Well at this point I'm a bit over loaded on all the hockey fun of today. So here are the bullet points of my thoughts on today with some responses to the comments that David Poile made today to 104.5 the Zone earlier.
- For the second year in a row I'm left with the thought of, "What happens if one of the few consistent scoring forwards for Nashville gets hurt? They miss the playoffs probably." Again, the Preds did not add any offensive depth. Dustin Boyd replaces what the Preds gave away by putting Ryan Jones through waivers.
- Franson and Sulzer sent down to Milwaukee. Why not do this yesterday in order to not expose Jones to the waiver wire? The only thing I can figure is that there was a gentleman's agreement as apart of the Grebeshkov deal that the Preds would put Jones on waivers and allow the Oilers to pick him up. Even that doesn't entirely make sense.
- in his interview with the Zone, Poile stated that Hamhuis asked the team not to trade him. Interesting. All I can say is that Hamhuis should continue the play he had last night the rest of this season in order to thank David Poile for the favor.
- Boyd will likely get jostled around in the 3rd and 4th line roles much like Ryan Jones did. In fact, based on this Poile quote I would have to think that he was not even acquired for a scoring role.
"When we were going thru the analysis of this thing and through the preparation the name that was brought up was a Vern Fiddler. I think that fits him to a T. It's a guy that has some speed, he's got some energy, and a little bit of a spark. He can play left wing, right wing, or center. He can play up and down your lineup. He kills penalties. I just think he's a useful player. He's a little like a Jerred Smithson if you will. It's a move that may not get a lot of fan fare. Also it's a depth question. We lost Ryan Jones on waivers today and I think that was a good recovery getting Dustin Boyd."
- If you ask me, the Preds made their D a little better, but the offensive threat is the same. That was their weakness, not defense. Saying that Boyd is a Fiddler/Smithson type player is all fine and good but that's not what you needed to make the playoffs. The Preds have enough grinders as it is but yet again go through a deadline without filling the glaring hole known as a "proven scoring forward."
- Not surprising that Poile considered recalling Colin Wilson apart of their moves.
- The Preds may have the deepest blueline in the league now. They'll need to keep the score down each night out in order to stay in the playoff hunt.
- For now, I don't think the Preds made any vast improvements today. The Grebeshkov move may give the blueline a little offensive pop down the stretch. The real hope is that he can improve the man advantage. Boyd may prove to be a solid penalty killer and that would be a positive to the acquisition. That said, unless Boyd suddenly sparks some offense, it doesn't seem like the Preds made a bold step forward.
- All the pressure will be on the top two lines if this team is going to score enough goals to reach the playoffs. We'll see what occurs. Looking at what some of the other Western Conf teams did (especially Phoenix) just shows that the teams behind Nashville will be gunning for them. It all starts against L.A. tomorrow.
3:00 - Looks like the deals are done. The Preds add Dustin Boyd from the Calgary Flames. He is listed as a 23 year old forward who plays both center and wing. Currently has a one way contract worth 650k and is an RFA at the end of this season. This season he has 60 games played, 8 goals, 11 assists, and only 15 penalty minutes. My plan is to do listen to David Poile on 104.5 the Zone at 3:30 and hear what his comments are. I'll pass those along with my final thoughts within the hour. Thanks for hanging with me today.
2:00 - Deadline is here and just minutes before it TSN's Bob McKenzie reported the Preds will hang onto Dan Hamhuis. I will reserve comment until all trades have been completed around 2:30 when other deals have been announced.
12:20 - The latest deal to know about involved the Coyotes again. This time they deal with the Colorado Avalanche. The Yotes acquire Wojtek Wolski and send the Avs Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. A pretty good hockey deal here that I think is a win for both teams, although it may be a better deal for the Avs in the long term. Colorado is currently 6th in the West just 3 points ahead of Nashville. To me, this is the type of deal that should get the Pred tires moving if they weren't already.
11:15 - TSN's Bob McKenzie reports that Ryan Jones was picked up on waivers by the Edmonton Oilers. Go ahead and begin the Peverley comparisons. I truly wish Jonesy the best and hope he gets a real opportunity to show off his game with the Oilers. It's too bad that the Preds essentially wasted Jones time.
11:05 - In the Western Conference so far this morning it has been a few Pacific Division teams that have made moves. The Phoenix Coyotes acquired Derek Morris from the Boston Bruins for a 4th round pick in 2011. This just helps bolster the depth at D for the Coyotes. Also, the Anaheim Ducks jumped in as a buyer (which may be a surprise to some) and picked up Aaron Ward from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 4th Round pick (Either 2010 or 2011) and goaltending prospect Justin Pogge. Phoenix currently sits in 5th with 79 points. The Anaheim move is one that could cause the 6th thru 12th place teams in the West to make a move. The Ducks are currently in 11th with 67 points, just 3 points behind Detroit in 8th and 6 points behind the Predators in 7th.
Here it is boys and girls. Trade Deadline Day. A day that deserves your full attention as a hockey fan. Also, if you are a Preds fan, this year I would define it as a day that could make or break your playoff chances. Don't believe me? Anybody else remember last year when I was basically the only media member to complain about the lack of gaining a depth forward at the Deadline in case of injuries? How'd that work out again?
Moving on to this year, it has to be considered the Hamhuis watch here in Nashville. The "will they or won't they trade him" question still looms. While my fellow media member John Glennon of the Tennessean put in his post-game blog thoughts that he does not think Hamhuis will get moved (read that here: Postgame Ponderings), I respectfully disagree. I think yesterday was the last game for Dan Hamhuis in a Preds sweater.
I fully discussed the situation with Eklund on his Rumor Cast last night. Most of you in Nashville are fully aware of the situation so let me add this one paragraph of speculation (and this is speculation not some sort of inside knowledge in this case) as to how things have played out.
To me, David Poile is playing this situation perfectly. You make the move for Grebeshkov that way when you move Hamhuis you still have what you need on the defensive back end after teh trade. You then of course don't admit to the media that Hamhuis is on his way out because that decreases his value. Now, you have a bidding war for Hamhuis. By the way, if both Kaberle and Niedermayer are truly off the market that only make Hamhuis that much more valuable. So, as we get closer to the deadline Poile is more and more likely to be able to pull a top 6 forward, and maybe even replace that 2nd round pick used for Grebeshkov in a trade.
To me, this deadline will be a very reactionary one. What I mean by that is that due to the vagueness of which teams are buyers and sellers in both Conferences, many teams that are in that 4 to 12 range will almost have to make moves when those around them do. That will make for some very interesting times.
So, with that said, I will continue to update this blog with moves that I feel have an impact on the teams battling with the Preds for a playoff spot. All updates will go to the top of the page. I'll also be active in the comments section of this blog and of course pass along a fair amount of info on my Twitter feed. So buckle up, join in, and enjoy this day with me.
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