Trade Winds are Blowing

One of my favorite sports days of the year takes place on February 28th, The NHL Trade Deadline.

It's the one day of the year where random Canadian hockey players move from one city to another for no other reason than "Team X made a trade so I have to make one." 

For most NHL teams, making a trade at the deadline doesn't guarantee a playoff berth let alone a Stanley Cup championship. But what is does do is tell your fan base where the franchise sits depending on what kind of deal is made.

For some teams it could mean acquiring a player to solidify a position that has been an achillies heel for most of the season. For other teams is could mean dealing away surplus at one position & trying to build up another position on your roster.

Then there are my favorite type of deals, the fire sale by an underachieving club trading a player to a club that thinks it is one player away from being a cup contender. 

There were two trades made yesterday that caught my attention. 

Toronto trades D Francois Beauchemin to Anaheim for F Joffrey Lupul, D Jake Gardiner & a conditional pick. 

This is a trade that should help out both teams.

Beauchemin played for the Ducks from 2005-2009. Even though he was over-shadowed on defense by Scott Niedermeyer & Chris Pronger, Beauchemin was a key player on the Ducks team that won the 2007 Stanley Cup.

His return to Anaheim should help out a Ducks blueline that has been in transition since the departure of Pronger & the retirement of Niedermeyer.

I also like this trade from Toronto's standpoint.

The Leafs have a surplus of defenseman but very little scoring up front. The addition of Lupul will provide more scoring depth & should take some of the pressure off of Phil Kessel.

The addition of Jake Gardiner will give Toronto another young defenseman to build around. With Tomas Kaberle set to become a free agent next season, Toronto may have found his replacement if he chooses to leave after this season. 

Ottawa trades F Mike Fisher to Nashville for a 1st round pick in 2011 & a 2nd/3rd round pick in 2012. 

When your wife is Country Singer Carrie Underwood there is no other place than Nashville for Mike Fisher to go play hockey.

But this deal wasn't made because Fisher is married to Underwood.

Ottawa has struggled this season & Bryan Murray has been threatening to make a deal to shake up the Senators for most of the season.

The trade of Fisher to Nashville signals that no player on Ottawa is untouchable. I would expect a lot of GM's around the NHL to be in contact with Murray between now and the end of the month. Ottawa does have some good players on their roster that could help most NHL clubs this spring.

As for Nashville this deal does a couple things.

One it adds a forward up front that can score goals. Nashville is 26th in the league in goals per game this season. The addition of Fisher to Nashville already makes him the 3rd leading goal scorer on the roster.

But more importantly it tells Nashville's fan base that they are serious about making a Stanley Cup run.

The Predators have made the playoffs five times in their existence, losing in the 1st round all five times.

Right now they are 5th in the Western Conference & five points out of the top spot in the Central Division.

The Predators could use a nice playoff run to energize their fan base and solidify their place in the Nashville market, quieting rumors of moving the franchise.

Nashville has been on the verge of winning a playoff series the last few years. I'm not sure if Fisher is the missing piece but he should make a good team even better.

These were the 1st of many trades yet to come. I'll be back with the Power Poll on Monday but if a trade of note is made I'll comment on it.

Thanks for reading & enjoy the hockey.