not be too
expensive – likely
Nikolai Antropov or Petr
Svoboda, and the Leafs pick up the remainder of either of these
goalies’ contracts. But, if the Leafs are concerned about their ability to
re-sign Cujo, then look for the Leafs to make a deal for Trevor
Kidd or Kevin
Weekes. Dipietro is just too expensive, but the issue becomes could Kidd
or Weekes assume the No. 1 role should Cujo not return to the Leafs for next
season. Either of those goalies would welcome the opportunity to play back
in Canada, but they may have a problem playing under the microscope that is
Toronto.
Edmonton Oilers – The Oilers latest win one/lose one trend has
them in danger of not making the playoffs. Returning US Olympian Tom
Poti remains the Oilers biggest trade asset, and his play in the
Olympics should raise his stock on the trade front. The Oilers are desperate
to find a second line scoring center and the following teams are looking at
him: San Jose (offering Patrick
Marleau while the Oilers would include
Marty Reasoner), Boston (shopping
Brian
Rolston) and St. Louis (offering Cory
Stillman and
Daniel Corso).
Fantasy Impact: Marleau playing in an
Oiler uniform would be a coup. On a young team, he’d be the #1 or #2 guy,
with a boat load of ability that needs to be removed from the
stifling defensive system of Coach Sutter. Brian
Rolston is an important cog for the Bruins, but they have better top 6
forwards, and Rolston remains on the 3rd line. Finally, Cory
Stillman has finally begun to play better recently, but he just has not
been the offensive catalyst the Blues thought he would be. Pavol
Demitra is scoring despite playing with Stillman. A change of scenery
could only help both players.
New York Islanders – the Islanders keep shuttling Brad
Isbister up and down from playing on the left side with
Alexei Yashin in hopes
that a team will make a trade offer. Problem for the Islanders is that
Milbury is reportedly asking too much (a stud defencemen and a high DP).
That said, The Canucks are interested – offering Jason
Strudwick and draft picks, the Stars are desperate – offering Lukowich
and draft picks and Florida is in the hunt – ready to move under-achieving
Robert
Svehla. Problem is that Svehla has threatened to retire if he is traded
AND he has said he's retiring at the end of the season anyway. Fantasy
Impact: If Isbister is healthy, he can score 30 goals a season. The
problem is that he hasn’t, the other GMs known this and are not willing to
give a lot for a guy that only plays 45 games a season. The Isles would like
to land
Bryan Allen from the Canucks, but that is reportedly too much for GM
Brian
Burke. The Stars also do not seem prepared to part with both Jamie
Langenbrunner and
Brad Lukowich, and are unwilling to move Richard
Matvichuk. Perhaps the best fit is the Florida deal if they can
convince Svehla to play out the season in a different uniform. However, keep
in mind that the Islanders are not the most physical team, and come playoff
time, without Isbister, it could become a problem.
New Jersey Devils – Our final stop this week is with the Devils,
where rumor has GM Lamareillio prepared to pull the trigger on a huge deal
that would land the Devils Paul
Kariya. Headed to Disney are: Jason
Arnott, Colin
White, and a first round pick.
Fantasy Impact: Kariya’s name will be a popular name this week,
particularly after his good play at the Olympics. He becomes a restricted FA
this off-season, and the Ducks are light years away from competing for the
playoffs. Arnott and White would be a solid foundation to form a different
nucleus and would benefit from the extra ice time. Kariya playing with slick
center Scott
Gomez would give the Devils a great one-two punch with Patrik
Elias, particularly as the Devils make a run for the playoffs. Watch
this one carefully. |
