Since things change in a heartbeat, the date of each person's submission is listed next to each entry. So before you start screaming "BUT THEY TRADED HIM!" while food spills out of your mouth, we're showing what they thought at the time.
Don't like it? Then don't buy it! Now get outta here you kids!!! This isn't a library!!!)
Florida Panthers
(MAR 2)Whale4ever from Litterbox Cats
If I were running the show, Jay Bouwmeester would be a Panther until July 1st. I understand the potential lunacy of allowing the guy to walk for nothing, but I'm firmly in the camp that demands keeping the team intact through the end of the season.
The Panthers desperately need playoff action, no secret there. The revenue, the local media focus, blah blah blah...all the usual tired reasons. Might make a depth move, but the club is pretty solid from top to bottom. Could really use a number one center (insert Olli Jokinen joke here), but again, I don't blow it up.
If the Cats somehow don't make the post-season, as Jacques Martin, I'm out of work.
Chris Kontos: This is the eternal debate... at least for the 2009 NHL Trading Deadline. Should Bow stay or should he go? Yes, the Panthers very well could make the playoffs this season and experience the revenue, money and local media windfalls. But when he signs with another team July 1st... will the Panthers make the playoffs next year? Ask the Atlanta Thrashers how that one year in the playoffs has paid off for them.
James O'Brien: It all depends on what they can get for Jay Bouwmeester. Honestly, they MUST receive at least one suitable roster player plus prospects. Is anyone willing to give that up? Perhaps we'll find out tomorrow. The Panthers are on fire right now - way, way WAY more than the Thrashers ever were - and perhaps a playoff run on the team that drafted him would melt some of the ice off of Bow's heart. Very thin ice for the Panthers.
Atlanta Thrashers
Totally awesome Photoshop from Aaron Brown of Blueland Outsider:
***(2/25)
The Thrashers have several pending Unrestricted Free Agents (Reasoner, Perrin, Havelid) all of whom are likely to be dealt. If I were GM I'd offer both Reasoner and Havelid one year deals for next season and if they decline trade them for draft picks or prospects.
As far as the non-UFA Thrashers, there has been some trade chatter about Colby Armstrong but the Thrashers have made clear they value what he brings and a team would have to overpay to get him in a trade. On the other hand, Erik Christensen who was obtained from Pittsburgh one
year ago has been mostly invisible all year, he's probably available if anyone wants him. Others who could be available if the offer was right include Todd White (C), Jim Slater (S), Eric Boulton (W), Brett Sterling (LW), Garnet Exelby (D), Nathan Oystrick (D) and perhaps Johan
Hedberg (G). Note: Slava Kozlov has a no trade clause and from what I hear is not inclined to waive it.
(2/25)
Mortimer Peacock from Blueland Chronicle
Niclas Havelid and Marty Reasoner to playoff contenders for draft picks. One of the goalies needs to be moved; what we get depends on whether we move Lehtonen, Hedberg, or Pavelec.
Chris Kontos: Just trade Kovalchuk and get on with it. Yikes, when Marty Reasoner is your most tradeable asset things are either really good... or really bad. In this case... really, really bad.
James O'Brien: Don't, under any circumstances, trade Ilya Kovalchuk. Kidnap him from Russia to extend his contract next summer if you have to. Without Kovie the Thrashers might as well move to Kansas City. Seriously.
Cassie from Boltsblog
(3/01)
If I were GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning in time for the trade deadline....
The first thing I'd do is put the ownership on waivers, but not really expecting anyone to pick them up. I'd send them down to the minors after they'd cleared waivers so they can screw up an AHL team instead while they're trying to get the hang of this ownership/management thing. Then maybe I'd give them another go here in the next couple of years - see how they mature in the minors and all of that, you know.
Okay, here are some trades that I think could benefit the Lightning:
LW Pettinger & C Craig (TB) for D Weber (Nash.)
Saw I and Saw II (TB) for D Skoula (Minn.)
RW Hall, a draft pick, and all of ESPN's Lightning bashing this season (TB) for D Hutchinson (Dal.)
C Lecavalier for all of the Montreal Canadiens - as well as all 24 of their Cup wins, Beliveau, Richard, Blake, Robinson, & Geoffrion (all that history is just weighing them down, and who needs that?)
All of the constant Canadian hockey press bashing of the Lightning & the Southeast Division for an automatic 8th seed in the East
The entire Edmonton Oilers team (players only) for all of the Tampa Bay Lightning - except for Lecavalier and St. Louis, of course
Owner Len Barrie & GM Lawton to Canada for some poutine & beer
Fort Lauderdale should trade the entire Florida Panthers organization to Portland, Oregon, for some environmental know-how - the Lightning need a larger fan base in the state of Florida
Chris Kontos: I love the idea of creating an automatic 8th seed for the team that comes in 2nd in the Southeast Division. Also, the first 2 Saw films for Skoula would be an excellent pick up.
James O'Brien: Wow, what a brutal year for Tampa Bay. Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis both have pretty solid contracts. So, keep Lecavalier and St. Louis along with Mike Smith and Steve Stamkos. Everyone else is fair game.
CAPS chick from DC Cheap Seats(2/28)
"If there was a way to get rid of Nylander, that would be my first move - there's no way to sugarcoat the fact that he just doesn't fit into the Caps lineup anymore. Sadly short of driving him out into the middle of nowhere and leaving him there, that doesn't seem like a possibility. He'd probably just find his way back anyways, the little scamp.
Top of the list would be a vocal veteran presence and/or a puck-moving defenseman - someone like Kaberle or Pronger might be nice if they don't ask too much in return. Package a prospect like Chris Bourque, maybe a pick or two or even one of the Caps' current young defensemen for either one. And if a backup goaltender surfaced for the right price it might be worth exploring; Neuvirth and Varlamov have four games of NHL experience between them and that's a little scary with the playoffs looming.
Of course, there's always the old standby...more Russians!!"
Chris Kontos: Senator, I've seen Jose Theodore. I've known Jose Theodore. Jose Theodore is the goalie for the Washington Capitals. Jose Theodore... you are no playoff goaltender.
James O'Brien: This Capitals team is scary. It would be pretty cool if they made a Marian Hossa-type splashy signing only for a big name D guy or a UFA goalie. But it's probably not going to happen.
***
Cory from Canes Country(2/27)
A rational person who watches a team all season knows whether or not the team has "a shot." This incarnation of the Hurricanes, in my mind, has little chance to win the Cup. That being said, a hot goalie can go a long way toward strengthening a cause — as people who watched the Hurricanes in 2006 know. But given the play of the team this season, I'd stand pat.
If the Hurricanes were going to win, it would be riding the waves of Cam Ward and Eric Staal, not on some mid-level rental player. With the farm system improving, it wouldn't be prudent to sacrifice a prospect or draft pick for a player like that.
The team's trade-able assets (Dennis Seidenberg, Chad LaRose) probably wouldn't fetch enough return to justify removing them from a team that wants to make the playoffs. Anton Babchuk and Tuomo Ruutu are RFAs at season's end, but the team will definitely want to make an effort to keep Ruutu and will likely do the same for Babchuk, which means it would take an impressive offer to pry either out of Raleigh. Now, if some former Plymouth Whaler becomes available, Jim Rutherford might possess me and make me do the deal. I wouldn't be responsible for any move like that.
Chris Kontos: Excellent analysis from the deep south. Carolina is a decent team that would serve no benefit from a playoff rental.
James O'Brien: Could the Hurricanes benefit from a cheap trade for one of their old Stanley Cup run rentals? Maybe go after Doug Weight, Cory Stillman or Mark Recchi just for old times sake? Overall this team is pretty bland and should probably just hope for some kind of random lucky break.
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