Answering your questions about hot trade talk

Though he's yet to live up to his potential, Phil Kessel is solid trade bait for the Bruins. AP

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I get it. You're tired of hearing about deals like Dan Jancevski for Junior Lessard, or Pavel Brendl for a bag of cheese kolaches. Judging by the contents of my mailbag, you want your team to either strap on a new big gun for the postseason, or blow it up with the hope of a brighter tomorrow. So let's talk trades, with just over five weeks to go before the Feb. 26 deadline:

I've heard rumors that the Bruins were willing to trade Phil Kessel for a defenseman. What would it take for the Canucks to snag him?
-- Gary Gee, BC

I'm not sure that's a rumor with real legs as much as it is media speculation emanating out of Boston. Not that it's completely unthinkable, at least given the way I read Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli and his plan to remake the Bruins into a bigger, badder model. Kessel has world-class speed and a shot that's been compared to Brett Hull's, but he doesn't fit that classic Bruin mold. The thinking is that the team needs immediate help on the backline, particularly a transition specialist to play alongside Zdeno Chara and QB the power play, moreso than an undersized, non-physical forward.

I get the thinking, but it seems counterproductive. Though he hasn't exactly lit it up in his first season-and-a-half, Kessel is widely regarded as having the potential to become a 30-goal, first-line winger. That's an impact player, so unless you get an impact player in return -- something along the lines of Nashville's Ryan Suter or, from Vancouver, a package that centers around impressive rookie Alexander Edler, maybe -- trading Kessel at this point doesn't add up for a team that has struggled to light the lamp.

I'm a passive Sabres fan (the Wings are my favorites) because I really liked the kind of team they put together. I'm starting to wonder how much longer that's going to last, though. The way they're handling Brian Campbell seems like a repeat of what happened last year with the Chris Drury and Daniel Briere negotiations. Do they trade him now or what?
-- Drew Jeffries, Wisconsin

Darcy Regier's been vocal about not dealing his top defenseman, but really, what choice does he have after Campbell put an end to extension talks this week?

A gifted two-way backliner, Campbell could become one of the most sought-after UFAs at the end of the season. While he said he didn't want the contract talks to create a distraction, that comes off as a fan-friendly way of saying that he wants to keep his options open. And who can blame him? Someone out there is likely to pay him considerably more than the Sabres.

That has to be incredibly frustrating for Buffalo's fans. This team looks nothing like the club that emerged as a legitimate Cup contender two years ago, primarily because of Regier's inability to take care of his core players. He apparently learned nothing about timely negotiating from losing Briere and Drury last summer, so now he's left with two options: roll the dice and hope to take care of Campbell after the playoffs, or return some value on an asset that might walk away in July.

Buffalo looks like a good bet to make the postseason, but will be hard-pressed to win a round, with or without Campbell. With Thomas Vanek already on the books for $7 million, and Ryan Miller set for a big payday next year, moving Campbell makes sense.

The key to salvaging Buffalo's mess may be a quick strike. There's little doubt that the Lightning will want to move Dan Boyle soon after he returns in the next couple of weeks from wrist surgery that has cost him virtually the entire season. There's no telling what kind of shape he'll be in, but adding him to the field of rentals that already includes Rob Blake likely drives down the price. Should be an interesting couple of weeks in Buffalo.

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