Every year, I like to play the unique role of outside insider / prognosticator / comedian with my annual ridiculous predictions series of posts. This time out, I’m making my ridiculous predictions for the NHL Trade Deadline. After all, when experts and reporters talk about deals at the trade deadline, they always think that teams will make deals that make sense for all involved. In reality, the NHL doesn’t work that way. Players have no-trade clauses in their contracts and some GMs have no sense whatsoever. So let’s take a fun look at this year’s NHL trade deadline.
NHL Trade Deadline
Steve’s Ridiculous 2012 NHL Trade Deadline Predictions
Every year, I like to play the unique role of outside insider slash prognosticator slash comedian with my annual ridiculous predictions series of posts. This time out, I’m making my ridiculous predictions for the NHL Trade Deadline. After all, when experts and reporters talk about deals at the trade deadline, they always think that teams will make deals that make sense for all involved. In reality, the NHL doesn’t work that way. Players have no-trade clauses in their contracts and some GMs have no sense whatsoever. So let’s take a fun look at this year’s NHL trade deadline. Continue reading
Steve’s Ridiculous 2011 NHL Trade Deadline Predictions
Every year, I do my ridiculous NHL mock draft which is half serious and half satire. I figured that it would be fun to do the same at the trade deadline. After all, when experts and reporters talk about deals at the trade deadline, they always think that teams will make deals that make sense for all involved. In reality, the NHL doesn’t work that way. Players have no-trade clauses in their contracts and some GMs have no sense whatsoever. So let’s take a fun look at this year’s NHL trade deadline. Continue reading
Sunday Link-Off: Deadline Day Prelude
I’ve never heard of Brazilian model Raica Oliveira before but I’m willing to bet we’ll hear from her again soon.
One of the biggest names in hockey trade rumours is Eklund of HockeyBuzz. He’s a pretty controversial figure among both the traditional and new media members but this piece by Adrian Dater is a refreshingly fair look at the anonymous hockey blogger. (Sports Illustrated)
In the world of TV media peddling trade rumours, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos really hates TSN. He tried to inform someone on of such on Twitter in what was probably supposed to be a DM. The only problem was that he didn’t DM his thoughts. (Pension Plan Puppets)
Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the most important day in Canadian history since Henderson scored on September 28, 1972. So here’s another look at the anatomy of Sidney Crosby’s golden goal. (The Globe and Mail)
After the jump, Player X gets censored, Two and a Half Men (on the court and on TV) and a painful way to promote a golf tournament. Continue reading
2010 NHL Trade Deadline Prediction Results
Last night on The Lowdown radio show and Lowdown Extra (both of which you can find here), we played the “Guess Where the NHL Star on the Trading Block is Going” game. We took a look at six big names and predicted their future less than 24 hours from the deadline. Results of the third annual Lowdown competition after the jump. Continue reading
Lowdown Prediction Game Results
Last night on The Lowdown radio show (which you can listen to here) we played the “Guess Where the Guy on the Trading Block is Going” game. We took a look at five big names and predicted their future less than 24 hours from the deadline. Results after the jump. Continue reading
NHL Trade Deadline Day Bash Live Blog
Welcome to The Lowdown’s live blog of the 2009 NHL Trade Deadline. While most other leagues see their trade deadline come and go with relatively little fanfare, in Canada, the NHL deadline day is almost like a national holiday. All three Canadian sports networks will cancel their regularly scheduled programming and have live coverage of the deadline from 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning through to at least 5:00. Now I know that nothing much happens until about 10:00 when it seems that the West Coast GMs wake up and then it’s game on.
Keep refreshing this page throughout the day to keep up with all the breaking news and rumours. Continue reading
The First NHL Trade Domino Falls
Breaking news: The Pittsburgh Penguins trade Ryan Whitney to the Anaheim Ducks for Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi.
Whitney is considered one of the best young defensemen in the game today and has the potential to be a first-pair defenseman in the future. The fact that he was traded is not surprising because the return of Sergei Gonchar to the Pens’ lineup left Pittsburgh with a surplus of blueliners. With the Pens looking (again) for a winger for Crosby, Whitney was seen as likely to get the best return in a trade. With Scott Niedermayer expected to spend at most one more season in the NHL, this is Anaheim’s long-term solution.
Kunitz isn’t the biggest name in the league and probably not the biggest name that the Pens could have received if they pushed the issue. In his favour, Kunitz is a decent goal scorer with a career high of 25 goals in a season. Playing with Crosby or Malkin, that number should go up but Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko (who came to Pittsburgh this season) haven’t thrived playing with those superstars (both are on pace to score less than 40 points each). As for Tangradi, he’s been rated as the second best prospect in the Ducks’ farm system.
My early pick for trade winner: The Ducks
This past off-season, defensemen were paid a huge premium with even second pair defensemen getting contracts in the $4 million per season range. Being able to get a top player through 2013 for $4 million per year is a great spot for the perpetually salary cap challenged Ducks to be in.
The Lowdown 