One week to go kids! I am working on the Trade Rumor Chart today and will have a full update later on. It is amazing how what NJ did yesterday has such a ripple effect on the entire hockey planet...The chart is always a good gauge of this...
Yesterday, New Jersey's interim GM Tom Fitzgerald, had what all I am talking to are calling a killer day. The two trades most definitely helped down the line and the return on Andy Greene was called "ridiculous" by some I spoke to. There is no doubt, on paper, Greene isn't worth what the Isles put forth, but this wasn't an "on paper" kind of deal and Lou Lamoriello knew what he wanted and got it with Greene. Landing an experienced defender, a captain, who is every bit an old school Lou's Devils player could be the difference between one and three/four rounds in the playoffs... Also, the teaching Greene brings to the Devils young D is invaluable...This is one of those trades where both sides could actually make out like bandits.
It is the Coleman trade however that will really help define the next week for all of us who love hockey trade rumors.. Not because the Devils got alot, but because the Tampa Lightning, already looking like the best team in the NHL, got better and incredibly deeper still. This Tampa team, in the midst of their second ten-game winning streak of the season (something that hasn't been don in FIFTY years), has just turned up the heat on the other top teams in the NHL.
On the Bruins...
The most obviously affected team is the Boston Bruins. The Bruins want to add a serious player, and the best player they could add would be local kid Chris Kreider. Until yesterday they weren't seriously looking that way because of cap issues.. and those cap issues basically come down to David Backes. Now, I am getting from at least four different sources that the Bruins would move their first-round pick along with Backes, and suddenly a few teams (Like NJ and Detroit) might look a this as intriguing. And maybe even the Rangers would directly get involved.
On the Blues...
The Blues have been on a huge downswing lately, dropping 5 in a row, and of course still trying to make sense out of the Jay Bouwmeester heart condition. The Blues are going to be aggressive, at least I know teams have called the Blues expecting them to be aggressive...and yet so far they are pretty much standing pat. Some would say that Faulk was already their big move for the year.. Every rumor that is out there involving St. Louis is coming from the other side so far...This is a tell tale sign of a team that people expect to want to make a move but isn't going to...yet.
They got stung in the Blake Coleman deal and they really thought they had him at one point yesterday...But they are focused on several fronts...They have looked hard at Pageau and even Jonathan Drouin...but yesterday all the talk centered around Ryan Miller. The Avs can score huge goals but have probably suffered more than any other team from goaltending. Not bad overall goaltending, just not getting key saves at key times....
On Washington...
The Caps, like the Blues, have seen recent Cup success and because of this they are acting like a team that is more confident in what they currently have on their roster. The Penguins are gaining on them and getting better..Teams in your own division tend to take note of that more than outside the division...even though the playoffs are really a Conference game...
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