Trade Deadline

IN ALL HONESTY…WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED AT THE LACK OF TRADES IN THE NHL…
LAST YEAR A NUMBER OF GENERAL MANAGERS BLEW THEIR BRAINS OUT TRYING TO HIT A HOME RUN AT THE DEADLINE…
EACH WAS CONVINCED THEIR TEAM WAS A LOT BETTER THAN IT REALLY WAS…
THAT’S THE ILLUSION CREATED BY THE SHOOTOUT AND AN UNBALANCED SCHEDULE…
ON THE SURFACE THE NHL APPEARS TO HAVE REACHED PARITY…
DON’T BELIEVE IT…
THIS SEASON IS LIKE ANY SEASON…
THERE ARE THE USUAL 3 OR 4 TEAMS THAT HAVE A LIGITIMATE SHOT AT WINNING THE CUP…
AND ANOTHER 2 OR 3 OTHERS THAT NEED ONE OR TWO PIECES TO BECOME A CONTENDER…
THOSE ARE THE TEAMS THAT WILL BE ACTIVE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS…
THE GOOD NEWS IS…THE CANUCKS ARE ONE OF THEM…
THE TWO PLAYERS WHICH MAKE THE MOST SENSE ARE…BRAD RICHARDS IN TAMPA BAY…AND OLI JOKINEN IN FLORIDA…
RICHARDS IS THE BETTER FIT…BUT HE COMES WITH A CONTRACT THAT WILL PAY HIM $7.8 MILLION FOR THE NEXT 3 SEASONS…
JOKINEN HAS TWO YEARS LEFT AT $5.25 MILLION…HOWEVER JOKINEN HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN NHL PLAYOFF GAME…
AS A RESULT MOST OF THE ATTENTION IS ON RICHARDS…WHO HAS WON BOTH A CUP AND THE CONN SMYTHE TROPHY…
WORD HAS IT HE HAS GIVEN THE LIGHTNING A LIST OF 3 TEAMS HE’D BE WILLING TO LIFT HIS NO-TRADE CLAUSE FOR…
DALLAS…COLUMBUS…CHICAGO AND VANCOUVER…
WHERE HE LANDS COULD VERY WELL DETERMINE WHICH TEAM TAKES HOME THE STANLEY CUP…
THE STARS ALREADY OWN THE SECOND BEST RECORD IN THE NHL…
AND THEY WILL HAVE DEFENCEMAN SERGEI ZUBOV BACK IN TIME FOR THE PLAYOFFS…
SHOULD RICHARDS JOIN THE CANUCKS IT WOULD GIVE THEM THE OFFENSIVE JOLT THE TEAM HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR ALL SEASON…
COMBINE THAT WITH THE RETURN OF…BRENDAN MORRISON AND AARON MILLER…AND THE CANUCKS COULD MATCH UP WITH ANY TEAM IN THE WEST…
NO QUESTION WE ARE NOT GOING TO SEE THE NUMBER OF TRADES WE DID LAST YEAR…
BUT THE ONES THAT ARE MADE…WILL BE MADE BY CONTENDERS…AND NOT BY PRETENDERS…