With the Vancouver Canucks waiving their number 10 pick around, coupled with the fact that they most likely won’t resign forward Brendan Morrison and the possibility that Markus Naslund will resign cheaper, the ‘Nucks will try something.

It is still unclear at this point if the Toronto Maple Leafs will resign Mats Sundin. What is clear however is that they are waiving their number 7 pick around and have been linked with Patrick Marleau, Olli Jokinen, and Vincent Lecavalier to name a few.

The Montreal Canadiens have also been rumoured to try and move up in the draft to make a deal go through. Andrei Kostitsyn should be signed by the draft. Marc Streit could be also although rumours suggest that he would be traded. The Habs are also being linked to Marian Hossa, Sundin, Eric Cole, Ryan Malone, and Lecavalier to name a few. In Hossa’s case the Habs are trying to trade for his rights.

The Carolina Hurricanes are rumoured to be in on Joni Pitkanen.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are rumoured to be in on Marleau as well as Malone.

The Calgary Flames are rumoured to be hunting Jokinen.

The Boston Bruins are hunting Hossa.

To be brief, just mentioning seven teams and one could see that the draft this year might live up to the hype that every media source is putting out there.

Perhaps the draft will be more exciting than the first week of July.

Let’s hope that this year’s draft will be one not to miss.

The entry draft is for minor league players to move up in life, unfortunately for the minor leaguers, fortunately for the fans, this year it should be more about NHL players changing addresses.

There are 30 teams in the NHL. Perhaps not all the teams will make something happen, but if one believes the hype, it should be a draft day frenzy.

It’s almost as if Doug Wilson, the Sharks’ GM, is going to have to pick between a season guy and a playoff guy. Thornton does an outstanding job for the Sharks during the season and Marleau does an Ok job compared to what he use to do before. But who would be the perfect one to include in a trade intended to make the Sharks a better team for the future?

Well apparently, among teams interested in acquiring Marleau’s services are The Montreal Canadiens, The Columbus Blue Jackets, The New-York Islanders and the Ottawa Senators. Any team in the Western Conference interested in his services should forget about it right away because Doug Wilson is never going to move Marleau in the same conference as his. Marleau could bring something good to the Sharks, but I wouldn’t trade him.

If I was Doug Wilson and was about to make a trade, I would think of trading Joe Thornton before Marleau. To do so, I’d have to convince Joe to let go of his NTC, but once that’s done with, I believe trading Thornton would bring better players in a bigger trade to San Jose and maybe it would bring Marleau back to his level of play back when Joe wasn’t in SJ. But where would Thornton accept to be traded? Obviously one wouldn’t mind to go where he really wants to go, and in that case, Joe has said it already that the teams he wanted to play for while growing up happen to be The Detroit Red Wings and The Toronto Maple Leafs. I’m sure Joe wouldn’t mind going there, and obviously, any of these two teams wouldn’t mind adding him to their line-up!

Mainly, the Blue Jackets will look to add a couple of puck-moving defenseman.

With all of Rostislav Klesla, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and Kris Russell signed through at least next season, the Blue Jackets have three spots to fill in their top-six.

Dick Tarnstrom is unlikely to return.

And then there’s restricted free agents Jan Hejda and Ron Hainsey, who may not be brought back if Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson finds their asking prices too costly. Hejda is likely to get a raise on his current $1 million salary, and it is thought that Hainsey may seek upwards of $3-4 million per season.

Staying in-house is an option for Howson. The Blue Jackets have Marc Methot and Aaron Rome in their system (both RFAs) who “are held in high” by the club. The Blue Jackets could also bring up Duvie Westcott, who is currently playing for the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate team.

However, picking up reinforcements from the open market appears to be a more viable option for Howson if he really wants to give his club a stronger defense.

John-Michael Liles of the Colorado Avalanche, Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators, Brian Campbell of the San Jose Sharks and Brad Stuart of the Detroit Red Wings are all set to become UFAs July 1st. A number of second tier defensemen could also become available.

The belief is that Carter will seek a similar deal to the one signed by teammate Mike Richards, who signed a 12-year, $69 million contract extension earlier in the season. Carter and Richards have similar career statistics, and so would be comparables during negotiations.

Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch suggests that the Columbus Blue Jackets may re-sign pending UFA forward Michael Peca because he has a great “dressing room presence” and could help guide Rick Nash through the “early stages” of his captaincy.

Portzline also speculates that the Buffalo Sabres will botch contract negotiations with goaltender Ryan Miller much in the same way they did with forwards Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, and defenseman Brian Campbell.

Miller is set to become a UFA after the 2008-09 season, and word is that he already sees himself playing for the Detroit Red Wings in 2009-10. A native of East Lansing, Michigan, Miller is also good friends with Red Wings goaltending coach Jim Bedard.

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun suggests that if the Toronto Maple Leafs can’t trade forward Darcy Tucker, they should buy him out.

A buy out would cost the Maple Leafs two-thirds of Tucker’s $6 million contract; the club would be on the hook for a $1 million cap hit per season, over six years.

Garrioch also wonders if teams like the Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks may put in an offer sheet to Montreal Canadiens pending restricted free agent goalie Jaroslav Halak this summer. Aside for Cristobal Huet of the Washington Capitals, the free agent market appears to be pretty bare, leaving teams looking for an upgrade in net to perhaps try and poach RFAs.

Lastly from Garrioch, he reports that if Boston Bruins struggling forward Glen Murray doesn’t start scoring and help the team earn a playoff spot, he will likely be dealt in the off-season.

Murray’s $4.15 million salary could then be used by the Bruins to try and land Pittsburgh Penguins pending UFA forward Marian Hossa.

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach John Tortorella tells Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times that 23-year-old defenseman Paul Ranger is an “untouchable” in terms of trades.

“To me, he’s an untouchable because of what he’s going to be.”

“He’s one of the most underrated players in the league,” Tortorella said. “He’s a huge piece of our team as far as transition, as far as his stick, getting us out of our end zone, penalty killing. Ranger is more physical than any of our D. He’s grown.”

As witnessed by their reported interest in Brad Richards of the Tampa Bay Lightning before he was moved to the Dallas Stars, the Blue Jackets are willing to spend big bucks to fill their biggest needs (i.e. a number one and number two center). And with between $15 million to $20 million in salary cap space at their disposal, they may just pull the biggest moves of the summer.

With that in mind, Portzline suggests that Blue Jackets GM may inquire about the availability of Daniel Briere of Philadelphia, Patrick Elias of New Jersey, Scott Gomez of the New York Rangers. The thought there is that those three clubs may be looking for “roster and payroll flexibility.”

Of course, rumors continue to swirl that the Blue Jackets will trade for San Jose Sharks center Patrick Marleau before the entry draft, as Portzline and Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun both have reported. As Gary Peterson of the Contra Costa Times documents in his article, Marleau has had a tough season with the Sharks and has seen his name pop up in numerous trade rumors.

So, getting any one of the aforementioned players would definitely resolve their need for a top-line pivot. But what will Columbus do about their second-line center position?

Portzline suggests that trading for Matthew Lombardi of the Calgary Flames may be an option.

The Flames have two pending unrestricted free agent forwards they would like to re-sign in Craig Conroy and Daymond Langkow, and would consider shedding Lombardi’s salary to make it happen.

“You don’t get (a top-six role) by acclamation, you have to earn it,” Flames GM Darryl Sutter said last week. “To be quite honest, Langkow and Conroy have outplayed him this year.”

According to Section 13 of the Standard Players Contract, players that are under 26 years of age can be bought out at only one-third of their deals. Since Emery turn 26 in September, the Senators would have to pay the struggling goaltender $2.25 million of the $6.75 million left on his remaining deal. The club would only take a $562,500 per season salary cap hit for the next four years.

There is a catch, however. If the Senators want to buy out Emery during the buyout period from June 15-30, they will have to place him on waivers and risk losing him for nothing.

Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun suggests that the Toronto Maple Leafs will buy out back-up goalie Andrew Raycroft in the summer and replace him with rookie Justin Pogge.

The Maple Leafs will have to pay Raycroft $666,666 in each of the next two seasons.

Detroit Red Wings pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Brad Stuart tells Ansar Khan of mLive.com he’s not necessarily looking to sign his next contract with a Western Conference team.

“I’ve read that I’m a West Coast guy. I don’t see myself that way,” Stuart said. “I don’t have to play on the West Coast.”

Khan suggests that the Red Wings will wait until season’s end to begin negotiations with Stuart, if they choose to pursue him at all.

Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch reports that Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson would like to sign pending unrestricted free agent goaltender Pascal Leclaire to a contract extension before his current deal expires.

However, negotiations with Leclaire’s agent will not commence until the end of the regular season.

According to Luke DeCock of The News & Observer, the Carolina Hurricanes have been negotiating an NHL contract with the agent for junior forward Brandon Sutter for the past week.

Sutter’s season in the Western Hockey League will come to and end this weekend, and the Hurricanes are hoping to call up their first round pick in last summer’s entry draft to the big club.

However, it’s unclear if the CBA allows the Hurricanes to bring up Sutter straight to their big club or if the youngster will have to first suit up for their AHL affiliate.

“That’s a decision, obviously, that [general manager] Jim [Rutherford] and the coaches would make,” Hurricanes assistant general manager Ron Francis said.

Atlanta Thrashers co-owner Bruce Levenson tells Craig Custance of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Marian Hossa’s decision not to re-sign with the club wasn’t necessarily because he didn’t like “what he saw about the future of the organization.”

“I don’t think that’s an accurate statement. It was more complicated than that. To say Marian didn’t want to be here is a gross simplification of what happened.”

However, by naming Peca an alternate captain, management may be sending him a message.

“Hopefully, it says they want me to be around for a little while,” said Peca, 33.

“This is a place we would love to stay and there has been an indication that it might be a reciprocal feeling on their part, but we’ll see what happens.”

Bob Hunter of The Columbus Dispatch suggests that the Blue Jackets may pursue a trade for struggling San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau to fill their first-line center position.

The Blue Jackets could receive a first round draft pick, from a deadline deal that saw defenseman Adam Foote moved to the Colorado Avalanche, that they can package along with “a good player or two” to acquire Marleau.

Marleau has a no-trade clause that takes effect July 1st, so he’d have to be moved before then without his approval.

Speaking of the Sharks, USA Today’s Kevin Allen suggests that should Sharks defenseman Brian Campbell become an UFA he could get a six-year deal worth at least $50 million this summer.

Campbell will undoubtedly be the most sought after blueliner on the market due to the lack of top-tier defensemen due to become available.

Allen also believes that pending UFA defensemen Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators and Michael Rozsival of the New York Rangers could also get significant contracts.

As for Pittsburgh Penguins soon-to-be UFA forward Marian Hossa, he could definitely land a deal averaging more than the $7 million per season the Atlanta Thrashers were offering him before they traded him.

Lastly from Allen, he suggests that the Thrashers will have a big off-season after losing Hossa, while the Edmonton Oilers continue their efforts to land a “Star” player. Look for the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders to possibility do the same.

- The biggest rumbling and evidence about the NHL Winter Classic this week came out of New York involving the Rangers. The Daily News of NY went as far to say that the Rangers have all but locked up to be the host, but with only the task of finding the right opponent. The game would be at Yankee Stadium, and it would be the last event in its history. And here is more evidence of this:

That photo was taken by a man who was touring the stadium and happen to stumble upon this evidence. Its an interesting placement for the rink. The picture is courtesy of the website NHL Tournament of Logo’s, and you can read the whole story here. I am all for NYR getting an outdoor game as I have said before, but I have a few problems with this idea and situation.

Baseball stadiums are unique venues. As you can see from the photo, the first rows near the dugouts will be closer than a football stadium but will they be high enough to see all of the action? I like how it will be a closer feeling to the rink, but I would rather have the NHL stick to keeping the Winer Classic in football stadiums. Another thing with this photo is that they would almost certainly build makeshift stands in the outfield, bringing the fans even closer. Wikipedia says that the stadium holds just under 58,000 for a baseball game. So an accurate guess with the layout above would be around 60-65,000 due to the fact that most of the outfield seats wouldn’t be used because of the makeshift stands that would have to be created in the outfield. I do not think that is enough people, which is why the Winter classic should stay in Football stadiums, where more people can get through the gate ($$$) and where putting the rink up wouldn’t be a logistical problem. If the Rangers have truly locked up the ‘09 classic, they should attempt to play it in Giants Stadium, which fits 80,000 no problem. I see a couple of advantages and disadvantages.

For one, filling Giants stadium wouldn’t be a problem. 40,000 tickets sold out in Buffalo in 37 minutes, which is a testament to the loyalty to the fans and what a fantastic event this is. Another advantage and disadvantage at the same time is that Giants Stadium is located in New Jersey. Its an advantage because the event wouldn’t be in the Bronx, but its a disadvantage because it might turn away the average fan FROM the Bronx who doesn’t want to travel. Regardless, I’m glad to see that the Rangers are heavily in the talks for the ‘09 classic. Rumored teams to play the Rangers are the Islanders, Bruins, and Red Wings. I believe the best choice would be the Bruins. The media would play off the Boston-NY rivalry heavily. If you chose the Islanders the Buzz might not grow as big because of the game being so local. If you chose the Red Wings it might become to bland. The Bruins play hard and have given NYR great games this season, and all I want is to see a hockey fight outdoors in the Bronx on National TV.

- Moving on to Franchise relocation. Being an old-tyme (get it, with a y!) Hockey-ist, I’ve never liked the rapid expansion into the Southern part of the US by the NHL. And to begin, if the NHL decides to expand past 30 teams they will surely regret it. The NHL has planted the seeds of the “New” NHL, now they need to water it from time to time and let it grow. I feel like the NHL is trying to “grow” hockey upon markets instead of trying to find Hockey markets and place teams there. There are many rumbles of possible cities for relocation above the Mason-Dixon line involving Kansas City, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee, and moving into Canada with Hamilton, Quebec City, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan. Teams that are involved in moving rumors are Florida, Tampa Bay, Columbus, Nashville, Atlanta, and Phoenix. First I will Rank each team in my opinion on who should move ASAP from 1 through 6.

1. Nashville. As much as Business is reportedly coming back, the franchise is in trouble. Bettman did now allow Basile to buy the franchise because of his intentions to move it to Hamilton in Ontario. I have a feeling this franchise will be on the move in the next five years though. The following isn’t enough to support a franchise with greater market opportunities out there.
2. Florida. Florida for this season so far is ranked last in % filled in total attendance. (ESPN) Although you don’t hear about many problems from Florida, you don’t hear much of anything either. When your home city is named Sunrise, your just not a hockey town. Its bad enough Florida has two teams, and at least one has to go. Sorry Panthers, but you don’t have a cup unlike your in-state foes on the west coast.
3. Next up would be Columbus, who edges out Florida in total attendance by 1.2%. The same goes here. As much as there aren’t many problems, there also aren’t many positives coming out of Ohio.
4. Phoenix. A move back to Winnipeg could be in the cards for the former-Jets. Winnipeg is pressing hard for a franchise and Phoenix hasn’t enjoyed much success in the desert since its move. There are two problems though. First, Jobing.com arena is almsot brand new and in sparkling condition. Second, Winnipeg needs a new arena. Don’t look for this to happen anytime soon.
5. Atlanta. The All-Star game might not have been a big hit on TV, but fans packed Phillips Arena all weekend. Phillips arena is another obstacle as it too like Jobing.com is in fantastic shape. Atlanta will still be around past 2015 but if its still below the 90% mark after that, they could be moving.
6. Last is Tampa Bay. Again, hockey and Florida don’t really mix, but the league will be reluctant to move Tampa as it in its short history the already have a ring on their fingers. Plus as I watched the Islanders visit them, there was a good show in the stands, especially in the 100 seats.

So basically I want to obliterate the South-eastern division, but its just a clear fact that Hockey isn’t America’s sport, so why should the NHL try to force it in area’s where Ice doesn’t even form once a year? Hopefully in the next ten years we see a northern migration. My top US cities would be Salt Lake and Las Vegas. My top Canadian cities would be Winnipeg and Quebec/Hamilton. I just worry about the affect of putting a team in Quebec city due to the strong Montreal following.

There’s a little rant for you. I’ll be doing more of this over the summer. Rangers at Panthers, Friday night at 7:30, let’s go Rangers. - Rob

With a weak unrestricted free agent market for centers (i.e. Martin Straka, Brendan Morrison, Daymond Langkow and Vaclav Prospal), the Blue Jackets will have deal to fill their biggest need.

The Blue Jackets could have two number one draft picks this summer. They will have their own pick, and if they make the playoffs they will get the Colorado Avalanche’s pick as part of the deal for Adam Foote.

Portzline suggests San Jose Sharks struggling center Patrick Marleau as a possible acquisition.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the Sharks offered forward Steve Bernier to the New York Rangers in exchange for pending unrestricted free agent forward Sean Avery before last month’s trade deadline.

Rangers GM Glen Sather passed on the deal, however.

Before sending Bernier to the Buffalo Sabres for pending UFA defenseman Brian Campbell, word is that the Pittsburgh Penguins were also interested in acquiring the 22-year-old.

Brooks also reports that Sather sees Avery’s value as $2.75 million per season, and may not want to spend more than that to re-sign him.

Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster claims the club’s new ownership group will try to sign All-Star forward Vincent Lecavalier to a multi-year contract, reports Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times.

And that appears to be just fine with Hejda, who tells Derek Van Diest he’d very much like to remain with the Blue Jackets.

“I would like to stay here. I don’t like moving. My family is here, my daughter’s in school. I don’t like to move around.”

It’s expected that the Czech blueliner will receive a pretty good raise on the $1 million he earned this season.

Should San Jose Sharks pending UFA defenseman Brian Campbell become available on the open market, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun suggests the Ottawa Senators will try to sign him. Especially if the club decides not to re-new defenseman’s Wade Redden contract, who is also set to become an UFA July 1st.

Word is that the Senators tried to acquire Campbell from the Buffalo Sabres before the trade deadline, but the Sabres had no desire of dealing him to an Eastern Conference rival.

Scott Morrison of the Toronto Sun reports that New York Rangers pending UFA forward Sean Avery is looking for an average salary of $3.5 million on his next contract.

The news, however, doesn’t signal the two sides are parting ways. At least not as far as Hainsey is concerned.

“I definitely like it here,” he said. “I like playing for the coaching staff.”

“This team is getting closer as we grow together, and that’s especially happened in the last seven to 10 days. It was getting that way before, but we have a lot of young guys who have come together in the last week, and there’s a lot of positive stuff that I’d like to be a part of.”

Expectations are that Hainsey will receive a healthy raise from the $900,000 he earned this season whether he hits the open market or re-signs in Columbus.

The Blue Jackets, who will have plenty of salary cap space to throw around, may decide to go in a different direction.

Possible targets could include Brian Campbell of the San Jose Sharks and Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators should they become are available.

The Blue Jackets will no doubt have to make a few hard decisions, including what to do with the club’s other soon-to-be UFA blueliners in Jan Hejda and Dick Tarnstrom.

Do they go big and give their defense group a whole new look? Do they bring back their UFA trio? Time will tell.

Now, more and more NHL teams are employing the hockey version of cheerleaders.

The Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Tampa Bay Lightning all have them. That’s 16 teams.

Three Canadian teams have them, too, including the Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, and the Vancouver Canucks.

So, what exactly do Ice Girls do?

Well, according to PuckThatHit.com, this is what the job entails:

Ice Girls often (but not always) step onto the ice, clean away excess snow, wipe down the glass, and of course give away t-shirts. Any excuse to have them parade their increased chest sizes and minuscule waists is good enough for management and fans.

For those interested, there’s a poll over at PuckThatHit.com where you can vote for which team has the best ice girls. There’s pictures, too… pretty pictures… go check ‘em out. I threw in my vote for the Chicago Blackhawks’ Ice Crew.

Anyway, I’m wondering how soon will it be before ALL NHL teams has a crew of Ice Girls dancing in a seat near you? And which team will it be the next in line? Will it be the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, or the Washington Capitals?

This is an unscientific poll, by the way.

The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont reports that Atlanta Thrashers forward Erik Christensen wanted out of Pittsburgh because he wasn’t getting enough playing time.

Dupont also suggests that the Boston Bruins should give goalie Tim Thomas a one-year contract extension, while signing Glen Metropolit to a two-year extension due to their strong performances this season.

Lastly from Dupont, he reports that the San Jose Sharks tried hard to deal struggling forward Patrick Marleau before the February 26 trade deadline, but could not find any takers.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Marleau has a “no-movement” clause kicks in on July 1, so he will be even more difficult to deal. That’s why the Sharks wanted to part ways with him now.

Garrioch also reports that the Montreal Canadiens contacted the Chicago Blackhawks to inquire about the availability of forward Martin Havlat, but could not put a deal together. Speculation is that Havlat may be moved during the off-season.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens were also working on trading pending unrestricted free agent forward Michael Ryder to the Calgary Flames for Alex Tanguay. It’s believed that the deal fell through when Flames GM Darryl Sutter decided not trade Tanguay.

Tanguay, who agreed to waive his no-trade clause, is said to be disappointed he was not moved.

Look for the Washington Capitals to attempt and re-sign pending UFA goalie Cristobal Huet, says Garrioch. If they’re successful, longtime Capitals netminder and pending UFA Olaf Kolzig could find himself playing for another team.

Did the Columbus Blue Jackets trade pending UFA defenseman Adam Foote to the Colorado Avalanche over $500,000? Yes, according to Garrioch.

The Blue Jackets also lost out on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brad Richards, even though they made a decent offer of forwards Gilbert Brule and Dan Fritsche along with a prospect.

So, which teams tried to acquire Blackhawks forward Tuomo Ruutu before the was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes? Garrioch claims it was the Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Negotiations between the Buffalo Sabres and goalie Ryan Miller aren’t going well, as Miller doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to sign a contract extension with the Sabres. This leaves Garrioch to speculate that he’ll take off as a UFA after the 2008-09 season.

I’ll admit that I was optimistic when it came to the Brad Richards trade, but as an easily excited fan, I was swept up in the possibility of getting someone of his caliber to play along either Nash, Modin, or Zherdev. When “The List” of teams he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for surfaced, I was even more excited. (p.s. “The List” included Dallas, Columbus and Vancouver supposedly) Anyway, the time passed, and eventually it was evident that Tampa Bay was highly interested in a goaltender for the rest of this season and next year (Mike Smith) than a solid defenseman, energy forward, and quickly developing prospect.

As soon as it was evident that the Richards trade was going the way of Dallas, GM Howson went ahead and made the trades that were predicted for the most part. Most fans expected center Michael Peca and Sergei Fedorov to be moved, as well as winger David Vyborny and possibly defenseman Adam Foote and/or Ron Hainsey. It shouldn’t have been as shocking as it was, but only Foote and Fedorov were traded away to gain prospects and draft picks.

My take on the trades:

Fedorov’s trade to the Capitals was for lack of a better word, “meh”. He was way overpaid and injury prone, and not quite the same Sergei Fedorov as he was before coming to Columbus. Not to mention that the Jackets has no plan to resign him after this season. Theo Ruth, I have no clue who he is except for a blueliner freshman at Notre Dame.

Foote’s trade to the Avalanche was downright aggravating, after hearing the aftermath that is. For the weeks leading up to the deadline Foote was supposedly having good negotiations with GM Howson looking to extend his contract for 2 more seasons at about 3-4million per season. But as Blue Jackets beat writers report in their weekly podcast the thought is that Foote’s initial intent was to get out of Columbus like his name was Llllloyd Carr. He and his agent set an amount that they knew that the Jackets would not meet, unless maybe the Richards deal had gone through. Even though the Dispatch writers expect that Foote would have just raised his asking price. Such a disappointing end to our supposedly “unquestioned” leader.

The deadline is a revealing moment in the NHL season. It prescribes an honest self-examination by all 30 clubs. General Managers, scouts, and team personnel maneuver through a cascade of e-mails, faxes, phone calls, and conversations about who is available and how much they will cost. The worst teams must answer a very direct question: is it time to part ways with a top player — who will probably walk come July 1st — for prospects whose earning potential won’t bust their salary cap? Look at recently successful squads like Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and, to an admittedly lesser degree, Washington, and there’s a clear trend to assemble a roster internally.

Teams on the postseason bubble, conversely, operate amid more dire circumstances — choices routinely cost coaches and GMs their jobs. In the case of Atlanta, would Thrashers GM/coach Don Waddell dump winger Marian Hossa for a potentially comparable player, or retain him in slim hopes of making the playoffs? If Hossa remained, and Atlanta failed to advance, the Thrashers would have lost a remarkable player and received nothing. Obviously, the nuances of altering a dynamic are more severely pronounced when the fate of the team in question is unknown.

Last year’s deadline was borderline lackluster, the loudest move made when the Nashville Predators swapped forward Scottie Upshall, defenseman Ryan Parent, and a first and third round pick for Peter Forsberg from the Philadelphia Flyers. But yesterday was filled with big-name movement, all in preparation for the final playoff stretch. Here we (subjectively) review some of the wisest deadline transactions.

(For those interested in the technicalities of trades, NHL.com kindly provides this short tutorial.)

Dallas Stars

Dallas ended Tuesday with a substantially deeper lineup than it started with by adding center Brad Richards and goalie Johan Holmqvist. In return, the 29th-ranked Tampa Bay Lightning received forwards Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern, and goalie Mike Smith. Richards is an adaptable player who performs at even strength and on special teams, averaging over 24 minutes of ice time per game. Dallas got a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winning forward whose durability is surpassed only by his skills. Richards allows coach Dave Tippett to spread Mike Modano, Mike Ribeiro, Brendan Morrow, and Jere Lehtinen across multiple lines. They’re now an immediate threat to Detroit whose defensive corps has (to put it lightly) taken a beating.

Meanwhile, Tampa has a chance to develop Smith as a number one goaltender. Holmqvist struggled since October, and GM Jay Feaster stressed that signing a goalie was his primary concern. But Holmqvist’s experience will be vital should Dallas starter Marty Turco go down or need a break. Holmqvist may have tanked thus far, but he also wasn’t playing in Dallas.

Colorado Avalanche

Is it 2008 or 2001? Not only did Colorado Avalanche GM Francois Giguere do the presumably unthinkable by signing Peter Forsberg days after announcing he would not return to the NHL this year, but he relinquished a mere draft pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for veteran defensemen Adam Foote. A grinder with a proclivity for cheap shots, Foote was a staple of Colorado’s last Cup winning team. Not the fleetest afoot, he brings a physical element to the blue line that will keep traffic away from Jose Theodore’s face.

Giguere smoothly avoided jeopardizing Colorado’s young talent. Foote’s and Forsberg’s experience will ground the Avalanche lineup. Combine the return of Joe Sakic and sniper Paul Stastny with the grittiness of Ryan Smythe and consistency of Milan Hejduk, and suddenly the Aves seem poised to scrap for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Philadelphia Flyers

What a year for the Fly guys. After an abysmal 2006-2007 season in which they finished dead last, they currently own the eighth playoff position in the Eastern Conference. But the past month has been unkind to the turn-around-team of the year. The Flyers dropped 10 in a row until a shootout victory over Buffalo on Monday (any Sabres fans still fuming at Briere’s game winner?); they’ve been weakened by injuries (notably Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, and Joffrey Lupol), defensive lapses, and shoddy goaltending.

In response, GM Paul Holmgren traded Alex Picard — a 22-year-old defensemen who’s played only 72 NHL games — and a conditional draft pick to Tampa for Vaclav “Vinnie” Prospal. (Philly drafted Prospal 71st overall in 1993.) Despite posting respectable numbers throughout his career, he’s struggled to be consistent — a hindrance that may expose itself without Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. Nonetheless, Prospal has a ring and more than a decade of experience. Although he doesn’t embody offensive stability, Prospal can still play. And considering the injury ridden Flyers roster, a forward like Prospal that can play both center and wing will only strengthen his team’s limp into the playoffs.

Washington Capitals

Did anyone see this coming? The Caps acquired Cristobal Huet, the Montreal Canadians’ starting net minder for most of this season, for a paltry second round draft choice. Then they snagged Sergei Fedorov from Columbus for 2007 draftee Theo Ruth, a defenseman so unknown, not even Yahoo! Sports recognizes him.

(Here is where other writers would likely excoriate Montreal for getting so little in return for a number one goalie. Such lunacy speaks for itself. More importantly: Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Viktor Kozlov, and now Fedorov. Is Washington the new Detroit?)

The Caps also traded Matt Pettinger to Vancouver for Matt Cooke. Cooke, a low-line winger with practically no points for the Canucks, will give Washington toughness and speed up front. As a result, the Caps lose an insignificant forward. Washington completed other minor deals, all helpful enhancements as the Caps challenge for the top spot in the Southeast Division.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are barely holding fifth in the West with 74 points. Eighth seeded Nashville is only two points behind; the West is that close. So, GM Doug Wilson scored the most coveted defensemen on the block: Brian Campbell. The Sharks gave Buffalo a first-round pick and mediocre forward Steve Bernier. Bernier has rotated among the bottom two lines for most of this season, not offering much productivity (13g, 10a).

Campbell, on the other hand, plays roughly 25 minutes per game, has a microscopic 12 penalty minutes, and went to his second All-Star Game last month. A fast, yet physical blue-liner, Campbell’s ability to skate and quickly move the puck increased his value. The Sharks recognized their need for a reliable defenseman that could make swift breakout passes and anchor the point on the power play. Campbell’s 43 points is second among Sharks scorers. And with 38 assists, he noticeably reduces Joe Thornton’s playmaking burden.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins are second in the East with Sidney Crosby on the shelf. Evgeni Malkin, averaging almost two points per game in Sid’s absence, is all but unstoppable. Ty Conklin has been solid in net, while Marc Andre Fluery was recalled from injury. Now they have Marian Hossa — the pervasive desire for whom was league-wide — and speedster Pascal Dupuis from Atlanta, plus Hal Gill from Toronto. In an immensely beneficial trade for the Pens, Atlanta received promising, albeit average forwards Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen (replaceable role players). Christenson has been superb in the shootouts — success he’s failed to employ during regulation. Armstrong, who was Crosby’s roommate on the road and close friend, is a muckraker who will just as easily give a beating as take one. Sadly, their collective point totals hardly match Hossa’s.

Hossa was highly discussed and his final whereabouts speculated for weeks. That the news came with under five minutes remaining until the deadline is curious, especially since Don Waddell publicized weeks ago that Hossa was going to be dealt. Pittsburgh is a growing complication for the East; and they just scared the shit out of the entire Atlantic Division.

See You Next Year

February was busy, indeed — 25 trades involving 45 players on the final day alone, big names and small, draft picks, and the hope of future success. Many teams modified their rosters for various reasons: to dump salaries, for draft picks, to make playoff runs. The Anaheim Ducks and New York Islanders each made a couple subtle changes. Those mentioned above were by no means the only ones, nor the most important. They were simply the transactions deemed the best for their organizations.

As fun as it is to tout theories and predictions of who will go where, the truth is that the push begins now. Both conferences have a tight race for its final postseason openings. Barely 20 games remain on each schedule. The trades that were hailed could quickly be scorned; those questioned eventually praised. There was enough inaction by teams that needed improvement to warrant a separate column. Regardless, the hype is over; all that’s left to do is watch. And that’s the best part about the trade deadline.

Update: 1:36PM According to Sportsnet’s Pierre LeBrun, the Capitals parted with defense prospect Teddy Ruth in exchange.

Word throughout the morning was that the Blue Jackets were heavily shopping Fedorov in hopes of moving him before the deadline.

This is the second trade for the Capitals today, as the club acquired Montreal Canadiens goalie Cristobal Huet earlier.

As for the Blue Jackets, they also made a move earlier, when they traded pending UFA defenseman Adam Foote to the Colorado Avalanche. Speculation is that may not be done.

More details to follow.