Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to NHL Live. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Big Rumour News; By Doug Ward | NHL.com correspondent
Topic Started: Tuesday, 14. March 2006, 16:45 (552 Views)
Jokr
Member Avatar
Administrator
Administrator
Credit: NHL.com

With the NHL's first trade deadline under a salary cap looming at noon PST Thursday, there's no telling how many of the rumored deals will come to fruition. This year's deadline comes earlier in the season, making it harder to differentiate the buyer's from the sellers. There is also the $39 million cap to take into account before a trade can be consummated, which makes it difficult for traditional big spenders like Colorado and Detroit to add a big ticket player for the playoffs.

Given those parameters, it seems unlikely that this year's deadline will produce the kind of frenzied activity we've seen in recent years. Still, pre-deadline trade winds are blowing as strong as ever, and several high end players are rumored to be on the block.

Florida is supposedly ready to "unload" Olli Jokinen and/or Roberto Luongo, with both players conceivably headed to the Western Conference. Nashville and Calgary are both mentioned as potential destinations for Jokinen, while Luongo could end up in Los Angeles, according to the rumor mill.

Luongo, the Panther goaltender, has been mentioned as the principle of potential blockbuster deal with the Kings that would send L.A. goaltender Mathieu Garon and prospects to Florida.
Doug Ward
Doug Ward knows his way around the hockey rink and the baseball diamond. He is the Anaheim Angels' director of publications and is in his second season chronicling the hockey happenings in the Western Conference for NHL.com.
Related Links:

* Eastern Conference notebook
* West Notes, Mar. 1, 2006
* West Notes, Feb. 8, 2005
* West Notes, Jan. 25, 2006
* West Notes, Jan. 18, 2006
* West Notes, Jan. 11, 2006
* Complete West Notes archive

Kings GM Dave Taylor is also said to be interested in Washington defenseman Brendan Witt, and might be ready to deal Sean Avery. But Taylor and the Kings could face competition from Colorado's Pierre Lacroix, who also covets Witt. Lacroix, known for making astute additions to his team at the deadline in the pre-cap era, also is supposed to like St. Louis right wing Dallas Drake.

Vancouver GM Dave Nonis is looking for help on the blue line and in goal and has been rumored to be open to the idea of dealing power forward Todd Bertuzzi. One possibility is a deal that would move Bertuzzi to Buffalo for goaltender Martin Biron, who would then share time in net with the Canucks' Alex Auld. But that's not all, Ottawa also has been mentioned as a possible destination for Bertuzzi.

In Minnesota, the Wild signed No. 1 goaltender Manny Fernandez to a multi-year deal last Friday, making it increasingly likely that backup goalie Dwayne Roloson will not be in the Twin Cities at week's end.

Phoenix's Mike Barnett might be ready to part company with defensemen Derek Morris and Denis Gauthier, forwards Mike Comrie and Mike Ricci, or goaltender Curtis Joseph. Then again, he might not.

With a 40-18-3 record and 83 points, Dallas GM Doug Armstrong is likely to stand pat with his Pacific Division leading stars.

"We're not going to get into where we perceive to have to overspend to fill a hole, because I don't see a hole there big enough," Armstrong told the Ft. Worth Star Telegram.
Posted Image
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Trades and Rumours · Next Topic »
Add Reply