Trade deadline going to be a bust
Posted 4:52 PM ET | Comments 6
It might just be me, but I have a feeling that this year's trade deadline will be the least active trade deadline day in recent history.
Seeing as how last year several teams had to mortgage their future (Nashville, Atlanta) only to get a slightly above average hockey players (Keith Tkachuk, Forsberg), I personally believe that GM's around the league will be gun shy. This coupled with the fact that it will be easier to land big name players in the offseason, I truly feel that no more than 3 or 4 high profile trades will be made. And by high profile, I mean either a 1st or 2nd liner, perhaps with a couple regulars or draft picks, or some moderately high first round picks.
Another factor is that some GM's are going to be very reluctant to trade away quality players, waiting for the perfect deals to come their way, getting greedier by the day. This combined with the fact that some GM's who are willing to learn from last years TD-Day deals, who are not going to sell the farm at the mere possibility of making it through the first round, leads me to believe that this TD-Day will be relatively unactive.
Risk is too high and possibility of a good reward is too low.
I believe that a team like Anaheim will make the biggest push, landing someone like Sundin or Hossa. Other than that, perhaps San Jose, Otawa, or Detroit will be making some big deals, and I believe that these teams will be the only teams making significant deals to improve their club short-term.
There were lessons to be learned from last year around this time, and I believe that NHL GM's will be wise to the fact that short term gain does not out-weigh long term pain.
So, in closing, my prediction is that this TD-Day is going to produce not only the fewest deals, but the fewest big time deals in recent deadline history. but let me tell you, if this deadline is as dead as i believe it will be, then this summer is going to be one exciting off season!
Seeing as how last year several teams had to mortgage their future (Nashville, Atlanta) only to get a slightly above average hockey players (Keith Tkachuk, Forsberg), I personally believe that GM's around the league will be gun shy. This coupled with the fact that it will be easier to land big name players in the offseason, I truly feel that no more than 3 or 4 high profile trades will be made. And by high profile, I mean either a 1st or 2nd liner, perhaps with a couple regulars or draft picks, or some moderately high first round picks.
Another factor is that some GM's are going to be very reluctant to trade away quality players, waiting for the perfect deals to come their way, getting greedier by the day. This combined with the fact that some GM's who are willing to learn from last years TD-Day deals, who are not going to sell the farm at the mere possibility of making it through the first round, leads me to believe that this TD-Day will be relatively unactive.
Risk is too high and possibility of a good reward is too low.
I believe that a team like Anaheim will make the biggest push, landing someone like Sundin or Hossa. Other than that, perhaps San Jose, Otawa, or Detroit will be making some big deals, and I believe that these teams will be the only teams making significant deals to improve their club short-term.
There were lessons to be learned from last year around this time, and I believe that NHL GM's will be wise to the fact that short term gain does not out-weigh long term pain.
So, in closing, my prediction is that this TD-Day is going to produce not only the fewest deals, but the fewest big time deals in recent deadline history. but let me tell you, if this deadline is as dead as i believe it will be, then this summer is going to be one exciting off season!
I have the same feeling. Too many buyers, too few sellers and too many players with a no trade clause. We might have to get used to the quiet trade front until the next CBA.
Yeah, the parity in the NHL has too many teams thinking they should be buyers. I think the astronomical asking price for guys who are going to turn around and sign with their former team is also holding things up. I think you're right on to say that not a lot will happen...but watch - as soon as we say there won't be many big deals, we'll see something completely insane and earthshattering like Crosby for Ovechkin and then the whole league will start swapping rosters like mad.
I'd love to see people sticking with teams for few years and building chemistry that year, it's getting ridiculous where people are getting shuffled to new teams every year.but yeah that being said i mean rentals just dont seem like the best idea,Tkachuk didn't work for Atlanta, and Forsberg didn't work for NashvilleIf sundin goes to the Ducks hopefully he works for them
but then again look at the NBA, i know its an entirely different sport, but when the Lakers made a move it caused the domino affect, making Phoenix, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas
Ek says it's going to be the most exciting in NHL history *rolls eyes* I'm getting so sick of reading/hearing his B.S. :)
Agreed. Close races for the last few playoff spots always lead to mediocre, if not disappointing trade deadlines.