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It's a period in the season holding various meanings for the 30 franchises in the league.

For some it's the hunt for that last piece of the puzzle they feel they need to put them in a position to make that drive for the playoffs and take a run at the Cup.

Others see it as their final chance to look outside the organization for someone to step in for an injured player, or to grab an insurance policy in the event such an event occurs.

Some use it as a chance to stock up on draft picks, either adding to what they have or replenishing what they have traded away.

There are also those who have accepted the fact that their season is effectively over and use this time to prepare for the next season by dumping salary to use come the beginning of free agency or by acquiring role players to build around come next season.

Whatever position your team is in there is no denying that the lead up to the trade deadline is a time where, behind only the draft and the initial few weeks of free agency, more future courses are set for the league franchises. Indeed, many teams have been made or broken on the basis of "deadline deals".

Take March 10, 1980 for instance. On this day, 24 hours shy of the deadline, the NY Islanders obtained center Butch Goring from the LA Kings in what is viewed as the deal that tipped the scales for the Islanders as they went on to win four consecutive Stanley Cups.

Fast forward 11 years and we have the multi-player deal that saw Ron Francis land in Pittsburgh from Hartford, a move that gave the Pens the extra scoring depth that lead them to championships in 1991 and '92.

More recently there was the 2006 deadline day deal that saw Edmonton acquire goaltender Dwayne Roloson from Minnesota. The Oilers rode on the back of Roloson's stellar play down the stretch and into the playoffs becoming the 1st number eight seed to get to the Stanley Cup finals before ultimately losing to Carolina in a seven game series.

How about prospects? Look no further than deals made by Tampa Bay with San Jose and Calgary on the 1998 deadline that in addition to players included a first and third round pick, respectively. Who were chosen with those picks? Vincent Lecvallier and Brad Richards, centerpieces of the team's 2006 Stanley Cup winning roster.

Rewind 17 years to 1981 and there's also the deal that saw Buffalo obtain LA's first round choice in 1983 who was none other than stud high school goalie Tom Barasso. This wouldn't be so bad if the Sabres hadn't also grabbed a 1982 first round pick from the Kings at the 1980 deadline which they turned into Bufflo mainstay Phil Housley.

All of the aforementioned moves and picks, as well as tonnes of others that haven't been mentioned, have had significant impacts on both the team and in some cases the league as a whole. With that in mind I pose to you a very broad and subjective "What If?":


"What if" #18: "Team X" had NOT made move "Y" leading up to/at the deadline?


Make this your own folks! If you're an Islanders fan, do you think you're an early 80s dynasty if Goring doesn't come over from LA? Lightning fan? Where are TBay right now if they only get one of Vinny or Brad? What if they landed neither one of those picks? What about any one of the multitude of deals we didn't even mention here? What could have been the most disastrous non-deal of all teams in your opinion?

As per usual there is no concrete answer to questions like these, but part of being a fan is being able to hypothesize about the unknown and have fun doing it. So have at it people. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!


Shawn Gates
[email protected]
Twitter: ShawnHockeybuzz
Facebook: Shawn Gates

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Visit us at www.hockeyden.net for a tribute to Canada box break of 07-08 ITG Oh Canada! Watch and win a prize!

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Previous “WHAT IF…?” Articles

#1 What If The NHL Contracted To 24 Teams?

#2 What If Quebec Traded Lindros To The Rangers Instead Of The Flyers?

#3 What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?

#3a What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?: A RESPONSE

#4 What If The WHA Never Existed?

#5 What If The Position Of Rover Had Not Been Eliminated?

#6 What If Pittsburgh Had Not Been Awarded A Team In 1967?

#7 What If Steve Smith Had Not Scored In His Own Net In Game 7?

#8 What If The NHL Had a Cross-Conference Playoff Structure?

#9 What If The NHL Asked For Fan Ideas For Improving The Game??

#10 What If Henderson Had Missed The Net In Game 8?

#11 What If You Could Sneak Into A Stanley Cup Celebration?

#12 What If The NHL Returned To Quebec City?

#13 What if Toronto and Edmonton Had Traded Teams in 1981?

#14 What if You Could Create Your Own Hockey Dream Team?

#15 What if An Active Player in the NHL “Came Out” as Gay?

#16 You Could Assemble Your Own Fantasy Pick-up Hockey Team?

#17 Hockey Had A Champions League Tournament?



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#7: Don Cherry

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