NHL Trade Deadline Review Part I

In the eyes of many, this year's trade deadline was rather pedestrian. It's arguable that the biggest names moved on Wednesday were Ryan Whitney and Lubomir Visnosky. While the guru expected the Olympic semi-deadline to put a ceiling on the tradable talent, he was still surprised by the lack of star power sent packing. But these meat and potatoes deals will have their effects when playoff hockey begins.

Despite leading the NHL in points and dominating the Eastern Conference with a league high +73 goal differential (Pittsburgh 2nd in the East at +21), Washington GM George McPhee felt it necessary to address weak spots in his team's roster. Most notably, Joe Corvo was acquired from Carolina to bolster the defense. He brings with him a -6 in the +/- department, but considering he was playing for the Hurricanes sans Cam Ward, that figure is not as bad as it seems. Also in an attempt to strengthen the blueline, McPhee brought in Milan Jurcina, who spent the last four seasons in Washington before signing with Columbus last offseason. In his four years as a Capital, Jurcina posted a +36 in 211 games. The move the guru expects to be the most beneficial is the acquisition of forward Eric Belanger. A good two-way player who is adept at killing penalties, Belanger will benefit from the removal of the shackles placed upon him by Minnesota's trapping style of play. In what can only be describes as theft, Washington won the Scott Walker auction with...a seventh round draft pick? While Walker's numbers are laughable (5 points in 33 games), he has been in the league since 1995 and will bring some veteran leadership to a team relying on young guns like Ovechkin, Semin, and Backstrom. One position McPhee failed to address is that of the goaltender, where former Vezina Trophy winner Jose Theodore (way back in 2002) has split time with the young Semyon Varlamov. Theodore's play has trailed off since the lockout and we all know the potential for disaster that arises from starting an inexperienced goalie in the playoffs. Just ask Carey Price.

The defending Stanley Cup champions are finetuning their roster as well. GM Ray Shero was active on Deadline Day, adding a few pieces to the Atlantic Division leaders. The Alexei Ponikarovsky deal will garner the most attention. The left wing has amassed 41 points thus far in Toronto, just one shy of the third most in Pittsburgh. The Poni Express (The guru proudly acknowledges that he did not bestow this nickname upon the 29-year-old.) brings with him a +5 rating, quite laudable for a member of the Maple Leafs, owners of a 51 goal deficit in the differential column. At 6'4" and 220 lbs, Ponikarovsky will make a statement in his first post-lockout playoff action. (The FG 37 Curse has not yet been recognized by sports fans across the country.) Shipped off to Toronto (and New Jersey the day after) in exchange for Ponikarovsky, Martin Skoula's absence left a vacancy on the Penguins' blueline. Shero filled the gap with Jordan Leopold, brought in from the Panthers. (Fantasy tip from the guru: add Keith Ballard.) In addition to depth, this deal gives Head Coach Dan Bylsma a versatile defenseman he can plug in on the powerplay or penalty kill. Expect this squad to make a lot of noise come playoff time.

The guru will be back soon to continue the discussion of the deadline. Up next: a closer look at the Western Conference, including the new players brought into the deserts of Arizona. Be sure to check back to see the guru's take on the new NHL landscape, the would-be All Star teams, and as always, NBC's incompetence. Plus, details on the guru's own March Madness Bracket Pool, including a chance to win a spot in the guru's 2010 Fantasy Football Experts League.