9:34 am EST: I'm up, I'm up! It may be 9:30 for most of the readers out there, but here in Calgary, its a tad bit earlier, so bear with me.
Wake up, put on the coffee, and of course the tube. The TSN guys have already been on here 11 hours, and have all hands on deck. The Reporters, Panger, Barnaby, Pierre, Mad Mike, and of course JFJ. Its funny, Milbury and Ferguson are sitting beside each other. Two of the worst General Managers in recent history, and TSN couldn't wait to get them both on T.V.
Anyways, on to the trades... well there haven't been any. There was one yesterday however, as Vinny Prospal was sent to the Flyers for a pick and maybe the Flyers' best defensive prospect, Alexandre Picard. I think its gonna be a firesale today out of Tampa Bay. Dan Boyle won't be part of it though, he signed a six year extension with the Bolts yesterday.
The Flyers will be big players today. They have been decimated with injuries, and are holding onto the last playoff spot in the East of right now. They won last night in Buffalo to halt a 10 game losing streak.
The big news of the day yesterday was the Return of Foppa. Just a week after everybody on this side of the pond wrote the story off, Peter Forsberg is back in the NHL, and returns the team he had the most success with, the Colorado Avalanche. Not too surprising.
The only other news out of Monday was that Darryl Sutter said he would not trade uber-softy Alex Tanguay. I don't know why anybody would want him anyway, the guy plays like his 4 feet tall and made of glass.
Thats all for now, I'm going to get my coffee.
9:53am EST: Now it looks like John Paddock is on the outs in Ottawa. The writing on the wall seems to be the 5-0 loss to the powerhouse Leafs last night. I questioned the coaching move at the start of the season, but this is still surprising, given the Sens success this year. The Sens have two back up goalies right now, thats their problem. Dwayne Roloson anybody?
10:08am EST: For some reason I switch to Sportsnet, and theres good old Bill Waters, talking yet again about his time with Leafs. He was talking about his time with the Leafs at deadline day and the host (who's name I don't know, because its Sportsnet), asks "How many Cups did you win during that span?" Bill's answers? "We don't measure it by Cups." These are your leaders, Leaf fans.
10:12am EST: Resident hockey genius Al Strachan is on The Score. Al is the only man who can make
this guy look smart.
10:17am EST: I'm heading to the shower. Maybe by the time I get out, something will happen. Cleanliness is important. Good lesson for all you kids and young parents out there.
10:46am EST: What did I miss? Ah, the first trade of the day. The Devils trade tough guy Cam Janssen to the Blues for stay-at-home defenceman Bryce Salvador. Salvador will add depth on the blueline for the Devils, never a bad thing. And Janssen is a St. Louis native. TSN gets him on the phone and he's happy as hell.
10:51am EST: I wonder what time I'll finally brush my teeth today?
10:54am EST: So lets take a look at the big names in play out there. First and foremost obviously, is Marian Hossa. The Senators and Canadiens appear to be the front runners. The Thrashers are in Montreal tonight, and it looks like the Habs are the favourites to land the sniping winger. A sniping winger who has been a playoff choke artist.
Brad Richards may be on his way to Dallas, but the Canucks and Blue Jackets are in the running as well. If this guy could ever get back to the form he was in when he led the Lightning to the Cup, he would be the prize of Deadline Day. Right now though, he is far from that player.
And finally, Olli Jokinen of the Panthers. If he played anywhere else but Florida, this guy would be talked about a lot more. He is a solid leader, clutch player, and consistent. He also provides grit that a lot of his European counterparts don't. The loser of the Hossa sweepstakes gets this guy I think.
11:05am EST: We should also mention Brian Campbell of the Sabres. Forget Rob Blake, Campbell is the blueliner i would be coveting the most if I were an NHL G.M today. He will be a member of the 2010 Canadian Olympic team. The Sharks, Avs, and Penguins are all interested in this guy. Pierre Maguire seems to think he'll go to San Jose.
11:11am EST: I'm sorry, but the Pinball Clemons commercial where he is advocating railroad crossing safety is hilarious. I can't watch it without laughing.
11:15am EST: The Panthers trade their 5th round pick to the Leafs for Wade Belak, and not the other way around. TSN rushed back from commercial to announce this blockbuster. Bill Waters chimes in again and says he doesn't understand how Paul Maurice couldn't find a place for Belak to play. Wow, how does Waters not still have a job in the NHL?
Any fan who thinks that Maurice is to blame for the debacle in Toronto is crazy.
11:29am EST: First big name of the day is on the move. Brian Campbell is on his way to the Sharks. Steve Bernier and a 1st rounder are headed to Buffalo. The Sharks have forwards to spare and really needed a blueliner. Not a bad trade for Buffalo, if Bernier can get back on track and be the big power forward he should be.
11:30am EST: Steve shows up! I still haven't brushed my teeth. Hope he doesn't mind.
11:37am EST: Brad Richards has been asked to waive his no-trade clause. He's headed the Big D, no doubt. Apparently there is a deal in place, and all that needs to happen is for the clause to be waived.
11:39am EST: Pierre Maguire just rushes off the set on TSN. His BlackBerry is going off the heezie!
11:42am EST: Pierre is back. Once Barnaby shuts up, we'll see if he has any news.
11:43am EST: Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist are traded to Dallas for Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern, and Mike Smith. The Stars desperately need scoring, and the Lightning need an upgrade in the pipes and I think they got it with Smith, the Verona, Ontario native.
Richards is -25 this year. Ouch.
11:47am EST: Back to Pierre, he says the Habs are on the verge of making a huge deal.
11:49am EST: Rumours are swirling that the Habs have traded goalie Cristobel Huet to Washington for a 2nd round pick. Huh? Is this leading to another deal for the Habs, that sees a goalie coming in, or are they that happy with Carey Price already? Stay tuned!
I've always thought Huet is a good goalie. He can be a #1. Its hard to be a netminder in Montreal, and it seems that Price is the guy there now.
Darren Pang is rambling on and on and on...
11:59am: The Carolina Hurricanes are about to make a deal involving goaltending....
High Noon: Just to let everybody know, Mike Sillinger WILL NOT be traded today. He's out for the season with an injury. For once, he can sit and relax. He won't be traded for the 74th time in his career. Steve noticed that Keith Jones has packed on a few and that maybe he should lay off the Krispy's just a bit.
12:03pm EST: Blackhawks trade Tuomo Ruutu to Carolina for Andrew Ladd. A pretty even trade here. Ruutu hasn't lived up to his advanced billing as one of the best prospects in the league a few years ago. Injuries have hampered him. Steve agree's but also adds that Ladd hasn't fit his bill since being drafted 4th overall in 04'.
12:05pm EST: Steve makes a bold prediction. Kolzig on his way to the Sens?
12:08pm EST: Some of the big contenders haven't made a move yet. Detroit, Anahiem, and Ottawa are all quiet so far.
I still think the Habs are going to add a goalie by the end of the day. Just can't see Price being relied on to carry the load for a team thats challenging for the Eastern Conference. Gainey has always been high on him though, right from the outset.
12:13pm EST: Steve is watching Sportsnet and wondering who the hell the guy beside Kypreos is. What a day to start a new job. Talk is that Kolzig could be on the move, maybe Steve's sources were right.
12:16pm EST: Ruslan Salei to Colorado, Karlis Skrastins to the Panthers. Swap of defencemen here. Just as Gord Miller announces the trade, Bob McKenzie walks of the set. On trade deadline day, an analyst walking off the set is exciting!
12:16pm EST: James Duthie from TSN confirmed that the Canadiens 2nd rounder they received from Washington in the Huet deal is for the 2009 draft, not next year.
12:20pm EST: A name nobody is talking about is Miroslav Satan, a poor mans Marian Hossa, but a guy that has performed 10 times better than Hossa in the playoffs. The Penguins need a scoring winger.
12:24pm EST: Steve here, Rose just asked Ray Shero, Pittsburgh's GM, out loud to wake up. "Wake up Ray Shero, and do something!". More to come.
12:29pm EST: We need a winger Ray! Come on! Although we are getting Crosby back soon. He'll be the gem of the trade deadline.
12:34pm EST: Steve here, watching the score and Craig Button am i'm thinking that he could sniff out a needle in a hay stack. You know it's slowed down when i'm resorting to comments like this... Jesus, let's go GM's.
12:36pm EST: In Chicago, Martin Lapointe and Robert Lang have been pulled off the ice, and just as i'm typing, TSN reports that Lapointe has been dealt to the Senators. Steve is not happy! There are F Bombs flying all over the AroundSports360.com studio! I am a little scared!
Its a 6th round pick going back to Chicago. Steve has calmed after hearing that. I'll cancel my call to 911.
12:45pm EST: Reaction from Brian Campbell in front of cameras in Buffalo. He is on the verge of breaking down. Tears are coming at any second. Not quite on the level of Ryan Smyth last year, but still he's sad to go. There is a camera that keeps zooming in way too close to see if he is crying.
He's been in the league 8 seasons already?? Seems like a few years ago he was still running the Powerplay for the Ottawa 67's.
12:52pm EST: Theres a bit of a lull now after the last 90 minutes of action. I guess the GM's are on their lunch breaks.
12:55pm EST: The Avs are on the verge of reaquiring Adam Foote from the Blue Jackets. Bring back Valeri Kamensky, Patrick Roy, and Mike Keane and its the late 90's again in Colorado.
12:59pm EST: Apparently the above mentioned deal has been done, and Foote is an Av again. Rumour has it that it could be a 1st rounder headed to Columbus in return. If so, thats a ridiclously high price to pay for a guy who was playing in his prime a decade ago.
1:05pm EST: Its my turn to start swearing. Maguire just said that he thinks Chad Kilger might end up in Pittsburgh. I sure hope Pierre is wrong.
1:10pm EST: I'm really not liking the Score's set-up for deadline day. Funny how on TSN they have the "GM Corner" with 2 of the worst GM's in NHL history, Mike Milbury and JFJ!
1:12pm EST: Lunch here in Cow-town, Mark's making K-D so i'm taking over. Just as i'm typing TSN reports that Federov is heading to Washington.
1:15pm EST: Washington is looking to become North America's version of Metallurg Magnitogorsk from the Russian Elite League!...and Rose has already started to burn the water while making K-D!
1:16pm EST: This live blog would be a lot more effective if Brian Burke wasn't such an asshole!
1:18pm EST: No commercials allowed here in the AS360 studio so I switched from TSN to Sportsnet, and I get the feeling that Sportsnet is always just one step behind.
1:22pm EST: no better time for a beer, at least it's past noon in Ontario! Watching TSN and I think that although Burke is a genius which I can't deny but Jesus he's can be such a dick.
1:25pm EST: Tricky trade between the Av's and Jackets involving Foote. If the Av's make the playoffs this year they send a 1st rd. for 08' or if he resigns with the Av's. If they don't make the playoffs it's a 09' pick.
Captials send Babe Ruth's son Ted to the Jackets and Gord Miller makes a funny saying that Ray Bourque is back in Beantown...he's so crazy!
1:30pm EST: Less than 90 minutes for those GM's to get there trade papers in to the NHL!
1:32pm EST: Rose's K-D s ready. Hope I don't die...also hope that there's a lull in the trades so I can eat.
1:34pm EST: Take it back, K-D's pretty damn good...
1:37pm EST: The Captials continue to make moves. They get Matt Cooke from VanCity for Matt Pettinger. A Matt for a Matt. Also, Ray Emery not on the ice for Ottawa's practice.
1:40pm EST: Over on Sportsnet, they are checking in with Gene Principe in Edmonton. Gene is rocking a pinstripe ensemble, and looks like he should be on The Sopranos.
1:41pm EST: Lots of comments from good readers out there today. Keep them coming, we appreciate it!
1:44pm EST: Steve here, big news is that Kessel's not going anywhere, and this matters why?
1:46pm EST: Ray Ferraro rips the hell out of Matt Cooke, and says Vancouver is happy to be rid of the guy. Ferraro is an idiot. He's the Oilers colour guy. Thats why he thinks Matt Cooke is ineffective. Does Sportsnet employ anybody who doesn't have an obvious bias?
1:49pm EST: Don't forget that we will be airing a special post-deadline podcast immediately after the deadline passes. Look for it at about 5pm est.1:52pm EST: Just over an hour to go before the horn blows. The biggest prize is still available in Hossa. Can Gainey pull the trigger? Over on the Score, Steve Ludzig says Washington is now a Cup Contender. Yikes.
1:56pm EST: TSN should get SBN's Editor to do the business parody segment they got going on cus it a joke...get it, a joke....hilarious!
2:05pm EST: Steve here, Garrioch is a genius...too bad he writes for a trash paper.
2:07pm EST: Montreal still has yet to add anybody. All they've done is get rid of (arguably) their starting goaltender.
Maguire said earlier to expect Kilger to go to Pittsburgh, now he says he'll probably head out West. Seconds later he says that Dutychsen is an "announcer with a long stick." Hmmm.
2:09pm EST: James Duthie and the guy from America's Funniest Home Videos were seperated from birth. Look at
this guy.2:16pm EST: JFJ and Mad Mike are arguing. There is a lot of infinite hockey wisdom going back and forth. Thats the most sarcastic thing I've ever typed.
2:21pm EST: Action slowing down a bit...I Hope there's more to come. Does anyone else think that Mike Johnson sounds like a young Al Strachan?
2:22pm EST: Ryan Miller is sad to see his friend Brian Campbell go. Miller is 160 pounds, soaking wet. He looks like he should be fronting Weezer instead of stopping 100mph slapshots.
2:23pm EST: Woooooow. Rumours have Hossa being dealt to Pittsburgh. I'm afraid to see what the Pens would have to give up. Ryan Malone for sure, but not just him.
2:28pm EST: Pens Assistant G.M. is denying the above rumour. This is better than any soap opera. Except for The Young and the Restless.
2:35pm EST: If it does end up being true, don't be surprised if Jordan Staal heads to Atlanta in the deal.
2:45pm EST: It's the final countdown...da da da da..da da da da da. Still some big names out there, somethings bound to go down shortly after 3pm EST.
2:49pm EST: And one of the biggest is gone. I mean biggest in the literal sense, its Hal Gill. He is now a Pittsburgh Penguin. Depth on the blueline, again never a bad thing. If thats the only move the Pens make, I'd be happy. Though we'll wait and see what they gave up to get him? If you ask Nick Kypreos, its probably Malkin.
It turns out to be a 2nd and 5th rounder this year.
2:52pm EST: The Rangers make a deal in getting defenceman Christian Backmann from the Blues for a couple picks.
Panger calls Hal Gill, Todd Gill and Leaf fans everywhere have horrible flashbacks.
2:57pm EST: Hossa is a Pittsburgh Penguin. They give up Eric Christensen, Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito, and possibly a 1st rounder. Holy shit. That seems like a lot. It is a gigantic gamble for the Pens. Not sure if I like it. Getting rid of a guy like Colby really disrupts the chemistry of the team. Time will tell. Time will tell.
3:00pm EST: Its deadline time! Maguire doesn't like the Hossa deal, and I tend to agree with him. We'll stick around to see if any deals trickle in off the wire.
3:03pm EST: More details coming in on the Hossa deal. The Pens also get Pascal Dupuis and the teams swap 1st rounders. Makes me feel a tiny little bit better.
3:09pm EST: Bryan Murray says he's done. Lapointe was his only deal. What was Bob Gainey doing all day? The Habs were supposed to be prominent buyers at the deadline, and all they did was git rid of Huet.
3:11pm EST: The Isles ship out Chris Simon to Minnesota for a 6th rounder. Minny is tough! Boogard, Fedoruk, and now Simon. Quite a checking line. Simon is an idiot and shouldn't even be playing in the league, in case you were wondering my stance on him. He's a clownshoe.
3:14pm EST: The Kings trade Brad Stuart to Detroit for a 2nd and 4th rounder. With Lidstrom, Rafalski, and Chelios out right now, its a cheap price to pay for a dman with an offensive upside.
3:18pm EST: The other Hossa is on the move too! The Rangers send him and Al Montoya to the Coyotes for Fredrik Sjostrom, Josh Gratton, and goalie David Leneveua. Is this the first time ever that two brothers have been traded on the same day? Even within the same hour? In case you were wondering, the other Hossa's name is Marcel.
The Kilger trade happens. He is heading to Florida, where the Leafs play tomorrow. Apparently there is another Leaf trade coming soon.
3:21pm EST: The Isles trade D man Marc-Andre Bergeron to the Ducks for a 3rd round pick. Minor. Stay tuned though because every TSN employee is on their cell phone right now.
3:31pm EST: J.S Aubin dealt from the Kings to the Ducks for a 7th rounder. Snooze.
3:32pm EST: Panger states that Jokinen sn't going anywhere...great analysis after 32 minutes past the deadline.
3:34pm EST: The guys over at The Score just called Chris Gratton "Christine", and then had him as the Gratton going to the Rangers from Phoenix. Solid work from Ludzig and Strachan. Complete and utter morons.
3:40pm EST: Well that appears to be it for the 2008 Deadline. What a crazy day, a lot busier than I expected. Thanks to all those who were commenting all day, you guys are great.
Be sure to tune into our Special Trade Deadline Day Podcast later today!
Let us know what you think about the day's deals. Contact us at
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