NHL Trade Deadline Review Part II

The guru is back to discuss the NHL Trade Deadline, which froze all trades at 3:00 PM Wednesday. The guru covered the roster turnovers of the Eastern Conference leaders in his last post. Today, I am going to focus on the roster overhaul of the Western Conference.

Things are heating up in the desert as the Coyotes find themselves in 4th place in the West. GM Don Maloney made plenty of noise on Deadline Day, preparing his team for what could be their first playoff berth since 2002. The most notable acquisition is that of left wing Wojtek Wolski, swapped for Peter Mueller and prospect Kevin Porter. Wolski brings a spark to the NHL's 24th ranked offense, averaging a paltry 2.56 goals per game. Coyotes fans will have a tough time parting with Mueller, who has disappointed since his 54 point rookie campaign. Down the road, Phoenix fans will see Mueller scoring at a high pace and regret this trade. In reality, Mueller simply needs a change of scenery, as does Wolski. This trade will benefit the team now, and considering their lack of playoff berths, now is the time. Maloney also brought in forward Lee Stempniak from Toronto, another player who has yet to live up to his potential. I see Stempniak on the scoresheet four out of every five games here on out, working both zones and seeing time on the penalty kill. Petteri Nokelainen gives the Coyotes another defenseman capable of playing 15-20 minutes a game, staying out of trouble. He's the type of guy who is at his best when he goes unnoticed. Although he is currently on the mend, the acquisition of defenseman Mathieu Schneider will pay dividends when the playoffs roll around. Despite his age, Schneider is a good two-way defenseman that will help the Coyotes struggling powerplay, currently dead last in the NHL at 14.9%. He brings with him a wealth of experience and and a desire to win in what could be his final season. Maloney's wheeling and dealing greatly improves his squad and gives them a much better chance of contending with San Jose and Chicago in the playoffs.

For a team coming off of consecutive trips to the Cup Finals, and the expectations that come as a result, the Red Wings were quiet over the Deadline, despite being out of the playoffs if the season ended today. Of the four players moved in and out of Hockeytown, only one of them has recorded a point this season. While I must acknowledge that they have a long list of studs returning from injury, the replacements (AKA "depth") have not been living up to Detroit standards. The top prospect in the system, the ultra-talented Ville Leino, (I wouldn't pass to Hossa either, even if it was my first career game.)(commentating rivaling the low level of NBC) was dealt to Philadelphia in early February. What shouldn't be discounted is the wealth of experience gathered by the new millennium's dynasty. However, this may become the first season since 1990-91 that the Wings won't have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. And yes, you read that correctly.

This year's Trade Deadline may have lacked transactions involving big-name players, especially in the West. But keep in mind, before the Olympics we saw Ilya Kovalchuk dealt for fantasy hockey's early season must-have Niclas Bergfors. Also traded were guys like Dion Phaneuf and J.S. Giguere, discussed by the guru at the time of the swap.

The playoff race is heating up as teams across the NHL are gearing up for the stretch run. With their new facelift, the Coyotes are looking like a threat to San Jose and Chicago, the long expected Conference Finals opponents. Detroit can never be counted out, but right now they aren't even in the discussion for Western supremacy. Be sure to check back for more analysis from the guru and enjoy the great hockey down the stretch.

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.

Dion Phaneuf and J.S. Giguere Traded to Toronto

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Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke shook up the NHL today with two major trades. Unhappy being the cellar-dweller of the East (and 29th in the entire league), Burke shipped off six players from his underachieving team. In exchange, he received a kaleidoscopic mix of NHL standouts and prospects, most notably Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf and goaltender J.S. Giguere of the Anaheim Ducks. These two have combined for three All-Star appearances in their careers.

Phaneuf, taken 9th overall by Calgary in the 2003 draft, has been a disappointment so far in 2009, mainly due to the treatment he received from first-year coach Brent Sutter. Phaneuf's ice-time has taken a hit along with his stats. Well past the halfway point in the season, the 24 year-old has just 22 points. The lowest single season output of his career thus far: 47. While his goal pace remains constant, his number of assists has plummeted. After 55 games, he has tallied only 12 helpers, a huge dropoff even from his previous career low of 29, set in his rookie season. This can be blamed on his supporting cast. The Flames' power play is clicking at just 16.7%, ranked 23rd in the NHL, down from 18.2% in both 2005-06 (12th) and 2006-07 (11th). In both of those seasons, Phaneuf accounted for over 30 points with the man-advantage. Only Jarome Iginla and undrafted free agent Rene Borque have recorded more than 11 goals for the Flames, meaning the teammates Phaneuf is passing to are incapable of scoring. Few would have expected this to be said about a team with Olli Jokinen, who scored at least 26 goals in each of the last six seasons, including four campaigns with over 30 twine-ticklers. Phaneuf's physical style and willingness to fight perfectly fit the mold Burke is searching for.

In Burke's second trade of the day, he acquired Conn Smythe Trophy winner J.S. Giguere. Jiggy, who has started less than one-third of Anaheim's games thus far, is in the midst of a disheartening season as well. His 3.14 GAA and .900 SV% are the worst of his career since 1998-99, when he started just 14 games for the Flames. Forced into a backup role by the up-and-coming Swiss Jonas Hiller, who will represent his country in the Olympics, Giguere was in need of a change in scenery. Enter Brian Burke, GM of Anaheim during their Stanley Cup season of 2006-07. Mistrusting of his goaltenders' inexperience, Burke opted to deal netminder Vesa Toskala for Giguere, who has played in twelve Stanley Cup Finals games.

The Maple Leafs may have their hands tied financially for the next few seasons as a result of this trade. Phaneuf is set to make $25.5 million in salary alone over the next four seasons. Giguere will earn $7 million next year before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Toronto's salary cap woes likely forced Toskala ($4 million), Jason Blake ($4.5 million), and Niklas Hagman ($3 million) to be included amongst the players exiting the home of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The change of scenery will be pleasant for both players. Phaneuf had spent his entire career playing for Calgary, rivals of his hometown Edmonton Oilers. A trip across Canada wlll present a welcomed opportunity to escape the doghouse of Coach Sutter. Giguere has been looking for an escape of his own. Leaving Hiller's shadow and receiving a chance to compete for a starting role will be a fantastic situation for the Cup winner. Even better, he will be reunited with his old goalie coach, Francois Allaire. Brian Burke has managed to help his team with two blockbuster trades to kick off the month of February.

Special thanks to NHLnumbers.com (link located in the sidebar on the right) for the salary information.