|
Twas The Day Before the Trade Freeze...rumours and more. |
|
|
|
|
|
The trade freeze hits tomorrow, and you would think that would mean a peaceful Christmas around the Ek house, right? Well the fact of the matter is, the Trade freeze is when some of the most interesting talk actually does take place.
As one GM told me last year, "During these times you can float some ideas around without the fear of some team leveraging your idea. It is a lot like the week before July 1."
There are a few floating around today...
Most seem to focus around Montreal and LA. More on that in a bit. I am expecting to hear from a source around 3pm.
I am also hearing that the Rangers are intensifying their looks at a d-man, and that Liles, Morris, and even Pitkanen are popping up in talks today.
I also think that it will be truly interesting to see how the Sabres react to a healthy defense again. The transition game in Buffalo has always been all about the D.
Here's a little poem I wrote out last night as I was having troubles sleeping.
Twas The Day Before the Trade Freeze...
'Twas the Night Before the trade freeze and all through the league,
not a team was eliminated, not even the Kings
Some RFA's were extended for a decade with care,
With hopes that Lord Stanley soon would be there.
The GMs were nestled all snug in their beds,
While nightmares of offer sheets danced in their heads.
And Jules in her turtleneck and I with my cast,
Had just settled down for a 4pm Talkcast,
When out on the waiver wire there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my iphone to see what was the matter.
And closing the windows I thumbed with such force,
Tore open my emails and IM'd a source.
The sweat off the crest of the new RBK jerseys,
Filled every skate out there all the way down to Hershey.
When, what to my blue-toothed ear should appear,
But a last minute call from two sources drinking beer.
In need of center, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment this one was no trick.
More rapid than the new NHL the rumours they came,
And I typed them, and text'd them, and xm'd them by name.
"Now, Handzus! now, Huet! now, Torres and Marleau!
On, Hossa! on Prucha! on, Jagr and Perreault!
To the top of the draft, the teams made the calls!
Now trade away! trade away! trade away all!"
And then, in a twinkling, I heard of a player
The chances of pawning him off was a prayer.
As I wrote in my blog, and was looking to find ya,
Down the news came on a call from the Regina
It was dressed all in black, from its head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of truths he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a sure-thing to fill holes they lacked.
His skates -- how they twinkled! his wrist-shot how scary!
His arms were like tree-trunks, even teammates were wary!
His quick little move was drawn up like a bow,
And he always made sure to spray goalies with snow.
The mangled up plastic he held tight in his teeth,
And the defence he left spinning round like a wreath.
He had a broad face and defense were mourners,
who shook, when the puck was dumped into the corners.
He was all the team's answers, a right jolly old Canuck,
And the folks in Toronto never dreamed of this luck.
But a solid E4 that I placed with his name,
Soon had the whole website believing again.
The whole world denied it except for a few
and then an hour later, tsn wrote it too,
The whole thing exploded, the phone lines jammed twice,
As Thistel and Boomer had me on Home Ice.
And I spoke what I knew, what I heard, what could be,
And that is when Sportsnet put the blog on TV.
And still we all waited as midnight approached,
My confidence certain, the subject was broached.
And then the call came that the deal wasn't certain,
Perhaps two more teams had opened the curtain.
And I wrote what I wrote that "I wish I knew sooner,
but I have to report this is only...a rumour."
Join the Discussion:
»