Checking In

(This post is not complete. I will continue to work on it, but as of now, have only posted analyses of trade needs for the Northeast and Atlantic divisions)

With the deadline now less than two weeks away, there has been a small but significant flurry of moves made during the past week. I figured I'd give my own ake on these deals, as well as throw out a few teams that have some needs to address before 3pm on the 28th.

Anaheim receives D Francois Beauchemin from Toronto for W Joffrey Lupul and D Jake Gardiner. This is a good deal for both sides. The Ducks have been playing well and are now adding a solid veteran defender to solidify their blue line. Beauchemin played the better part of four seasons with te Ducks, emerging as a proven defensive force and helping the Ducks win a Cup in 2007. Lupul has never quite lived up to his potential, but is still a decent forward who can contribute respwectable offensive numbers for the Leafs. Gardiner is a great defnsive prospect. He is having in outstanding Junior season at the Universty of Wisconsin, with 30 points in 30 games.

Chicago receives W Michael Frolik from Florida for W Jack Skille. I think Chicago got the better end of the deal here. Both former top 10 draft picks, Frolik and Skille have tremendous potential. But at just age 22, Frolik has shown more so far in his young career. Despite having a down year goal-wise in his third season this year, Frolik put up 21 goals in each of his first two seasons with a very unimpressive supporting cast.

Nashville receives C Mike Fisher from Ottawa for 2011 1st round pick and 2012 conditional pick. For the rebuilding Senators, the Fisher trade was inevitable. The price was certainly right for Nashville. Just one definite first-round pick, which will definitely be valuable for the Senators come draft day, but they probably could have gotten a little more. Fisher will provide a huge boost for the Predators, who are currently holding on to 6th place in the West, who's major offseason signing, center Matt Lombardi, has been sidelined since just the third game of the season. Fisher has some playoff experience,too, having helped Ottawa advance to the Cup in 2007, before being defeated by Beauchemin's Ducks. The fans should love him pretty quickly, too, he's married to country star Carrie Underwood.

Philadelphia receives W Kris Versteeg from Toronto for 2011 first and 3rd round pick. At age 24, Versteeg is already joining his fourth organization. Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins, he was traded to Chicago before ever suiting up for Boston, for offensive dud Brandon Bochenski. After helping the Blackhawks win a long-awaited Stanley Cup last season, he was dealt to Toronto for Viktor Stalberg by the the salary cap-challenged champs. Now Philadelphia has been the latest team attracted to his talents. This deal is a win for both sides. The already formidable Flyers offense has just added a young scorer with loads of talent and potential, with playoff experience. The Flyers now that well, having lost to his team in the final last year. On the other hand, Brian Burke has gained both a first and a third round pick, doing his best to undo the damage of the Phil Kessel trade. And as a team that needs to rebuild, draft picks are extremely valuable.

Toronto receives W Aaron Voros from Toronto for 2011 conditional pick. In their third move, the Maple Leafs made little noise. Voros will bring a tough style of play to Toronto, but his offensive numbers are nothing to write home about, and his addition should be of little consequence to the struggling Leafs.

Dustin Byfuglien signs 5-year extension with Atlanta. Despite his recent offensive struggles and the Bird's recent nosedive, the Thrashers were right to lock up Big Buff for 5 more years. Another spoil of the Blackhawks salary cap problems, Byfuglien is having an unbelievable season. He was an all-star this year after switching back to his natural position of D. He brings Stanley Cup experience, toughness, offense, defense, leadership, and versatity to a young team on the verge of breaking out in the Southeast division.

Peter Forsberg returns and retires. After much hype, Peter Forsberg once again returned to the Avalanche lineup. But after just two games, he left he hockey world baffled by announcing his retirement. Despite less than stellar numbers in those two games, his teammates were shocked, as he gave little indication that the road was ending for him. This news is unfortunate for the Avalanche, who lost their 8th straight game last night and have fallen to 14th in the West.

Boston receives C Chris Kelly from Ottawa for 2011 2nd round pick. As a Boston fan, I personally am not in love with the move. It's definitely a good move for Ottawa, who is trying to scrap the existing lineup and start over, and a 2nd rounder in addition to the 1st rounder from Nashville shows that they hope to begin the rebuilding process in June at the draft. For Boston, they needed a center to fill the void left by Marc Savard. But to me, Kelly just isn't the answer. With 12 goals on the season, Kelly WILL bring solid offensive numbers and a style of play that fits the mold of a Bruin nicely, but I was hoping for a more high-profile pick-up. What this move indicates to me is that the Bruins are looking to fill a hole that is soon to open. I believe they are insuring they keep a moderately skilled forward so that they can trade away a similar player. Perhaps to Toronto as part of a deal for Tomas Kaberle?

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division:
1.Philadelphia Flyers-36-14-5-77 pts-1st in East
With the addition of Kris Versteeg, the Flyers are virtually unstoppable. Already boasting arguably the best roster in the league before the deal, the Flyers lead the eastern conference and are poised to make another Cup run. They are set at forward, with one of the most impressive offenses and impenetrable defenses in the game, the only question mark that remains for Philly is their goaltending. Rookie Sergei Bobrovsky has had a stellar first seasn between the pipes, and Brian Boucher has been know for Cinderella playoff runs, but neither of them are proven or consistent goaltenders. The Flyers may want to add some more insurance in their crease, but they will likely be staying put at the deadline, and frankly, I don't blame them.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins-35-19-4-74 pts-4th in East
Despite my recent words that the Penguins are fine, they are getting pushed around and beaten bad of late. With Crosby and Malkin down for the count, their scoring ability is severely cut down. They are set on the defensive end, but could use a decent center and a proven goal-scoring on the wing to help boost their offensive game. Look for Ray Shero to deal some of his defensive prospects to add some scoring punch.
3. New York Rangers-30-24-4-64 pts-7th in East
As seems customary at this point, the Rangers are fading fast. They are still in a playoff spot right now, but have only 3 wins in their last 10 games, and superstar goalie Henrik Lundqvist just can't do it all. The Rangers are know for adding high-end scorers with hefty contracts, but coming to New York often destroys their careers it seems. I'd personally like to see the Rangers trade a big name, underperforming scorer and take a chance on a young guy that's got some potential. They should take the lead from that OTHER New York team. The Islanders latest breakout scorer, P.A. Parenteau was picked up from none other than the Rnagers. The Rangers could use a solid forward who can dish the puck to the big guns, and could use one more veteran defenseman.
4. New Jersey Devils-22-30-4-48 pts-13th in East
The Devils have a difficult decision to make. Do they scrap the team and rebuild? Trading veterans for young prospects and picks? Or do they trust that their recent play is enough to salvage a playoff spot out of a season that started as abysmally as they come? Lou Lamouriello isn't know for tying to add a lot of offense to his team, the major exception being the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk a year ago. With the way the Devils have been playing lately, it may actually be best for them to stand pat. They are a young team, who is finally coming together and playing some great hockey. Trading away for prospects and picks could shake up the team toomuh, hurting the good chemistry they seem to have at the moment. And the prospects that are already there seem to have great potential themselves, judging by the way they're playing now. And swapping for bigger names fo a playoff push could ALSO be detrimental to the team. It could shake up the team to much, and also would likely take those budding young prospects away from New Jersey. One thing's for sure, I'm glad I'm not Lamouriello.
5. New York Islanders-20-29-7-47 pts-14th in East
The Islanders are another young team who are playing great, they've won three in a row. I don't expect them to have a chance to make the playoffs however. They have great young players, like superstar-in-the-making John Tavares, and fellow 20-goal scorers Matt Moulson and Michael Grabner. The Islanders have plenty of young talent in the system and no longer have a need to stockpile young talent up front. The biggest holes are on defense. Their blue line could use another proven veteran, to take some of the load off of Mark Streit's shoulders and help the current D-men shut down the oppoistion. Also, a goalie might not be a bad idea. A former Islanders goalie himself, GM Garth Snow knows a great team needs great goaltending. With Rick DiPietro on and off of the disabled list every year, it is time to look elsewhere for answers. Not that he didn;t try, claiming Evgeni Nabakov when the Red Wings tried to sign him, but Nabakov refuses to play for the lackluster Isles. This should send a message to management: high-profile talent does not want to play for an awful team. Adding some extra guys to boost the Isles play late in the season could help bring in some big fish come July 1st.

Northeast Division:
1. Boston Bruins-31-18-7-69 pts-3rd in East
My hometown team is struggling of late. With Marc Savard lost for the season (at the very least), the Bruins are in need of a center. With the stellar play of Patrice Bergeron, the crafty David Krejci, and the ability of Greg Campbell, Tyler Seguin, and the surprising force that is Brad Marchand all able to play both center and wing, the Bruins are more in ned of a veteran guy who can center any line, providing experience, leadership, solid play, and maybe even a little offense. Two guys the Bruins should seriously look into to fill this void are Jason Arnott of the New Jersey Devils and John Madden of the Minnesota Wild. Both are proven veteran centers, with Stanley Cup experience and the ability to play several different roles. Madden is also a face-off wizard. However, as of last night, the Bruins seem to have already filled this void, acquiring Chirs Kelly. The B's could also use another point-producing veteran defenseman. The hot rumor is Tomas Kaberle to Boston. This rumor has come up countless times over the years, but now may finally be the time to pull the trigger.
2. Montreal Canadiens-31-20-6-68 pts-5th in East
The Habs are playing solid hockey and are one point behind the Bruins for the Northeast Division lead. They have a good mix of veterans and youngsters, a decent offense, decent defense, and a hot goaltender in Carey Price. Thanks to some blue line injuries, the Canadiens would love to add a veteran defenseman, and with a decent but not outsanding offense, they should also look to add a high-scoring winger, perhaps Dustin Penner?
3. Buffalo Sabres-26-22-6-58 pts-10th in East
The Sabres are on a roll lately, led by the outstanding play of Drew Stafford, and are 7-2-1 in their last ten. After a disappointing postseason last year, they may look to add a veteran or two with some playoff experience to help keep them on track towards a good playoff run.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs-23-27-6-52 pts-12th in East
It seems the Maple Leafs have been on the rebuilding path for an eternity, but the time for them to break out of their shell is drawing near. I do not see much hope for a late-season, playoff-berth-clinching turnaround, so Brian Burke should continue his current strategy. So far the busiest team, involved in 3 trades in the past week aquiring Aaron Voros, Joffrey Lupul, Jake Gardiner, and Philadelphia's first and 3rd round picks, look to the Leafs to continue to offer up some hefty-contracted veterans to further the current youth movement. Even if they do trade Tomas Kaberle, they have a sturdy D including Dion Phaneuf, Mike Komisarek, Carl Gunnarsson, and Luke Schenn, plus an experienced goalie in Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The defensive play of late of these players has been disappointing, but a spark in offense would sefinitely take the load off of the weary blue-line. The Leafs will continue to trade for draft picks to make up for the ones they gave to Boston, but they should also look to continue adding young scorers with loaads of potential. It certainly paid off when they dealt for Montreal's Mikhail Grabovski back in 2008.
5. Ottawa Senators-18-30-8-44 pts-15th in East
The Senators have fallen hard after their 2007 Stanley Cup defeat. After some average seasons, they have now fallen to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Their big off-season catches from the last two years, Sergei Gonchar and Alex Kovalev have done nothing but disappoint for the Sens. Now is a good a time as any to start over, and they have already begun the process, trading away Mike Fisher and Chris Kelly for a 1st and a 2nd rounder. Look for Ottawa to continue shopping around their big name players, like Gonchar, Kovalev, and Chris Phillips. Jason Spezza seems to be safe in Ottawa at the moment, but other than that, just about anyone could go outside of Daniel Alfredsson. Filip Kuba, Chris Campoli, Chris Neil, and Jarkko Ruutu are all also expendable. Ottawa will keep looking for draft picks, as well as prospects. A more reliable solution in net might not hurt either.

Southeast Division:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning-34-17-5-73 pts-2nd in East
2. Washington Capitals-29-18-10-68 pts-6th in East
3. Carolina Hurricanes-27-22-8-62 pts-8th in East
4. Atlanta Thrashers-25-23-10-60 pts-9th in East
5. Florida Panthers-24-24-7-55 pts-11th in East

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division:
1. Detroit Red Wings-34-16-6-74 pts-2nd in West
2. Nashville Predators-30-19-7-67 pts-6th in West
3. Chicago Blackhawks-28-22-6-62 pts-11th in West
4. Columbus Blue Jackets-28-23-5-61 pts-12th in West
5. St. Louis Blues-25-21-9-59 pts-13th in West

Northwest Division:
1. Vancouver Canucks-36-12-9-81 pts-1st in West
2. Calgary Flames-29-22-8-66 pts-8th in West
3. Minnesota Wild-30-20-5-65 pts-9th in West
4. Colorado Avalanche-25-26-6-56 pts-14th in West
5. Edmonton Oilers-16-32-8-40 pts-15th in West

Pacific Division:
1. Phoenix Coyotes-30-19-9-69 pts-3rd in West
2. Dallas Stars-31-19-6-68 pts-4th in West
3. Anaheim Ducks-32-21-4-66 pts-5th in West
4. San Jose Sharks-30-21-6-66 pts-7th in West
5. Los Angeles Kings-31-22-3-65 pts-10th in West