A record 30 trades took place on Wednesday as NHL general managers sought to put their teams in a better position for a playoff run or to begin the rebuilding process.
Despite the record number of trades for one day, none would rival the blockbuster deals pulled off prior to the Olympics. Then, players like Russian super-sniper Ilya Kovalchuk was dealt to the New Jersey Devils and big-name defenseman Dion Phaneuf was dealt from the Calgary Flames to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Some of the biggest news headlines also involved players who were not traded such as Toronto’s Tomas Kaberle and Nashville’s Dan Hamhuis, both talented defensemen who could help any number of teams.
The Pittsburgh Penguins added some size and scoring talent with Ukrainian forward Alexei Ponikarovsky. “Poni,” as he is known, could play with Sidney Crosby.
“He’s a big, strong guy with good hands around the net. He’s got some size, which will be important in the playoffs,” said Crosby on Canadian network TSN.
Ponikarovsky, 29, is 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 220 pounds. The Penguins gave up young prospect Luca Caputi and Martin Skoula in exchange.
Another interesting trade saw Phoenix acquiring Polish-born forward Wojtek Wolski for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. Wolski and Mueller are both first round draft choices.
This is a trade similar to the Guillaume Latendresse for Benoit Pouliot trade pulled off earlier this season between Montreal and Minnesota. Mueller and Wolski will likely benefit from a change of scenery to get back on track to their potential.
The Washington Capitals were busy. The Caps acquired big defenseman Milan Jurcina, veteran grinder Scott Walker, offensive defenseman Joe Corvo, and forward Eric Belanger.
The Caps lead the NHL with 90 points and have to feel that this is their year for the Stanley Cup. The added players allow them to fill some minor gaps.
Teams should not be looking for a major overhaul on trade deadline day unless they’ve essentially messed up their finances or team structure.
For teams like Edmonton and Carolina, who are essentially rebuilding for the future, the opportunity is there to offload some big contracts and prepare themselves for the free agency period, which starts July 1.
Despite the record number of trades for one day, none would rival the blockbuster deals pulled off prior to the Olympics. Then, players like Russian super-sniper Ilya Kovalchuk was dealt to the New Jersey Devils and big-name defenseman Dion Phaneuf was dealt from the Calgary Flames to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Some of the biggest news headlines also involved players who were not traded such as Toronto’s Tomas Kaberle and Nashville’s Dan Hamhuis, both talented defensemen who could help any number of teams.
The Pittsburgh Penguins added some size and scoring talent with Ukrainian forward Alexei Ponikarovsky. “Poni,” as he is known, could play with Sidney Crosby.
“He’s a big, strong guy with good hands around the net. He’s got some size, which will be important in the playoffs,” said Crosby on Canadian network TSN.
Ponikarovsky, 29, is 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 220 pounds. The Penguins gave up young prospect Luca Caputi and Martin Skoula in exchange.
Another interesting trade saw Phoenix acquiring Polish-born forward Wojtek Wolski for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. Wolski and Mueller are both first round draft choices.
This is a trade similar to the Guillaume Latendresse for Benoit Pouliot trade pulled off earlier this season between Montreal and Minnesota. Mueller and Wolski will likely benefit from a change of scenery to get back on track to their potential.
The Washington Capitals were busy. The Caps acquired big defenseman Milan Jurcina, veteran grinder Scott Walker, offensive defenseman Joe Corvo, and forward Eric Belanger.
The Caps lead the NHL with 90 points and have to feel that this is their year for the Stanley Cup. The added players allow them to fill some minor gaps.
Teams should not be looking for a major overhaul on trade deadline day unless they’ve essentially messed up their finances or team structure.
For teams like Edmonton and Carolina, who are essentially rebuilding for the future, the opportunity is there to offload some big contracts and prepare themselves for the free agency period, which starts July 1.
