With the NHL’s trading deadline now just five days away, the lack of activity on the trade front proves the vast majority of NHL teams still believe that there is a seat waiting for them at the playoff table.
That is, almost everyone except the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the majority of GMs have been scrutinizing the standings over the past week, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman was busy wheeling and dealing.
Yzerman got down to business last Thursday, sending pending unrestricted free agent Dominic Moore and a seventh-round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks for a second-round selection in the 2012 NHL draft.
For a guy who has three 20-goal seasons on his resume, it’s hard to believe that Florida Panthers forward Kris Versteeg has been traded four times through the first four years of his NHL career, including three times in a span of just over a year.
For some people, that would already fit the definition of a journeyman. But Versteeg is tired of unpacking his bags, and he’s hoping that he can call Sunrise, Florida his home for many years to come.
It’s hard to believe that when you look through the current league leaders in points, you won’t find Alexander Ovechkin’s name in the top 10. You won’t find The Great 8 in the top 20, either. Heck, you won’t even find him on the first page on NHL.com’s list of league’s top scorers. Nope, you have to go to the next page and scroll down to No. 43, where Ovi currently sits with just 39 points.
Ovechkin isn’t the only star who has struggled in 2012. Here is a list of the top five underachievers in 2012.
From the video above, we can learn three things that don’t go mix together well: silly string, a mascot and a disgruntled Boston Bruins fan.
However, as a result of the footage captured of said Bruins fan taking umbrage with Tampa Bay Lightning mascot ThunderBug and her silly string antics, she—yes, she—has become a cult hero and a YouTube sensation.
Apparently, the Boston fan who hit ThunderBug from behind during the Jan 17 Lightning-Bruins game was taken away by ushers but later returned to his seat. No harm, no foul.
If you can’t wait to see Alex Ovechkin at this weekend’s NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa, well, there’s always next season.
Ovechkin decided to remove himself from the event Tuesday, citing that he will be in the middle of a three-game suspension.
“My heart is not there. I am suspended, so why I have to go there?” Ovechkin said. “I love the game. It is a great event. I love to be there. I am suspended. I don’t want to be a target. I feel like I’m not deserving to be there right now because I am suspended.”
With the NHL trade deadline just about a month away, more and more rumors are beginning to surface regarding some key players. However, due to the fact that the standings are so tight right now in both conferences, we may not see much activity until the final weeks leading up to the Feb. 27 deadline. Nevertheless, here are some of the names that are currently linked to various rumors—some of which may actually be true.
James van Riemsdyk and Luke Schenn
This rumor started running wild last week when a report came out of Philadelphia claiming Flyers director of player personnel Don Luce scouted the Leafs in recent games.
The Florida Panthers GM, who was arguably the busiest general manager during this past offseason, has made another savvy pickup by signing veteran center John Madden to a one-year contract.
Rumors of the signing surfaced last week, but Wednesday brought confirmation that Madden would in fact be taking part in NHL action for the first time this season. The 38-year-old power forward will be entering his 12th NHL season. Madden has played in 867 games split between his time with New Jersey, Chicago and Minnesota. Madden not only brings a strong veteran presence to a young Panthers team, his three Stanley Cups (two with the Devils and one with the Blackhawks) prove that he has plenty of playoff experience, something the Panthers are hoping will come in handy at the conclusion of the regular season.
Although it appears that New Jersey Devils Ilya Kovalchuk inadvertently passed the puck into his own net, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward was the last player to touch the puck for the ‘Canes before it crossed the goal line.
So no, it’s not as cool as shooting the puck 200 feet down the ice a la Ron Hextall, but since Ward technically became the first netminder since 2006 to be credited with a goal, it’s still a feat worth mentioning.
The NHL has made it a point of emphasis over the last couple of years to crackdown on headshots in order to prevent concussions. They might be doing a good job with the former, but the latter still remains prevalent in the game. Especially with superstars.
Just one day after points leader Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers was ruled that he was out indefinitely after suffering a concussion, it has been confirmed that the Ottawa Senators’ Milan Michalek and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Jeff Skinner have also sustained concussions and will miss games.
And like their recent coaching change, the latest trade isn’t too much of a surprise, either.
The Hurricanes traded defenseman Tomas Kaberle to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday morning for fellow defenseman Jaroslav Spacek.
After winning the lottery and getting dealt from the Toronto Maples to the Boston Bruins during last season’s trade deadline, Kaberle was fortunate enough to be part of the B’s Cup-winning season. Using that as leverage and a selling point for potential free-agent bidders during the offseason, the ‘Canes made Kaberle a key piece of their offseason makeover by signing the 33-year-old defenseman to a three-year, $12.75 million contract.
With the NHL’s trading deadline now just five days away, the lack of activity on the trade front proves the vast majority of NHL teams still believe that there is a seat waiting for them at the playoff table.
