Active Toronto aggressively pursues Cup with bold moves
Posted: Wednesday March 12, 2003 1:24 AM
The busiest trade deadline in NHL history featured 24 deals involving 46 players. How crazy was it? Over the previous 23 years, there were an average of 12 deals involving 20 players. Here is a breakdown of each team's moves and a grade for their activity in the week leading up to the trade deadline.
Rob Niedermayer could benefit from a change of scenery after two subpar seasons in Calgary. Steve Thomas doesn't contribute much offensively anymore, but Stumpy probably will score an ugly goal or two at a crucial time for the Ducks. Anaheim only had to give up two players from their minor league system and a draft pick, so they paid a fair market value.
Grade: B
For the first time in their four-year history, the Thrashers didn't dump at the deadline. Atlanta surprisingly held on to unrestricted free agent Slava Kozlov, who they will try to keep in the offseason with a long-term deal. The Thrashers did lock up captain Shawn McEachern to a multiyear contract, preventing him from becoming a UFA this summer. Sending Richard Smehlik to New Jersey on Tuesday returned only a fourth-round pick, but Atlanta just wanted to get rid of the disappointing Smehlik. By dealing Smehlik, general manager Don Waddell cleared room to look at prospect Garnet Exelby the rest of the way.
Grade: C+
Neither Dan McGillis nor Ian Moran will get people excited in Beantown, but they upgrade the Bruins' top-six defensemen. Having given up their second- and fourth-round picks in the deals, the Bruins and general manager Mike O'Connell will be quiet at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Grade: B
Anybody left in Buffalo? Captain Stu Barnes and Chris Gratton leave a significant dent in the Sabres' top four lines, while Rob Ray will be missed as much in the community as on the ice. Daniel Briere was the only actual warm body they got back, though the draft picks acquired from Dallas and Phoenix over the next two years will help this organization rebuild with younger, cheaper players. And at least general manager Darcy Regier had the good sense to hang onto Miroslav Satan and Alexei Zhitnik. Without them, the team would've had a hard time marketing itself to fans next year.
Grade: D
Jarome Iginla is still in Calgary, so that alone makes it a successful deadline day for Flames fans. The Flames committed themselves to an up-tempo pace by acquiring speedy wingers Dean McAmmond and Shean Donovan. McAmmond never fit in with the Avs after starting the season injured, but he will be welcomed back happily in Cowtown where he likely will be reunited with Iginla and Craig Conroy. Donovan essentially will replace Niedermayer, who was sent to Anaheim for youngsters Mike Commodore and J.F. Damphousse.
Grade: B-
The 2002-03 version of Bates Battaglia looked nothing like the confident forward who helped create last season's BBC Line sensation in Raleigh. Radim Vrbata could be the Hurricanes' No. 1 right winger next season and has 30-goal potential. 'Canes general manager Jim Rutherford also did well to get a second-round pick from the Leafs for aging Glen Wesley, who Carolina wouldn't have re-signed this summer.
Grade: B+
The exodus from the Windy City sent four veteran players packing, yielding Sami Helenius and four 2003 picks in return. Sergei Berezin has just 29 goals in the past 136 games after averaging 25 per season in his five seasons in Toronto. Phil Housley still can move the puck on the back line, but he was punished as much for being with Theo Fleury during the infamous January strip club incident as anything else. Steve Thomas and Lyle Odelein didn't contribute much this season and likely wouldn't have been brought back. But Chicago's biggest headache, Fleury, is still around and the Blackhawks are on the books for $4.5 million to Mighty Mouse for next season.
Grade: D
Where was the usual Pierre Lacroix magic? Not only was there not a Ray Bourque or Rob Blake, but there wasn't even a Fleury or Darius Kasparaitis in this year's Avs deadline class. Bryan Marchment gives a tough presence as the sixth defenseman, but will only be a plus if he can avoid taking silly penalties or getting suspended for a cheap knee-to-knee hit. Ah, they can't all be blockbuster deadline days, but Avs fans have to be disappointed in giving up big-potential Vrbata for a third-line player like Battaglia.
Grade: C-
The Jackets stayed pretty quiet near the deadline, unloading right wing Grant Marshall to the Devils on Monday, but surprisingly hanging on to Geoff Sanderson, Ray Whitney and Andrew Cassels. GM Doug MacLean needs to lock up pending UFAs Sanderson and Whitney to new deals or his failure to trade them will turn into a big mistake.
Grade: C
They say everything is bigger in Texas and that goes for expectations, too. GM Doug Armstrong didn't do anything extraordinary, but getting veteran Stu Barnes from the Sabres for prospect Mike Ryan and a second-round pick is a steal. The Odelein-for-Helenius deal basically gave them a more experienced and better skating sixth defenseman, while sacrificing some size. Another big bopper like Teemu Selanne or Whitney would've been a nice luxury for a Cup-contending team, but the Stars did as well as anybody by adding depth to an already great team.
Grade: A-
Mathieu Schneider came at a premium price, but the Wings' blue line looks scary good now. Detroit's depth on defense is impressive and will be even more so if Jiri Fischer comes back healthy. Sean Avery and Maxim Kuznetsov might be missed more two years down the road than they are now, but Schneider may have hoisted the Cup twice more by then.
Grade: B+
For a team in playoff position, the Oilers underwent a dramatic last-minute makeover. Losing Anson Carter and Janne Niinimaa puts a dent in their power play, but Radek Dvorak, Brad Isbister and Raffi Torres give them three speedy young wingers who could excel offensively on the fast ice at the Skyreach Centre. Dvorak really could emerge playing with a crafty playmaker like Mike Comrie. Ales Pisa for Cory Cross is probably a wash, though the Oilers got the older, less-skilled player in that portion of the swap with the Rangers.
Grade: B-
The average age of the Panthers is now 19.2 and the team payroll will be a tidy $4.83 million next season. OK, so that's stretching the truth a wee bit, but if GM Rick Dudley had his way, that would probably be the case. The Panthers' best move was ridding themselves of Valeri Bure -- though Candace Cameron will be missed. Mike Van Ryn probably won't ever be a top-four defenseman, but he should be a regular for a few years... or until Dudley cleans house again. Darcy Hordichuk is a brawler who can team with Peter Worrell to form a fearsome fourth line. Pascal Trepanier will be a spare blueliner and Simon Lajeunesse replaces Wade Flaherty as a younger netminder in the minors.
Grade: C+
The Kings cut a ton of salary and got a whole lot younger with their deals. Bryan Smolinski was hot lately, but he wasn't going to be re-signed. Getting the Sens to give up prospect Tim Gleason was a coup. GM Dave Taylor also got a ton from the Wings in exchange for Mathieu Schneider. Sean Avery will be a great third-line pest and quickly will endear himself to the Staples Center crowd. Maxim Kuznetsov will be a fifth or sixth defenseman. But the real steal of their deals is getting extra first- and fourth-round pick in this year's draft, as well as second- and seventh-round picks in the 2004 draft.
Grade: B
Not much to report here, as the Wild played it close to the vest. GM Doug Risebrough said he was going to keep the current team together and didn't want to jeopardize the young core the team plans to build around. True to his word, Minnesota acquired minor league goalie Johan Holmqvist from the Rangers for defenseman Lawrence Nycholat.
Grade: C
Montreal gave up forwards Doug Gilmour and Oleg Petrov, but neither were among its top six, so they are replaceable. Worst of all, the Habs still have Patrice Brisebois on their roster. Well, that is unless he's snuck off to Paris when we weren't looking.
Grade: D
The Preds' big deadline moves from their first playoff hunt are Flaherty and Alex Riazantsev. Nashville was rumored to be interested in Gratton, but fell short on that one when it refused to deal some of its top young talent. GM David Poile didn't really go after it, but he was prudent and safe, knowing that brighter days lie ahead for this team.
Grade: C-
The Devils were thought to interested in Selanne and Whitney, but neither ended up being traded. New Jersey improved its depth and size with Marshall and Smehlik, but neither will be more than bit players in the postseason.
Grade: C
GM Mike Milbury has never been bashful about making trades, though they always haven't worked out so well from the Isles' perspective. Dealing Osgood was a good move to open up the job for Rick DiPietro. Randy Robitaille will be a good third-line forward. And the addition of Janne Niinimaa on the blue line gives New York one of the best, most physical defense corps in the league. The Isles had been down on underachieving Brad Isbister for a long time, and Raffi Torres never emerged like they hoped he would.
Grade: B+
It wouldn't be a trade deadline without the Blueshirts making a big deal. And GM Glen Sather continued to tweak his fantasy hockey team by dealing Dvorak for the more consistent Carter. New York is likely to plug Carter in to Dvorak's old spot on Bobby Holik's right wing, so Carter will have a big, rugged center to help clear space for him.
Grade: B
The Sens gave up their top prospect to get Smolinski, but they are playing for now, not for the future. The pressure will be on GM John Muckler to keep Smoke in Ottawa when he hits free agency on July 1. Rob Ray will protect the Sens' soft European forwards so that enforcers like Tie Domi don't put beatings on them as he did to Magnus Arvedson last week.
Grade: B+
The Flyers made the most bold move by snagging Tony Amonte from the Coyotes for Guillaume Lefebvre and two draft picks. Philly hopes a reunion with good buddy Jeremy Roenick can jumpstart Amonte and bring him out of his season-long scoring funk. For good measure, as the deadline neared, Clarke acquired son-in-law Peter White from the Blackhawks for future considerations. White had been playing for the Philadelphia Phantoms in the AHL on loan from the Norfolk Admirals, so he'll just have to walk across the street if he makes the Flyers' big club for any games.
Grade: B+
The Coyotes' bevy of moves are best looked at in one lump sum. In: Brad Ference, Gratton, Jan Hrdina and Francois Leroux. Out: Ramzi Abid, Amonte, Briere, Dan Focht, Hordichuk, Guillaume Lefebvre and Brad May. The outs win that battle in a landslide. If not for the draft picks, this would rate an F for GM Mike Barnett.
Grade: D
Ouch. Even when teams dump salary they don't admit it. They come up with flowery language to make their excuses for dumping talented players sound better. Penguins GM Craig Patrick admitted Tuesday: "We're in a survival mode." That can't be what fans want to hear. Of the players Pittsburgh got back in its four deals, only Abid is skilled enough to be a big scorer. Micki Dupont will entertain fans with his short-guy-who-hits-a-lot routine, but Mattias Johansson, Matt Bradley and Brian Holzinger are checking-line forwards at best, while Focht is an ordinary rearguard.
Grade: F
St. Louis filled its major hole ... kind of. The Blues really wanted Sean Burke, but they wisely refused to give in to the Coyotes' demands for Calder Trophy candidate Barret Jackman. GM Larry Pleau had to settle for Chris Osgood, who has a reputation for playoff mediocrity despite having backstopped the Wings to the Stanley Cup. Losing Justin Papineau and Van Ryn will hurt in the future, especially if Bure doesn't return to his 20-goal form. In an attempt to help him recapture the past, St. Louis probably will team him with former Calgary linemate Cory Stillman.
Grade: C+
How the mighty have fallen. Chosen by many to contend for the Stanley Cup this season, the Sharks instead fell to near the bottom of the league and embarked on a fire sale. Getting Alyn McCauley, Brad Boyes and first-round pick for Owen Nolan was a good deal by Dean Lombardi, but he might've been able to hold out for more if he kept Nolan until closer to the deadline. The Sharks will also have a additional second-, third- and fifth-round picks in this year's draft thanks to the McGillis and Marchment deals. Just one year after being one win away from the Western Conference finals, the men in teal are barely recognizable.
Grade: B
The Lightning must know something the rest of us don't if they think Marc Bergevin and Janne Laukkanen are going to fill the hole on their blueline. GM Jay Feaster didn't want to give up Nikita Alexeev, Sheldon Keefe, Alexander Polushin or Alexander Svitov, so naturally he didn't get anything valuable back in return.
Grade: C
Pat Quinn shred his reputation of being a passive GM with a four-move flurry in the week leading up to the deadline. In the past seven days the Leafs have added Gilmour, Housley, Wesley and Nolan, while giving up only McCauley off their roster. Sure they will miss Boyes down the road and will have a lot of time to goof off on draft day after trading four picks, but no team made a bigger splash than Toronto.
Grade: A
May is a gritty player who will add toughness to the Canucks' fourth line, but Brian Burke should've gone for broke and acquired a top-six forward like Vincent Damphousse or Smolinski. With how close they are this season, it would've made sense to send some futures packing to plug the few holes on this very talented team.
Grade: C-
The Capitals were thought to be looking to dump salary despite leading the Southeast Division. Peter Bondra, Jaromir Jagr and Robert Lang were all rumored to be available for the right price, which luckily for Caps fans wasn't met. It would've been a sham to have a division leader trade away any of its top-six forwards. Instead, Washington took on payroll by adding Sergei Berezin and his $2.2 million salary from the Blackhawks for a 2004 fourth-round pick. Berezin can be an unrestricted free agent, though, so his stay in D.C. might not be long.
Grade: C
Jon A. Dolezar covers the NHL for SI.com.
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Rob Niedermayer could benefit from a change of scenery after two subpar seasons in Calgary. Steve Thomas doesn't contribute much offensively anymore, but Stumpy probably will score an ugly goal or two at a crucial time for the Ducks. Anaheim only had to give up two players from their minor league system and a draft pick, so they paid a fair market value.
For the first time in their four-year history, the Thrashers didn't dump at the deadline. Atlanta surprisingly held on to unrestricted free agent Slava Kozlov, who they will try to keep in the offseason with a long-term deal. The Thrashers did lock up captain Shawn McEachern to a multiyear contract, preventing him from becoming a UFA this summer. Sending Richard Smehlik to New Jersey on Tuesday returned only a fourth-round pick, but Atlanta just wanted to get rid of the disappointing Smehlik. By dealing Smehlik, general manager Don Waddell cleared room to look at prospect Garnet Exelby the rest of the way.
Neither Dan McGillis nor Ian Moran will get people excited in Beantown, but they upgrade the Bruins' top-six defensemen. Having given up their second- and fourth-round picks in the deals, the Bruins and general manager Mike O'Connell will be quiet at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Anybody left in Buffalo? Captain Stu Barnes and Chris Gratton leave a significant dent in the Sabres' top four lines, while Rob Ray will be missed as much in the community as on the ice. Daniel Briere was the only actual warm body they got back, though the draft picks acquired from Dallas and Phoenix over the next two years will help this organization rebuild with younger, cheaper players. And at least general manager Darcy Regier had the good sense to hang onto Miroslav Satan and Alexei Zhitnik. Without them, the team would've had a hard time marketing itself to fans next year.
Jarome Iginla is still in Calgary, so that alone makes it a successful deadline day for Flames fans. The Flames committed themselves to an up-tempo pace by acquiring speedy wingers Dean McAmmond and Shean Donovan. McAmmond never fit in with the Avs after starting the season injured, but he will be welcomed back happily in Cowtown where he likely will be reunited with Iginla and Craig Conroy. Donovan essentially will replace Niedermayer, who was sent to Anaheim for youngsters Mike Commodore and J.F. Damphousse.
The 2002-03 version of Bates Battaglia looked nothing like the confident forward who helped create last season's BBC Line sensation in Raleigh. Radim Vrbata could be the Hurricanes' No. 1 right winger next season and has 30-goal potential. 'Canes general manager Jim Rutherford also did well to get a second-round pick from the Leafs for aging Glen Wesley, who Carolina wouldn't have re-signed this summer.
The exodus from the Windy City sent four veteran players packing, yielding Sami Helenius and four 2003 picks in return. Sergei Berezin has just 29 goals in the past 136 games after averaging 25 per season in his five seasons in Toronto. Phil Housley still can move the puck on the back line, but he was punished as much for being with Theo Fleury during the infamous January strip club incident as anything else. Steve Thomas and Lyle Odelein didn't contribute much this season and likely wouldn't have been brought back. But Chicago's biggest headache, Fleury, is still around and the Blackhawks are on the books for $4.5 million to Mighty Mouse for next season.
Where was the usual Pierre Lacroix magic? Not only was there not a Ray Bourque or Rob Blake, but there wasn't even a Fleury or Darius Kasparaitis in this year's Avs deadline class. Bryan Marchment gives a tough presence as the sixth defenseman, but will only be a plus if he can avoid taking silly penalties or getting suspended for a cheap knee-to-knee hit. Ah, they can't all be blockbuster deadline days, but Avs fans have to be disappointed in giving up big-potential Vrbata for a third-line player like Battaglia.
The Jackets stayed pretty quiet near the deadline, unloading right wing Grant Marshall to the Devils on Monday, but surprisingly hanging on to Geoff Sanderson, Ray Whitney and Andrew Cassels. GM Doug MacLean needs to lock up pending UFAs Sanderson and Whitney to new deals or his failure to trade them will turn into a big mistake.
