Winners and Losers From the Trade Deadline

Another NHL trade deadline has come and gone. Trades were made and some teams made deals that will no doubt help their teams for the future. It's time to break down the winners and losers from the trade deadline.

Winners

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets are battling for a playoff spot in the Western Conference- who would have thought that when the season started? At

[caption id="attachment_2839" align="alignright" width="300"] Marian Gaborik[/caption]

trade deadline time they proved that they're serious about making the playoffs and went out to acquire some big guns.

The biggest deal for the Blue Jackets was acquiring Marian Gaborik  from the New York Rangers who waived his no-movement clause to join the Jackets. The fact Gaborik waived his no-movement clause to join the Blue Jackets is huge and turns Columbus into a possible destination for other big players.

In addition to bringing in Gaborik, they also brought in veteran forward Blake Comeau which gives them added depth up front. Sergei Bobrovsky has been lights out for the Jackets this season, he's proven he's ready to be their full time goalie and as a result Steve Mason was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets made a major splash at the deadline, giving them all the tools they need to make the playoffs. Rick Nash who?

Boston Bruins

While the Bruins missed out on the Jarome Iginla sweepstakes they made up for it by landing Jaromir Jagr at the deadline. Now of course this opens up the debate on which player is a better fit for the Bruins; Jagr or Iginla?

Jagr will be a huge help for the Bruins and their 24th ranked power play, he'll bring creativity and will help mentor some of the younger players like Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand. In addition to bringing in Jagr to help the offence, the Bruins also brought in Wade Redden to add depth to their blue line.

The Bruins brought in key pieces to help counter what the Pittsburgh Penguins have done. The Eastern Conference is extremely close with the Penguins and Bruins both stocking up, wouldn't be a surprise to see them in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins did a lot of their wheeling and dealing ahead of the trade deadline. By getting their shopping list done early the Penguins were able to get the pieces they needed for a playoff run without having to sell the farm. Penguins brought in Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray before the deadline, putting them in contention for a deep playoff run.

Ray Shero deserves the GM of the year award, he brought in three key players that will add depth to the Penguins without even giving up a player on the roster. Right before the trade deadline the Penguins were dealt a major blow when Sidney Crosby took a puck to the face and broke his jaw. No one knows how long he'll be out and with playoffs right around the corner the Penguins needed more depth. Shero made another brilliant move bringing veteran Jussi Jokinen to add more depth, the kicker is the Carolina Hurricanes will be eating some of Jokinen's salary.

Buffalo Sabres

When you trade your captain away it means you're waiving the white flag, and for the Buffalo Sabres trading Jason Pominville is the beginning of their rebuild. This trade deadline may be Darcy Regier's last as GM of the Sabres, but he went out on fire.

Ahead of the deadline the Sabres traded Robyn Regehr and Jordan Leopold for three 2nd-round draft picks and a conditional fifth. The most important thing when entering a rebuild is the draft, the Sabres have a plethora of second round draft picks which will be key for the future.

The biggest move by the Sabres was the aforementioned Pominville trade. While getting picks for Regehr and Leopold was good settling for picks in return for Pominville wasn't acceptable. The Sabres managed to rob the Minnesota Wild in the return for their captain. Johan Larsson a top prospect who's being compared to both Pominville and Cody Hodgson, top goalie prospect Matt Hackett, a first round pick in 2013 and second round pick in 2014 are all now Sabres property.

This was the perfect move for the Sabres and sets them up for a big off-season that will see the likes of Ryan Miller and Drew Stafford heading out of town. Times are changing in Buffalo and this was the move that needed to kick it all off, the monster return is just the cherry on top.

San Jose Sharks

It was a quiet but good deadline for the Sharks. They picked up 5 draft picks in return for Ryan Clowe and Douglas Murray and they replaced their two roster players with Scott Hannan and Raffi Torres. The Sharks are in tough spot; They're battling for a playoff spot but also starting to rebuild on the fly.

Losers

Philadelphia Flyers

With both the Penguins and Bruins making considerable moves to help them make a playoff run the Flyers did nothing to help themselves get closer to the playoffs. In fact by doing virtually nothing- other than claiming Adam Hall off waivers and bringing Steve Mason to add to their goalie circus, the Flyers may have gotten worse.

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings needed to add some offence at the deadline to help solidify their win-now motto, they were unable to land anyone that would help. The Red Wings made offers for multiple players leading up to the deadline but nothing materialized forcing them to stay put and make their playoff run with their current roster.

Carolina Hurricanes

With Joni Pitkanen lost for the year due to injury the Hurricanes needed to bring in another defenceman to fill his spot. They went out and found Marc-Andre Bergeron who will help fill the gap for the rest of the season. In the sense that they got their defenceman they did alright, but where they really lost out was losing Josi Jokinen and having to eat some of his contract as part of the deal with Pittsburgh. Hurricanes are just on the edge of the playoffs fighting every game to gain ground, they needed to do more at the deadline to get them closer to the playoffs.

Calgary Flames

It's hard to fault the Flames for their lack of movement at the deadline and getting less than market value back for many of their key pieces as they're heading into a "rebuild." But the Flames could have at least tried to get some solid young prospects in return for Iginla and Bouwmeester. The good news is the Flames now have three- first round picks for the upcoming draft which will help them either make some trades or draft some solid prospects in this years deep draft.

 

All the Columbus Blue Jackets Had to do Was Ditch Rick Nash?

Has anyone checked to see how the Columbus Blue Jackets are doing this season? After getting rid of Rick Nash for what many called mere peanuts, it was expected that they wouldn't even be able to compete in the NHL this season. But they're currently sitting in 10th place in the West just 2 points out of the 8th and final playoff spot- with a game in hand. Yes the Columbus Blue Jackets are just 2 points out of a playoff spot- see for yourself.

A team who was ripped off for the All-Star Game because of the lockout, that's been a miserable joke for years and is supposed to be in rebuilding mode is only 2 points out. Who saw this coming? With this being a shortened season it was expected that even the worst teams would be in the mix till near the end of the season but this isn't the case with the Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets (12-12-6) are currently riding a franchise record 11 game point streak and three of those games involved them beating the Detroit Red Wings, who have always had the Blue Jackets number. Earlier this month on March 3rd the Blue Jackets held the worst record in the NHL after going 5-12-4, but after going 7-0-4 in their last 11 games they're right back in the playoff hunt.

"It's so great in team sports when the players all of a sudden start to believe in themselves and each other." ~ Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen

After losing Nash to the New York Rangers the Blue Jackets were a team left without an identity, the had no superstars and people joked they were more of an AHL team. But after a GM change that saw Scott Howson get the boot and Jarmo Kekalainen take over, the Blue Jackets have had their "No names" step up.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been the driving force behind the Blue Jackets success as of late. He was named the first star of the NHL last week and has been solid between the pipes. In the month of March he's been a perfect 5-0-1 with a 0.83 Goals Against Average and a .970 Save Percentage, allowing just 5 goals on 166 shots.

Part of his success as of late is really understanding how to play goal and use his 6 foot 2 frame to his advantage. Earlier in his career he'd rely on quick feet but had a deep crouch and leaned too far forward on his skates allowing him to fall victim to "weak" goals. Now he understands the angles and is playing a much more centred game allowing him to have more control on the initial shot and standing much taller in the crease instead of shrinking.

But it's not just Bobrovsky that has elevated his game as of late.Vinny Prospal is the Blue Jackets leading scorer with 9 goals and 18 points followed closely by Mark Letestu with 7 goals and 16 points. Prospal and Letestu have been the best players this season for the Blue Jackets leading the team offensively.

Jack Johnson has been holding down the fort on defence eating up 26 minutes a night and putting up 14 points. Johnson has been playing so well he's garnered a lot of attention from other teams looking to acquire a defenceman for the playoffs and could be excellent trade bait should the Blue Jackets chose to trade him. Should the Blue Jackets chose to keep the defenceman he could become an excellent choice to become their next captain and perhaps even franchise player- he certainly talks like one.

"We have to play to win, not play to not lose. There is a huge difference. It’s an exciting brand of hockey that brings people to games, and that is the only way we can start to grow the fan base back up."

Artem Anisimov and Tim Erixon have been great additions to the Blue Jackets and while they may not have the star power as the player they were traded for, they're doing their part to help the Blue Jackets. Anisimov has 6 goals and 8 points while battling through injuries while Erixon has 4 assists and plays just over 16 minutes a night on the blue line.

Mix in 24 points from Nick Foligno and RJ Umberger and you have a solid team that is only 2 points out of the playoffs. The fact that they're without a superstar or big first line center doesn't seem to be bothering the Blue Jackets and their quest to make the playoffs. When you have a whole bunch of players that are willing to do whatever they can to help their team win good things are going to happen. The Blue Jacket players are all committed to blocking shots, penalty killing, bailing each other out and most importantly sticking up for each other.

Not having a captain to "lead" the team seems to be working for the Blue Jackets as the team has great chemistry and is playing well together. Rick Nash left so he could have a chance to win but his New York Rangers aren't doing so well while the Blue Jackets are climbing up the standings- maybe Rick Nash was the problem in Columbus.

While it remains unknown if the Blue Jackets will actually make the playoffs at this point, I like their odds. They need to continue their hot play and prove they are for real, keep working together as a team and get solid goaltending from Bobrovsky for them to squeak into the playoffs in the West.

“We expect to be in the playoff picture." ~ Mark Letestu

On paper the Blue Jackets are a talented playoff team but on the ice they're playing a like a solid team that isn't afraid of anyone. Right now the Blue Jacket players are playing for the name on the front of their jersey- part of not having any stars- and when you have a team of players sold out to the success of the team, ore than their personal success it's a difficult team to beat.

5 Fan Bases Hurt by the Lockout

 

Other than players signing in Europe or with the KHL there is not much new in terms of hockey, so I've decided to replace the weekly " What You Need to Know" with an idea that was once again  suggested by Jordan. Today we'll be looking at some of the teams whose fans may dump their teams all together after this lockout.

Hockey is Canada's game and for many Canadians hockey is the only professional sport they watch. But in America the NHL isn't nearly as popular. The average American sports fan would rather watch a Monday night football game than a Saturday night hockey game, heck most would rather watch the NCAA than the NHL. Sad but true. This lockout or work stoppage couldn't be happening at a worse time for the league. The NHL was just starting to gain popularity in the US, the Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup and Americans actually tuned in to watch games. Now the NHL is about jeopardize their new found popularity.

If the lockout is going to last look for many fans to turn away from the game and their teams. Some will turn to football or basketball and others will just stop wasting money on their teams. I heard something crazy on the radio last night: The price of a hockey ticket is now more expensive than a NFL ticket! That in itself is not right.

Here's 5 teams whose fan bases will take a major hit because of the lockout.

5. New York Rangers

Right after the Rangers go out and acquire Rick Nash and finally appear to have a team that can challenge for a Stanley Cup the NHL decides it is a good idea to delay the season. Not only is the actually team going to be effected by the lockout but the New York fans may be fast to move on. New York City is a fast paced city the people move around from place to place quickly. Rangers fans that live or are from New York will naturally move on to the next thing if there is no hockey. Plus in New York City there are no shortage of professional sports teams: Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Giants, Jets and the Nets are teams who play or represent New York. The Yankees are the most storied franchise in all of baseball, the Giants just won the SuperBowl and the Jets have added Tim Tebow. With all the excitement following other New York sports franchises the Rangers fan base will take a major hit. Even if Tebow is the backup quarterback he still draws more attention to the Jets than Rick Nash does to the Rangers.

4. Los Angeles Kings



Considering the weather in California, hockey probably isn't on the minds of most Californians. I know it's hard to think that the team that just won theStanley Cup could be in danger of losing fans. Sports fans have very short memories a whole season without hockey and the average American will probably forget who won the last Stanley Cup. Things for people in California to do are endless: They can hit up the beach, tour Hollywood, play golf etc. They can also cheer for one of the 13 other professional sports franchises that call L.A/California home, including the Lakers. For now the Kings have their crown but they may not have the fans. *This also goes for other California hockey teams like the Ducks and Sharks as well.*

3. New York Islanders

Has there been a professional sports team who has done less over the last seven years? The Islanders always seem to find themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Even with John Tavares the Islanders can't seem to get a decent season going. The fans have to be getting fed up of being the laughingstock of the NHL. To boot the team will be up for relocation at the end of the year, thankfully they have an owners who is willing to back the team. But how much more disappointment can the fans take?

2. Columbus Blue Jackets

My heart breaks for the Blue Jackets and the lockout. They lost their franchise player in Rick Nash and got pretty much nothing in return. They were also scheduled to host the All-Star game. It seems nothing can go right for this desperate franchise right now who haven't made the playoffs since 2008. Like the Islanders the Blue Jackets are another team up for possible relocation. With the loss of Nash and the all-star game, what excitement or hope do the fans have left for their team?

1. Phoenix CoyotesPhoenix

While it appear Gary Bettman will fight to the death to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix a lockout wont help. The team filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and is currently owned by the NHL as they can't find anyone to bfan baseuy it and keep it in the desert. The team has been put through so much and already have a limited fan base. If the lockout lasts a full season expect that limited fan base to move on to other things. The Coyotes are also the favourite team for a relocation and whether Bettman likes it or not it will happen. Hockey in the desert is dead and the lockout will only help prove that point. Playing in an empty arena is no fun.

There you have it, 5 teams whose fan bases will take a major hit if the lockout does indeed last a full season. Hopefully Bettman and Fehr can wake up and realize how bad this lockout is for the teams, the fans and the game itself. If there is a full season lockout the NHL will be forever changed.