Unless a team trades for Wayne Gretzky and the DeLorean, the Pittsburgh Penguins will emerge as the winners of the trade deadline and all moves leading up to it.
And unless an Eastern Conference team makes a move within the next two days, fourteen teams not named the Penguins, will be in big trouble down the final stretch.
Ray Shero did not make the same mistake as last year, standing pat despite the fact that his team was racing for a long playoff run. He acquired a bruising defenseman in Douglas Murray, a veteran, gritty goal scorer in Brenden Morrow, and a future hall of fame player in Jarome Iginla, hungry for the very same Stanley Cup that eluded him nine years ago.
All three players were top targets, with Iginla being the most prized possession, and Ray Shero took them for a few prospects and draft picks. Some of the top remaining players, Jay Bouwmeester and Robyn Regehr, were dealt on Monday to the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings, respectively.
So what now for teams in the East, like the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Ottawa Senators?
The Bruins, who desperately need goal scorers to go with their stingy defense, lost out on Iginla. Whether it was “fair” or not to lose Iginla in the manner that they did, Boston GM Peter Chiarelli still has holes to fill for his top six forwards. Brenden Morrow would have been a nice replacement, but Shero already acquired him from Dallas a few days earlier.
Truth be told, the pure goal scorers are already gone and now Chiarelli faces a tough situation in trying to add a piece that is no longer available. Unless he parts with some serious prospects to oblige a “hockey deal”, it may be Chiarelli and the Bruins standing pat this year.
The Candiens could also use help for their top six forwards, while the Toronto Maple Leafs need goaltending to sustain a long run in May. But GM Dave Nonis has already stated that he would not mortgage the future to win right now; so Luongo is already out.
The Ottawa Senators initially had plans to trade captain, Daniel Alfredsson, but they keep winning despite missing some of their best players.
Who are the big players still waiting to be dealt? Ryan Clowe? Boyd Gordon? Steve Ott?
The Penguins have pillaged the trade market and the Western Conference has taken the rest of the marquee names. Did the Penguins really need another bonafide goal scorer in Jarome Iginla? No. They were already the top scoring team in the league thanks to the two best players in the world, a forty goal scorer, and a supporting cast that makes up the best line in hockey. But sometimes acquiring a player to prevent another team from snatching him is a trade strategy all in itself. Granted, the Penguins took Iginla because he wanted to play in Pittsburgh, but the end result is still the same.
Simply put, the Penguins got a lot better while the rest of the East is left scrambling for moves. The trade deadline is still a day away, but there doesn’t appear to be anyone left to make the final few hours worthwhile.
Photo courtesy of Flamesnation.com
