Jeff Carter Dealt, Trade Deadline Heating Up

The first huge domino has fallen in the 2012 trade hysteria. Jeff Carter was moved last night to the Los Angeles Kings, who fell out of the Rick Nash race presumably due to the high asking price. The Blue Jackets get a first round pick and defenseman Jack Johnson who fortifies the Columbus blue line while giving them another opportunity to pick in the first round. Knee-jerk reaction: the Jackets win this one. The Kings are not deep enough on the blue line to  be dealing Johnson, which may come back to bite them. Carter will definitely benefit from a change of scenery after playing his way out of Columbus, which really speaks to the character of the player. Essentially the Kings are getting a 30-goal scorer with character issues while the Jackets get a young, quality defenseman and a mid-to-late first rounder in exchange for a player who never really wanted to play for them anyway. Solid flip by Columbus. Now onto the Rick Nash hysteria...

-I hold firm in my belief that Rick Nash will not be moved before the deadline. Too much magnitude, too many moving parts. The Leafs and Rangers are still considered front runners, but I don't believe either team will want to part with what Columbus is asking--at least not at this time. Columbus needs top notch, young, NHL-ready talent in return and swinging a deal like that will most likely take place closer to the draft.

-The Hurricanes have re-signed Tuomo Ruutu for four years, with a no-trade clause for the first three. This takes him off the trade market for this year, presumably. Jaroslav Spacek and Bryan Allen could still be on the move out of Raleigh, but the Canes are sitting 8 points behind Florida for 8th with a home game against the Panthers tomorrow. The Canes, while not buyers by any stretch, aren't as likely to blow things up as they were a month or so ago. Keeping their core intact seems to the mission of GM Jim Rutherford, so outside of either Spacek or Allen, I don't see Carolina making a big splash come deadline day.

The Bruins have struggled to score in the abscence
of Nathan Horton.

-Boston's offense has been stagnant without Rich Peverley and Nathan Horton. This is no secret. But can it be alleviated through the trade market? Antoine Vermette and Ruutu are off the market, so where can they turn? Ray Whitney is rumored to be involved, but the odds are better he stays in Phoenix, especially with the Bruins not wanting to part with any top prospects. Ales Hemsky can score some goals, but the asking price will likely be out of the Bruins league. The knee-seeking missile that is Steve Ott would be a nice fit in Boston and it would certainly be fun to hear Jack Edwards sing his praises. GM Peter Charelli will have some finagling to do, but the Bruins need to pull the plug on any trade that will help jump-start them in their repeat quest.

-Dustin Brown appears to be off the market in Los Angeles. Brown, the Kings captain, has two years left on his contract in LA and it appears GM Dean Lombardi has opted not to move their leader after the Jeff Carter trade. That being said, the Kings aren't scoring goals and anything they can do to facilitate that will catch Lombardi's ear. Ultimately I think that Brown will stay, but it will be an interesting subplot to the deadline frenzy.

We'll have more to come as developments break over the weekend!

GOH

NHL Trade Deadline Wrap-Up

Things are swirling in all directions as the NHL Trade Deadline heats up, with a couple of big names being floated around. Let's dive right in, as we only have six (SIX!!) days until the NHL deadline next Monday.

-On the Rick Nash front, I really can't see him being moved mid-season. He has six years left on his deal and a $7.8 million cap hit with the Blue Jackets. This isn't just a rental player, this is essentially Rick Nash in his prime for the next six seasons. Columbus has stated a goalie isn't a necessity in return, but the reality is a goaltender will likely be required to land the big right winger. Los Angeles has the pieces; I could see Jonathan Bernier, 21-year-old Andrei Lotkionov, young defenseman Alec Martinez or Slava Voynov, and a first round pick bringing Nash to the west coast. But the reality is the asking price for Nash will be steep and deals of this magnitude are seldom completed mid-season, let alone at the trade deadline. VERDICT: Nash stays put--for now.


-Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford has stated that he has given Tuomo Ruutu a few days to mull over his contract offer before putting Ruutu on the market. Ruutu could fetch a strong return in either Boston or Ottawa, but Ruutu could also be an attractive piece for Columbus who are in the midst of a tumultuous rebuild. Ruutu is 29 and has an expiring contract, but the two-time 20-goal scorer would be an asset to several teams. If a deal doesn't get done with Carolina, a 2nd round pick and a B-grade prospect could be exchanged for Ruutu. VERDICT: Ruutu is a Senator come deadline day.

-Also on the Hurricanes front, defenseman Bryan Allen and Jaroslav Spacek both have expiring contracts after this season. With Joni Pitkanen ready to go by next week, the Canes will have an expendable defenseman. A contract with Allen can likely be worked out and I think the Canes are intent on keeping him. The 36-year-old Spacek, who was acquired for Tomas Kaberle earlier this season, has less of a connection with the franchise. Spacek would be a nice rental for a team in need of a defenseman and the price will probably be a little less steep for him than it would be for a stay-at-home, gritty guy in Allen. Spacek brings a little bit of offensive flair that Allen doesn't but isn't the defensive defenseman Allen is. VERDICT: Allen stays through deadline day, Spacek is moved. Possibly to Chicago.

Hemsky could be on the move after two
injury-plagued seasons in EDM.

-Speaking of Chicago, I'm not sure where the Patrick Kane rumors came from but they should probably be debunked. Kane, along with Jonathan Toews, are the face of the Blackhawks. Seeing Kane moved is extremely, extremely unlikely. The Hawks have had their struggles of late, but the Blackhawks with Patrick Kane are a far better team than the Blackhawks with anyone they would  get back in return. Unless, of course, it's that media-friendly Kane-for-Ryan Miller swap we've all been hearing about. VERDICT: Kane stays put.

-One name that has flown under the radar is Edmonton Oilers winger Ales Hemsky. Hemsky is in the final year of his contract and has had two injury-riddled seasons the last two years in Edmonton. Hemsky would be a nice piece for a contender looking to add a 20-goal scorer heading into the playoffs. If the Kings were wise they would invest less assets in adding Hemsky than adding that of Rick Nash. Los Angeles would still get their desired offensive pop without mortgaging the future the way they would to acquire someone of Rick Nash's stature. VERDICT: Hemsky to Los Angeles.

-The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently sitting in a tie for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and if the Leafs want to return to the playoffs for the first time since the lockout, now is as good of a time as any. The always brash GM Brian Burke will be active in finding a piece that can help his team now and in the future. Mikhail Grabovski could be on the  block, but his value to Toronto this season may be greater than what they could get in return. Rumors have floated Luke Schenn's name on the block, but I can't foresee that happening either. The Leafs would like to add offensive punch--James Van Riemsdyk comes to mind, and perhaps Schenn could be the addition to the Flyers back end they so desperately long for in Chris Pronger's absence. As active as Burke may be, it's hard to imagine the Leafs pulling off anything of blockbuster magnitude over the next week. VERDICT: Leafs stay put, for the most part. Paul Gaustad could be a potential target, so don't expect the leafs to be completely silent.


That's all for now..I'll try and stay updated as frequently as possible. Let the trade deadline fun begin!