Names and picks are likely to fly in Columbus

	Teams that need a solid No. 1 netminder can pitch a deal for the Wild's Manny Fernandez. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
	MAILBAG Submit a comment or question for Allan. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

The talk around Columbus, the site of the NHL Entry Draft, is that there will be a considerable amount of wheeling and dealing this weekend, and it won't just be anonymous picks swapping hands as teams try to move up in the draft order.

A number of big-name players could change sweaters, and the buzz of the moment surrounds Tampa Bay's Brad Richards. That his name would surface is no surprise to anyone who follows the Lightning -- the former Conn Smythe- winner has been in the middle of similar rumors for much of the past two seasons. But the main impediment to any deal in the past -- the $7.8 million hit over each of the next four years -- isn't quite as onerous now that the cap is expected to rise to somewhere from $48 to $50 million. That means someone actually might bite this time.

With the Flyers letting everybody know they're in the market for a No. 1 center, Philadelphia seems like the most likely landing spot. The second overall pick they're holding would be the centerpiece of any package. That would be appealing since Tampa Bay traded away its own first-rounder to Anaheim in the Shane O'Brien deal. Ideally the Lightning would also like to add a second-line scoring winger and a proven netminder in this deal, but those are quantities Philly doesn't have to give them. Tampa might look to flip what they do acquire (Joni Pitkanen's name has come up) to fill specific holes, but they're more likely to fill them through free agency, thanks to the cap space that a Richards deal would free up.

There's a dearth of quality goalies available in the draft, so a team might prefer to shave a few years off the development process by trading for one of several interesting net prospects who might be available, including Al Montoya of the Rangers and Cory Schneider of the Canucks. Both are former first-rounders with No. 1 potential who are spinning their wheels behind young but established franchise stoppers in Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo, respectively. Hannu Toivonen of the Bruins might also be available, since his position as the franchise's future was usurped when Boston acquired Tuukka Rask from Toronto at the 2006 draft.

Of course none of those three is ready to step into the No. 1 role in 2007-08. Teams seeking immediate goaltending help (Florida, Boston, Los Angeles and Phoenix) could be ready to swap assets for Manny Fernandez or Ilya Bryzgalov. The Leafs acquired Vesa Toskala from the Sharks for three draft picks just hours before the draft, while the Predators sent Tomas Vokoun to the Panthers for a trio of picks.

Other possible trade bait includes Colorado RFA Marek Svatos, Dallas grinder Steve Ott and Boston winger Glen Murray, whose $4 million cap hit would better be spent toward a legitimate No. 1 netminder.