04/20/24
March 09, 2006
Beating the clock: NHL general managers waited until the last minute to pull off the biggest deals at the trading deadline, including Mark Recchi to Carolina and Sergei Samsonov to Edmonton. Who won, who lost and what the hell are the Leafs paying John Ferguson Jr. for?
I'm glad the Flyers made a few "minor" moves...warm bodies today for future draft picks & a minor leaguer that didn't show much when he played with the big team this season...
posted by phillyolhead at 03:23 PM on March 09, 2006
I think the two winners that jump out at me are Edmonton and Vancouver, with Carolina taking up the rear. Edmonton got much needed help in the goaltending area, and Vancouver shored up their defense. Plus Edmonton picking up Samsonov at the last minute (friggin' bastards) was a sweet move. Carolina picking up Recchi is a good addition to replace Cole. As far as losers, where do I begin. I still say that Colorado just gave up making a run this year, and I think Theodore will be a bust. As far as the Leafs, "Thanks for coming out, good night and God bless." They're not going anywhere and Quinn will be gone after their season ends (right around the start of the playoffs). Phoenix pretty much put up their "Maybe Next Year" sign, and I think Detroit just wanted their name on the trade list. All in all, there was a lot more movement than what I anticipated. Game On!!!
posted by wingnut4life at 03:28 PM on March 09, 2006
LeafsFilter strikes again! I think this off-season is going to suggest the answer to your question, fraze. What's the point in giving away players that have no value in the first place? The Samsonov deal would have been a big deal a few years ago - but that guy is just a chronic underachiever. Gives Edmonton a little more depth, though and he should do better with the better group of centres and wingers they've got out West. Carolina does it again. Big time winners this year for trades. They didn't even have to do this one - but come the second/third round of the playoffs they'll be glad they did (Cole struggles to return, someone else gets hurt, yadda, yadda). Got to admire the league leaders not being afraid to add to their team. Now if Gerber can hold up under some serious playoff pressure I've got to think these guys are the best in the East (and I thought this team wouldn't make the playoffs at the start of the season). At the very least they've made moves that NY, Ottawa and Philly didn't.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:30 PM on March 09, 2006
I think it's going to take a few seasons for the Leafs to right all the wrongs of the past. Moving Klee for a decent prospect was a good move. It counter-balances giving up a pick for Richardson. The Leafs also signed play-making certer Alex Foster, which I can't complain about. With that said, the desperate push for playoff revenue rears its fugly face again. I couldn't keep up with all the action today, but Vancouver kept getting top-4 defenders every time I looked up...and Sean Brown. But still.
posted by garfield at 03:42 PM on March 09, 2006
Who won and who lost? I'm going to enjoy watching to see. But if you want me to speculate: Another former Flyer in the Canes lineup, sounds like it could be a mistake for Carolina to me (just another one of my stinky opinions). Anaheim picks up a couple former Devils, I guess if you can't beat em', try to become em', but it won't do them any good. As if the Ranger's forwards were not dangerous offensively, Ozolinsh should make the blueshirts better and increase thier chances at taking a run.
posted by njsk8r20 at 04:15 PM on March 09, 2006
I like to think of my opinions as personal odor. Stinky sounds so...stinky.
posted by garfield at 04:25 PM on March 09, 2006
If I were the Rangers, I would pair Ozo with Marek Malik. Keep Malik back a bit and let Ozo do his thing. When (not if, when) Ozo turns the puck over at a really inopportune time, Malik will be back to save the day.
posted by NoMich at 04:27 PM on March 09, 2006
well according to the trade deadline,i forsee a vancouver vs edmonton west finals and ottawa vs carolina east final...its good to know that a canadian team will be playing for the cup! woo hoo!
posted by ktown at 04:34 PM on March 09, 2006
I honestly thought that Ottawa would make a bigger splash, but I was wrong. I thought that they would try to pick up a decent goaltender (cough-cough Luongo cough-cough). They are really betting the farm on Hasek's health. Being a Red Wing fan, I'm always going to be gun-shy when it comes to the "Human Slinky." Maybe they'll be gunning for Luongo in the off-season? As for the addition of Tyler Arnason, it would be a good fit if he sticks around (RFA at end of year).
posted by wingnut4life at 04:35 PM on March 09, 2006
Well you know what they say: opinions are like armpits, everybody has a couple and they all stink.
posted by njsk8r20 at 04:43 PM on March 09, 2006
sk8r, I prefer asshole to armpit...
posted by wingnut4life at 05:00 PM on March 09, 2006
yeah roberto loungo..whatever happened there? poor keenan, lol!!!
posted by ktown at 05:00 PM on March 09, 2006
I was really hoping that Florida would just give up and start trading their core of young players: Jokinen, Bouwmeester, Luongo and Horton. But alas, they decided that those guys are worth building a team around. Dammit!
posted by NoMich at 05:24 PM on March 09, 2006
Somebody say something to help Bruins fans out. Besides Marty Reasoner leading the Oilers. In worst +/-.
posted by yerfatma at 05:35 PM on March 09, 2006
Hmmm, the Bruins did not trade Toivonen? Will that do?
posted by qbert72 at 06:13 PM on March 09, 2006
fatty, do not dispair. I mean, do not dispair any more than you probably were while you watched the last few Bruins games. Add nothing to your diparitude. Disparishness? Dispairment? Whatever. Reasoner will be a floating turd in the toilet bowl that has become the Bruins stretch-run. No worries. The B's weren't going to make the playoffs with Samsonov, and they won't without him. Here's the thing(s), though: Thing A: Samsonov is an unrestricted free agent after this season. No way would he have re-signed with the Bruins. He was on the move anyway, so why not get some stuff for him? He's my favorite player, because he can dipsy-doodle like the tasmanian devil on the tea-cup ride in the middle of a tornado. Unfortunately, he can also shatter into a million pieces like those fragile porcelain figurines your grandmother collects. If Sergei was a D&D character, his constiution would be a 5. NEEERRRRDS! Thing 2: Reasoner sucks. Yeah, he does. I can't defend this one. He's good on faceoffs, at least. And although he isn't fast, he's a better defensive forward than his +/- suggests. I haven't looked up his contract, but hopefully he's not another long-term pickup. He's still young. Maybe he'll surprise us. Doubt it, though. Thing C: Boston drafted Stastny in 2002. Good kid, works his tail off. He might be a great third-liner, but maybe he'll make it to the second line one day. I like Sastny a lot, and was bummed when the Bruins traded him earlier this year for Isbister. (Isbister, are you kidding me?) Thing ring do your thing: The draft pick is okay. It's supposed to be a weak draft outside the top 5 or so, but you never know. Hey, free draft pick! The last thing: Rebuilding. Maybe it will work. It worked for the Rangers. Samsonov was gone after the season anyway. Sure we have no second line, and our first line should be a second line in the first place, but I like how the guys work hard now. Our third and fourth liners are AWESOME. That's got to count for something, doesn't it? Right? Oh, who am I kidding? I'm going to stab Jeremy Jacobs and Mike O'Connell in their faces. Not because of this trade, though. Just because it needs to be done.
posted by Samsonov14 at 07:49 PM on March 09, 2006
He's good on faceoffs, at least. And although he isn't fast, he's a better defensive forward than his +/- suggests "Well honey, it may be short, but it sure is skinny." I gotcha, and I know about Sammy, but it still sucks to see the #1 and #8 overall picks in the year that was supposed to be the beginning of the Broonz rebuilding go out the door the same year. Like bookends. You gotta admit, he'd have like a 22 charisma with some sort of roll bonus for the Russian accent. "Was up, slots?"
posted by yerfatma at 08:05 PM on March 09, 2006
Fatman, I'm with you. Look, his name is my Spofi handle. That's kind of pathetic, really. I love the guy (IN A TOTALLY NON-GAY WAY, HONEST). He's a small overachiever who works his tail off, speaks three languages fluently, and is one of the most entertaining guys on the ice whenever he hops over the boards - what's not to love? But he was going to leave anyway, so the Bruins might as well get a prospect and a pick out of it. I just checked out Reasoner's contract, and he's a UFA after this year, so we don't have to worry about him. He's a rental, just like Sammy is for Edmonton. Only cheaper and less skilled. Much less skilled. In any case, this frees up more cap space for the Bruins next season. Do I think the Bruins could have received more than they did if management didn't sit on their hands for so long? Yep. Look at Denis Gauthier for a guy and two 2nd rounders. What? And Jeff Friesen for a 2nd-rounder? Mike O'Connell is proving to be a less than competent GM, but that's news to no one. In the end this is something for nothing. So at least we got that going for us. This is like when my ex-girlfriend left me, and I realized that she left two pretty good books and a nice wool hat in my apartment. As a Bruins fan, I'll still watch the rest of this season, and once the playoffs start, I'll root against the Canadiens. Then I'll wait for next year's punishment to begin. It could be worse. We could be Chicago fans.
posted by Samsonov14 at 08:37 PM on March 09, 2006
So Sammy, nobody needs to get you that beer after all?
posted by NoMich at 09:05 PM on March 09, 2006
...(IN A TOTALLY NON-GAY WAY, HONEST). We're gonna have to put you on the "homo suspicion" list anyway. Boston fans, lets make lemonaide out of lemons! You guys just picked up Mariusz Czerkawski off of waivers from Toronto yesterday. Boston is just the right place for Czerkawski to resurrect his career (*giggle, snerk).
posted by wingnut4life at 09:12 PM on March 09, 2006
Wingnut, Hey thanks for picking up on the totally obvious joke. The (mildly) funny was when I pretended like I wanted to have Samsonov's children or something. The (definitely) unfunny was when you pointed it out like you had figured something out. That was the whole point of me putting it in caps, dummy. Jeez. NoMich, I need a beer now.
posted by Samsonov14 at 10:01 PM on March 09, 2006
Sorry guy, but I drank 'em all.
posted by NoMich at 10:33 PM on March 09, 2006
Samsonov, sorry I offended you that bad. I was just running with your OBVIOUS joke. I will try my hardest not to hurt your feelings any more. I'll even stop talking about Boston. I'm not even going to comment on the Red Wings crushing L.A. last night. Now I want to get inside Luongo's head. Why didn't Florida trade him if he's so unhappy there? Is he setting the stage for a huge payday? Is he reconsidering and staying with Florida because they just re-signed Jokinen to a multi-year, multi-million dollar (U.S. $ so it's a lot!) deal? I feel bad for the kid, he's never been in the playoffs before unless you want to count the minors.
posted by wingnut4life at 06:48 AM on March 10, 2006
Now this means I have to stop by our local Nike Employee store and see if they've already painted over his spot (he and Keith With-the-hard-name-to-spell-that-sounds-like-it-starts-with-a-K-but-really-a-T both have sports and one of my coworkers did see Samsonov buying half-price shit there).
posted by yerfatma at 06:59 AM on March 10, 2006
It could be worse. We could be Chicago fans. posted by Samsonov14 at 8:37 PM CST on March 9 Well, I almost made it all the way thru the Trade Deadline threads without a reminder of how pathetic my BHawks really are, They practice with the guy (Jim Dowd) in the morning and he assist in the winning goal against you that evening! Yheessh... Thanks for the jab Samsonov............ I needed that!
posted by skydivedad at 07:02 AM on March 10, 2006
yerfatma, did you mean Keith Tah-Kah-Chuck?
posted by wingnut4life at 07:03 AM on March 10, 2006
what the hell are the Leafs paying John Ferguson Jr. for? Well, I can't be too hard on him for not fiddling with the Leafs' lineup at the deadline. In the immortal words of Beavis or Butthead (I think it was Butthead): "You can't polish a turd."
posted by fabulon7 at 08:09 AM on March 10, 2006
yerfatma, did you mean Keith Tah-Kah-Chuck? Again with the OBVIOUS.
posted by yerfatma at 08:33 AM on March 10, 2006
Dude, you are goofing it up. It's Keith FAT-chuk.
posted by wfrazerjr at 09:19 AM on March 10, 2006
It's Keith FAT-chuk. 
I stand corrected. I could have swore that he said, "I'm not fat, I'm just big-boned!" And speaking of lame excuses, you can read about what kind of propaganda Fergie is spewing about the Leafs and why he pretty much dug his own grave...
posted by wingnut4life at 10:26 AM on March 10, 2006
jfj doesn't want to be the man who has to fire pat quinn..i wish ken dryden was still running the show for da leafs..at least ken would have said to pat.. your contract will not be renewed...just like they did in vancouver..the players have tuned out pat...time for pat to retire to the golf course...
posted by ktown at 03:47 PM on March 10, 2006
Well, I almost made it all the way thru the Trade Deadline threads without a reminder of how pathetic my BHawks really are, I hear ya, skydivedad. They gave up Arnason, who will likely become a modest star on any other team, and got nuthin'. It has gotten downright painful to follow professional hockey in Chicago. Chin up, SDD, Cubbies (don't laugh) look like they might make things interesting this year (spoken like a true Cubs fan).
posted by willthrill72 at 07:49 PM on March 10, 2006
As much as I love the Red Wings, I do sorta feel bad about Chicago (a little). But look on the bright side, they didn't call the Red Wings the Dead Wings for nothing back in the day. For the sake of hockey and the Original Six, I pray that the Hawks make a comeback.
posted by wingnut4life at 08:01 PM on March 10, 2006
Wingnut, sorry for calling you a dummy. It was uncalled for. Apologies.
posted by Samsonov14 at 11:43 PM on March 10, 2006
Samsonov, no worries. Thank you for the apology, though. I'm used to being called funny names, I have a wife. Dummy's just another pet name she calls me, along with some other colorful ones.
posted by wingnut4life at 08:15 AM on March 11, 2006
Who won, who lost and what the hell are the Leafs paying John Ferguson Jr. for? Umm..you did see we picked up Luke Richardson right? Just kidding. You think Colangelo can learn hockey fast enough to take over from him and do something useful this offseason?