Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The following analysis was taken from the show.

Columbus receives: Jack Johnson, a conditional first round pick

Los Angeles Receives: Jeff Carter

Tale of the tape:

Jack Johnson: age 25, under contract until 2017-18 at a cap hit of $4.35 million per season.

Jeff Carter: age 27, under contract until 2021-22 at a cap hit of $5.27 million per season.

This is a trade that must be looked at through two different perspectives. The first is looking at the trade as a single trade. The second view is to look at it on a whole, meaning, Columbus effectively traded Jakub Voracek and the 8^th overall pick (Sean Couturier).

Off the ice, the reasons for trading Carter were about his contract, and his character, says Illegal Curve Hockey Show analyst Richard Pollock:

“I don’t think Columbus did as badly as I thought they would have, because there was no market for Jeff Carter. It was restricted by the fact he has ten years left on his deal, which restricted him to a couple of teams, and other teams were concerned about his character.”

“The market for him was very small, the fact they were able to get the first round pick, and Jack Johnson, who’s game I have concerns about, but does have potential, was fine work by GM Scott Howson on an evaluation of just this trade. If they can nail the draft pick, they can make it look like an all around good deal.”

“Jeff Carter is a good skater, a good stickhandler, he’s got a terrific shot, he can distribute the puck, but he’s not great at it. He’s good defensively, he can play in all situations, he’s an all around really good player.”

Host of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show Drew Mindell added, “he’s a regular 30 goal scorer, which doesn’t ocme easily.”

Pollock continued on Jack Johnson saying, “he’s as good of a skater as Zach Bogosian, good slapshot, good offensive talent, can join the rush. His hockey sense and defensive awareness leave much to be desired.”

In terms of contracts, Johnson’s is more favourable to Carter’s, as it is for less years and money, he is also younger, and defenseman tend to peak at a later age.

Pollock was not in favour of the deal overall, and would not pick a winner. It was a move of desperation for both teams.

Columbus receives: 2^nd round pick in 2012, conditional 5^th in 2013 and Curtis McElhinney

Phoenix receives: Antoine Vermette (age 29, under contract until 2014-15 at a cap hit of $3.75 million per season)

Off the ice: It is interesting to note that this is a salary dump by Columbus, who is assuredly losing money this season, to the NHL owned Phoenix Coyotes.

Antoine Vermette is a limited player offensively, he skates well, and can handle the puck, but is not a point producer (27 points in 62 games this season). Vermette is a player who is better defensively than offensively.

Columbus is shedding a bad contract, at $3.75 million with three years remaining is a lot for a guy who is not a point producer. The value that they are receiving in this deal is in the 2^nd round pick, as well as the removal of his contract on the salary cap. The Blue Jackets can fill the hole left by Vermette with players such as RJ Umberger, Derick Brassard and the return they get for Rick Nash (assuming he is traded before next season).

Curtis McElhinney is a throw in, a back up goalie who’s been injured all year. He is not the answer for Columbus’ goaltending situation.

From a Phoenix perspective, they are getting a player who fits well into their system. Phoenix loads up on veterans who buy into their boring trap style system. Vermette’s speed can create pressure on the opposition and he can play in all situations. He is a “tweener” a 2^nd or 3^rd line player, and on the Coyotes squad he will play a bigger role. He fits the veteran defensively responsible type player that coach Dave Tippett wants.

This is a good move for both teams.

New Jersey Receives: Marek Zidlicky (age 35, cap hit of $4 million until 2012-13)

Minnesota Receives: Kurtis Foster, Nick Palmieri, Stephane Veilleux, a 2^nd round pick In 2012, a conditional 3^rd round pick in 2013 (if New Jersey makes the conference finals this season or next).

New Jersey is filling a need by getting an offensively talented defenseman who can skate and move the puck. From watching New Jersey this season, it is easy to tell they are missing an offensive defenseman. Players such as Anton Volchenkov, Henrik Tallinder and Bryce Salvador are defensive types who can block shots and hit. They did not have a guy with the ability to lead the power play and move the puck out of the defensive zone well enough.

Zidlicky should have no problem fitting into the dressing room with fellow countrymen Petr Sykora and Patrik Elias. He’s signed for next season at $4 million, which is a lot, but offensive defenseman like Zidlicky don’t grow on trees.

Minnesota was in a situation where they were not playing Zidlicky, and he fell out of favor with Coach Mike Yeo.  They receive ex-Wild Kurtis Foster who’s contract comes off the books next season, he is a big body who can chip in with his point shot.

Stephane Veilleux , also an ex-Wild is 13^th forward and his contract expires after the season.

Nick Palmieri has the potential to be a 3^rd or 4^th line player for Minnesota.

Comparing the deal to the Hal Gill deal, the Predators gave up a 2^nd round pick and Blake Geoffrion for Hal Gill. Because the Foster and Veilleux contracts expire at the end of the season, the Devils gave up Nick Palmieri and a 2^nd round pick. If they do reach the conference finals, they will be happy to relinquish the 3^rd round pick.

This is an even trade for both teams.

Colorado receives: Steve Downie

Tampa Bay receives: 1^st round pick from Detroit.

Detroit receives: Kyle Quincey

While this was two separate trades by Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman, it should be looked at as one move.

The trades Yzerman has made leading up to the deadline show that the former Detroit Red Wing is ascending up the ranks as one of the top GMs in the NHL.  He is aware that his team is not a Stanley Cup Contender this season and is selling off assets in order to build for the future. As of February 26, 2012, Tampa Bay now has six picks in the first two rounds of the 2012 draft.  The net result of this trade is that Tampa Bay receives Detroit’s first round pick in exchange for Steve Downie.

Detroit adds depth to their defense in Kyle Quincey. Quincey who was drafted by Detroit in 2003 is a player who skate well, can move the puck, but isn’t the most physical. He is brought in to play the 3^rd defense pairing with Jonathan Ericsson, which should take some pressure off of rookie Jakub Kindl. He  fits into Detroit’s system,  and will be an RFA after this season so they will be able to retain him.

Colorado receives Steve Downie who gives their team some much added toughness. He’s a player who can get in your face, go to the net, hit, and move around in the lineup. While he doesn’t have great hands, he can provide 10-15 goals and 30-35 points. Ideally, he’s a 3^rd line right winger. Downey will be an RFA after this season.

A reasonable deal for all sides.

Philadelphia receives: Pavel Kubina

Tampa Bay receives: Jon Kalinski, 2^nd round pick in 2012 or 2013, 4^th round pick in 2013.

This is a depth acquisition by Philadelphia, which may not have been completely necessary, but he is a big body who fits in well with the Flyers team.

Steve Yzerman is stockpiling picks and building for the future.

The bottom line: An even deal.

Florida receives: Jerrod Smithson (age 33, under contract until 2012-13 for $800,000)

Nashville receives: 6^th round draft pick in 2012

Jerrod Smithson is a 4^th line centre who is better than incumbent John Madden. He is a depth acquisition, whose skill lies in winning draws, playing a defensively responsible and killing penalties. Smithson won’t be counted on to provide offense.

Nashville is a well run club and if hey are giving away players for 6^th round picks, this means they have no use for Smithson. His $800,000 salary will come off the books for next season, making this a quasi-salary dump. The Predators are looking to make a run for the cup this season, the trade also opens up a roster spot for additional moves.

This isn’t a significant move, that shouldn’t be overrated.

Tune in to TSN 1290 all day on trade deadline Monday for round the clock coverage. Drew Mindell and Richard Pollock of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show will be on from 12pm-4pm breaking down all the trades, as well as previewing the Winnipeg Jets contest against the Edmonton Oilers.

Let’s get started… (all times listed are Central Time)

3:57pm: Nothing more informative is coming out here on TSN/Sportsnet. It is time to rest up for tonight’s Trade Deadline Recap Radio Show.  You can listen here tonight between 8pm and 10pm CST.  Feel free to call in (204) 780-Kick or send a question/comment to our mailbag.

Thanks for reading today, I had a great time. I hope you enjoyed this.

3:51pm: Nine more minutes remaining in this live blog, and then I am shutting it down to prepare for tonight’s radio show.

3:45pm: Unleash the TSN writers who have been caged in the back for seemingly five hours…

3:37pm: Brian Burke/James Duthie interviews are actually must-see tv! That was hilarious!

3:31pm: Another Brian Burke one word answer.  Great humor.  Give Burke credit today, he did a very solid job.

3:26pm: Now, the Oilers also acquired Ales Kotalik for a 2nd round pick as well.

Kotalik is a nice pickup for Edmonton.  He can play on the second or third line, has alright hands and is very defensively responsible.  He isn’t a splashy pickup, but he’s a useful player.

Update: Kotalik is a pending UFA.  A 2nd round pick seems like a lot in that case–especially when the Oilers are not going to get out of the first round if they even make the playoffs.

3:25pm: K, the Hurricanes also got a 2nd round pick in the aforementioned three-way trade and it was from Los Angeles.

3:24pm: What did the panel just say? Was that a 6 way trade?

3:17pm: Leafs trade Richard Peddie Petiot for Olaf Kolzig, Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers and a 4th round pick.

Don’t get fooled here, this is the Leafs taking on salary for the rest of this season to get a 4th round pick. 

3:15pm: No draft picks involved here, this was a straight three-way trade.

I have to say that I like this trade for all three teams, assuming the ‘Canes are very confident that they will re-sign Erik Cole.  All three teams add assets here that can help them now, and if Cole signs, in the future as well.

For me, the biggest winner is Edmonton because they turn a pending UFA into a young talented forward.

3:00pm: I’m confused here.  From the L.A. perspective, they add Williams, a talented player and tireless worker, who just can’t see to stay healthy.  I really like Williams.

In Edmonton, they get O’Sullivan a young guy with great offensive upside for a pending UFA.  They must have included some picks here.

Carolina adds Cole back to the equation, and must be pretty confident they can re-sign him.

2:58pm: Patrick O’Sullivan to Edmonton and some picks to Edmonton for Erik Cole.

Ummm, there must be something else here????? They couldn’t have gotten O’Sullivan for Cole(impending UFA). 

2:53pm: Three-way deal: Patrick O’Sullivan to Edmonton, Justin Williams to Los Angeles and ????? to Carolina.

Still waiting on what Oilers give up.

2:51pm: Nick Bonino, Tim Pihlmeye and a conditional pick go other way in Moen and Huskins deal.

Don’t know enough about these players, but seems to be a nice return from what they are saying.

2:48pm: Patrick O’Sullivan traded to Hurricanes, according to Sportsnet.

Can’t comment until I see the return.  He just signed extension prior to the season, so I am interested to see what they get back in this trade.

2:46pm: Apparently Oilers trade pending here…

2:44pm: Sharks acquire Travis Moen and Kent Huskins from Ducks.

Moen is a great checking line winger, the kind of guy you want in the playoffs.  Huskins doesn’t get much press, but is a nice low-end defenseman that can step in and hold his own.  Nice move by Doug Wilson to add depth and not mess with his core.

2:37pm: Sami Pahlsson to the Blackhawks for James Wisniewski.

Pahlsson is a seasoned veteran who is a terrific checking center that can chip in the odd goal.  He has good playoff experience and is a load to play against.  The Hawks needed strength up the middle and they got it.  Although, they better hope his mono is a thing of the past.

As for the Anaheim return, the Ducks are loading up on defensive depth with anticipation of a possible Niedermayer/Pronger departure.  Wisniewsksi has offensive potential and is only 25 years old, they will slot him into some power play time and hope he can become a nice puck-mover for them.

2:35pm: Kyle McLaren to the Philadelphia Flyers for a 6th round pick

McLaren has been buried in minors all year.  He doesn’t skate well but he’s a Flyers-type player.  He’s mean and has playoff seasoning.  Good to see him get back in the NHL.

2:29pm: Tampa trades Steve Eminger to Florida Panthers for Noah Welch and a 3rd round pick.

Okay. Can someone please tell me why the Lightning trade for anyone???????? Why did they trade Matt Carle for Eminger and Downie????? Now that has turned into Downie (who just attacked an AHL official), Noah Welch and a 3rd round pick.  I’m befuddled.

2:27pm: The long-awaited Nikolai Antropov interview!  That said, he has to be excited to play out of the spotlight in NYC.

2:20pm: Just a reminder that we will be on the air live tonight for a special 2-hour edition of the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show from 8pm CST until 10pm CST.  If you have any comments or questions, drop them in the mailbag.  To listen to the show, just click on the Radio Icon on the top right side of the page.

2:18pm: Sutter is getting praised on the TSN set and it is completely justified.  He’s done a tremendous job this season. 

2:13pm: Darryl Sutter on live television is second only to Brian Burke.  He’s great.

2:09pm: Atlanta trades Erik Christensen traded to Anaheim for Eric O’Dell.

2:07pm: Leafs trade Dominic Moore to Buffalo for a 2nd round pick.

Good work by Burke here.  Moore wasn’t worth anything close to a 2nd rounder prior to the season and he wasn’t going to get a first rounder for him.

As for Buffalo, I don’t mind this move, but I’d have been more comfortable with a 3rd here.

2:04pm: Apparently Leafs forward Dominic Moore has been traded.

2:01pm: From NYR Dmitri Kalinin, Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes for Derek Morris.

Morris is alright, but that whole defense is extremely overrated.  The Rangers overpaid here.  Prucha has talent and Dawes has speed and a nice goal-scoring touch; both are young and still have potential.  As for Kalinin, he has had a horrible year for NYR.

2:00pm: Derek Morris traded to Rangers.

1:59pm: Jay Bouwmeester is not going to get traded, says McGuire.

I don’t like this move at all.  If the offers were even close to the ones mentioned, then you have to make those trades.  Bouwmeester is a goner from Florida, and they aren’t going to the Cup.  I think that’s a missed opportunity.

1:56pm: McGuire says, in a cryptic way, that Philly is closing in on a possible Bouwmeester move.

1:54pm: Why are they treating Bill Guerin sitting at home waiting for a trade while collecting his million dollar paycheck as if that is a “trying experience”???????? Give me a break.

1:53pm: Pierre calls out the Wild for its inactivity.

1:52pm: How many more times will the TSN crew call Dominic Moore–Steve Moore?

1:49pm: Toronto trades Nikolai Antropov to NYR for a 2nd rounder and a conditional pick.

That’s the most Burke is going to get, so he did well.

1:48pm: Avery, Bell and Antropov???? That’s the answer for the Rangers?  They miss the days of Gretzky and Messier, that’s for sure.

1:47pm: TSN says Antropov traded to NYR.

1:44pm: Sportsnet also reporting Antropov to Nashville. No word yet on return.

1:43pm: Sportsnet reports Phoenix trades Daniel Carcillo to Philly for Upshall and 2nd rounder.

Carcillo is a crazy winger who runs around like a chicken with his head cut off.  A perfect Flyers depth player, as he has more game than people think.  As for Upshall, he is a pending RFA, with more offensive skill than he’s shown. He is gritty and is fast as well.  Add in a 2nd rounder and I like this deal for both sides.

1:40pm: Bob McKenzie doesn’t seem as convinced that a deal is going to get done for Bouwmeester.

1:39pm: Could be Mason Raymond, Kevin Bieksa and a 1st going other way says Sportsnet.

1:36pm: Sportsnet is reporting that Vancouver and Florida are close to a Bouwmeester deal.

Would be a huge move for the Canucks and would vault them into a top 4 contender in the West–pushing the Hawks to number five.

1:33pm: By the way, the move by Ken Holland to trade for Brad Stuart  last year at the deadline didn’t get close to enough attention.  It was a masterful move that rounded out the team’s top four.

1:31pm: What is the panel talking about regarding Detroit making a move? Has anyone on there watched them play?  They don’t need to make a deal to just make a deal, they are stacked.

1:27pm: TSN shows an old clip of Darryl Sutter basically denying any actual interest in acquiring certain assets.

C’mon, you didn’t actually think he’d sit idle on deadline day did you?  His team had obvious needs and as a great GM, he filled them perfectly.

1:26pm: Sportsnet reports Havlat is close to inking extension with Blackhawks.

Regarding the Havlat extension, I am really interested to see the term and salary there.  He is very talented but he is so unreliable when it comes to being in the lineup.

1:24pm: Back to the Jokinen trade for a second.  I emailed George Richards of the Miami Herald to ask him about possible chemistry between Todd Bertuzzi and Olli Jokinen from their time in Florida.  But Bertuzzi played so few games in Florida (7) that’ll we’ll have to wait and see.

1:18pm: I made the last one up, but you believed it for like .05 of a second.

1:17pm: Bob McKenzie announced he’s having a post trade deadline toga party…

1:15pm: Dutchie is flexing on the bottie box.

1:11pm: You know they are bored when they are showing clips of Tortorella and Avery diagramming plays…

1:10pm: Darren Millard on Sportsnet calls this a buyer’s market and I have to agree with him.  I really don’t think anyone has overpaid today.

1:08pm: Only 8 trades so far.  Really surprised by that, but I still think lots of deals come down.

1:06pm: Bill Guerin for a 5th round pick but if Pitt makes playoff it is a 4th rounder, if they win one round it is a third round pick.

Cannot give up more than a third rounder.  Nice move by Shero.

1:04pm: Still more chips to fall.  The deadline is less than an hour away, but remember that many trades trickle out after the deadline has passed.

12:59pm: The panel loves the Guerin pick up. 

I like it too.  You give Crosby two wingers to play with and can now leave Malkin with Sykora.  Good move by Shero.

12:57pm: The Forsberg report is apparently false.  And the Guerin trade seems official, says Dreger.

12:55pm: Rangers interested in Morris according to McKenzie.

Blah.  That Rangers defense is going to be filled with a lot of salary that lacks high-salary production.

12:54pm: McKenzie says Guerin to Pittsburgh is a strong rumor.

I’d like that move for Pittsburgh.  Guerin’s name value carries more than what he actually bring at his age, but he can still score a bit, skate and is gritty.

12:51pm: Gord Miller tells us that Peter Forsberg is going to announce his retirement tonight.

I’ll say this, he was one of my favorite players to ever play the game.  Behind Gretzky, he was probably my second favorite player.  This guy was one of the top ten passers of all-time, competed at every opportunity and won two Stanley Cups and two Olympic Gold Medals.

12:44pm: Give Sportsnet credit for having a permanent ticker at the bottom of the screen, even during commercials.  Whereas, TSN doesn’t have anything on during commercials.

12:39pm: Vesa Toskala talks to the Toronto media.  He seems like he just hates it there! Wow.  If he looked anymore unhappy, he’d be Chris Bosh…

12:38pm: I had to double-check there because I thought Lashoff was a defenseman and TSN had him listed at forward.  I don’t know enough about both of these players to provide my personal opinion and I won’t be able to see them in person this weekend with Providence (I am going to see the Bruins play the Moose).  So, here is what Hockeys Future says about Lashoff and Karsums.

12:32pm: Here is official deal: Recchi and 2nd rounder for Matt Lashoff and Martins Karsums.

12:30pm: To those wondering, apparently Recchi keeps himself in unbelievable shape, which is probably a significant reason why he’s playing so well at his age.

12:27pm: When did Pierre start borrowing Pat Quinn’s dress shirts?

12:25pm: Apparently Chris Neil won’t re-sign in Ottawa.  Lots of Sharks rumblings there.

12:24pm: Mark Recchi traded to the Boston Bruins.

I like that move for Boston.  Did you know Recchi has 40+ this season? He has Stanley Cup experience and adds depth to an already loaded offensive team.  Smart move by Chiarelli.

12:22pm: Is Dutchie standing in the bootie box at the TSN studios?

12:18pm: I have a feeling this next hour and a half is going to be action-packed.  Too many players need to be dealt by teams that really have no use for pending UFAs.

12:11pm: For all the talk about Jokinen not treating young players well, can someone tell me where all the young players are in Calgary??????????

12:10pm: Barnaby says players he talked to in the Western Conference think Olli Jokinen is so bad in the dressing room that he’ll make the Flames worse.

12:08pm: Gord Miller trips out really hard about saying that if Blackberrys cause health defects he has little time to live.  Don’t worry Gord, Blackberry isn’t going to steal your new Bold.

12:07pm: McKenzie tells us that Vancouver and Philadelphia are the top two teams fighting it out for Bouwmeester.

12:06pm: Darren Dreger tells us Matthew Lombardi isn’t very happy with this trade.

12:03pm: On Sportsnet, Nick Kypreos says that Phil Kessel is in play today.

Some people may not like that, but I don’t mind that move by the Bruins.  They certainly won’t give him away and Chiarelli is a sharp GM. 

11:55am: Ferraro comes in with more good analysis.  He says Jokinen hasn’t ever played in a hockey market and may not work chemistry-wise with Jarome Iginla.  He needs to be on this broadcast more often.  Couldn’t he just drive to Buffalo at 3pm?

11:54am: Vesa Toskala has been shut down for the season.  Next story please…

11:52am: The Flyers have been too quiet, I expect action from them soon.

11:50am: So it looks like Jokinen isn’t going to force Iginla to switch his number…and instead will wear number 21.

11:48am: Jermain Franklin is back.  Duthie and him fighting for air time is the new Probert/Domi.

11:47am: I love the Pierre hate-on for Derek Morris today.  It’s quite amusing.

11:46am: Pierre calls out the Habs.  I don’t think they are standing pat.  I still think Gainey makes a move or two.

11:39am: Olli Jokinen and a third round pick traded from Phoenix for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a 1st rounder (With option of Cgy if it is 2009 or 2010).

I like this move for both sides.  Jokinen, as said below, is a perfect fit for Calgary.  As for Lombardi, the Coyotes get a speedster who has seen his game improve lately and still has potential.  Although how long can a player have potential for?  Prust is a grinder with a lot of spunk and the first rounder is valuable in this day and age.

11:38am: Petteri Nokelainin from Boston to Anaheim for Steve Montador.

Montador has playoff experience and can fill in the 6th spot in Boston.  He battles and has good character.  As for Nokelainin, good move by Anaheim adding the youngster here who can play well defensively and slot in on the third/fourth line.  They had too many defensemen there anyways.

11:37am: Farhan Lalji appears for an interview.  I once saw him at a bar in Calgary and if the Canucks bring in someone with as little game as Lalji, they are going out in the first round. I kid, I kid.

11:36am: James Duthie checks his blackberry and quickly looks back up…because no one has contacted him and he’s jealous Darren Pang is more popular.

11:35am: Gord Miller starts teaching linear algebra to the Canadian masses.

11:34am: Apparently the deal is done, but we are just waiting on the specifics here.

11:33am: Dreger says the package to Phoenix for Jokinen is expected to include Matthew Lombardi, a first round pick and maybe even Adrian Aucoin?  Yet the deal has apparently not been finalized.

11:32am: LeBrun says Scott Gomez is available in NYR but “teams are avoiding that contract like the plague.”

11:30am: Ken Holland is on the line with Duthie (back to TSN now) and he says Marian Hossa is only day-to-day.  Good news there.

11:28am: I couldn’t watch that practice so I went back to Sportsnet and LeBrun reports it looks like the original Bill Guerin deal has completely fallen apart.  They are working on second options now.

11:27am: TSN is back from commercial and we get another shot of Leafs practice.  Someone please bottle me.

11:25am: Flipped over to Sportsnet’s coverage to take a look.  Pierre LeBrun thinks Pronger will probably be traded at the draft but he isn’t so sure Pronger won’t be traded today.

11:21am: Just to let readers know, Feaster is known as one of the class acts in the NHL and he’s proving that today.

11:19am: The panel talks about the difficulty for Bill Guerin of waiting around.  Ummm, did Bill Guerin think he was signing on the Island to stay there all season long? C’mon, get real here.  He knew he’d be traded from the outset.

11:13am: A live shot of Maple Leafs practice!!!! TradeCentre–Gotta love it!

11:08am: I saw the Andy Wozniewski deal twenty minutes ago but felt it necessary to save my hands for something you actually care about.

11:04am: Waiver wire moves: Brendan Morrison claimed by Dallas, Martin Gerber by Toronto and Erik Reitz by Toronto.

Morrison isn’t what he once was.  He brings more offense to Dallas, a team that has many injuries, but I don’t really like that move.  Gerber is being claimed because they say Toskala will be shut down.  I am sure some Leafs fans are unhappy the Leafs are trying to win any games.  Reitz is a seventh/eighth defenseman.

11:02am: Gord Miller reports Mikael Tellqvist to the Sabres for a fourth round pick.

Tellqvist hasn’t played poorly in Phoenix this season.  The Sabres need some help in net with Ryan Miller injury and Patrick Lalime starting.  I like this small move by Buffalo.

11:00am: Damien Cox is right on with his comments about Sundin still having much more room for improvement.

10:57am: Of course the Oilers would move Robert Nilsson.  He’s been horrible this season.

10:52am: Duthie wants to cut off Jermaine Franklin but is being polite. Awkward.

10:50am: The official deal: Jordan Leopold for a 2nd round pick (from Habs in Tanguay deal), Ryan Wilson and Lawrence Nycholat.

Love this move for Calgary.  One of their two biggest needs was speed on the back-end.  Pending UFA or not, great move.

10:44am: I am agreeing far too much with Pierre McGuire today.

10:42am: They have Leopold on the line already. Damn that was quick.  Leopold sounds like he’s looking forward to be going back to Calgary.

10:39am: McKenzie reports Jordan Leopold has been traded to Calgary.

I love this move.  Put him back with Regehr and let his skating be a perfect compliment to the reliable defensive defenseman.  He moves the puck well, played there before and is a good competitor.  This is a great move. 

Darryl Sutter for Prime Minister.

10:38am: Sportsnet reports that Sean O’Donnell has signed a one-year contract extension.

Good move by the Kings to sign the solid veteran d-man whose presence is most valuable in the room and on the ice helping Doughty and Johnson along.

10:33am: Just to let our readers know.  All trades will be underlined and all trade analysis will be in italics.

10:32am: Antoine Vermette sounds disappointed to be leaving Ottawa.

10:25am: McKenzie says the Flames are close to acquiring Olli Jokinen. Not a done deal yet but close he says.

Would love the move for the Flames.  Keenan loves him and coached him during his great years in Florida.  Moreover, adding him down low with Iginila would be scary to defend.  Never mind that it’d make Langkow a great number two center and give them two great lines.  Love Sutter’s aggressiveness here.

10:24am: The Oilers are the topic of discussion.  Apparently they want to add, but I don’t think it will matter.  This team just isn’t good enough this season.  Good teams don’t get blown out by 7-8 goals a couple times during one season.  The Oilers should sell in my opinion.

10:19am: Ferraro misuses the word assimilated–he meant constructed–but aside from that, good interview.

10:16am: The first Ray Ferraro appearance.  Let’s see more of this guy.  He is candid and knows his stuff.

10:15am: I love how they continue to bash Jose Theodore then Pang says he “loves Jose but…”

10:12am: Pierre McGuire questions Tim Thomas because he hasn’t won a playoff series yet.  He makes a good point. You can’t take anything away from Thomas, as he’s played great this year, but he is a veteran player who has yet to win a series.  Good point Pierre.

9:59am: The crew is having an interesting discussion about the Flames.  A refreshing change for the over-analysis of the Maple Leafs situation.  I agree that the Flames need a backup netminder.  I also don’t think they should go after Derek Morris.  The panel mentioned his big shot, but they already have Phaneuf and Aucoin providing that on the back-end.

9:51am: For people worrying about the lack of activity, I don’t think it is a sign of things to come. Remember, it is only 8:51am in the Mountain time zone and 7:51am for all the Pacific GMs.  Things will pick up soon.

9:46am: Gord Miller tells us that Tim Connnolly has signed a 2 year deal at $9 million total.

That seems like way too much money to me.  Talent-wise Connolly is worth it, but he hardly plays.  The past three seasons he has played 63, 2 and 48 games. In the cap system, you need to have a more reliable player making that much money.  Especially with the cap expected to go down in 2010/11.

9:44am: Feaster likes the Leclaire/Vermette deal for both teams.  Agreed.

9:36am: Burke almost swears. Duthie is doing a great job with the interview here and Burke is being quite candid.  Interesting tv.

9:32am: Brian Burke is on the line! HAHAHA a one word answer! I love it.

9:29am: He also says he probably won’t play this season, which should make Senators fans even more excited.  That’s because they can continue to lose games and get a bettter draft pick.

9:28am: Pascal Leclaire tells the TSN guys they are the ones who actually broke the trade to him.  He seems excited, as he gets to go closer to home and become a starter again.  Senators fans should be excited about this move.

9:27am: Michael Farber discusses Bob Gainey’s five-year plan.  They are lucky it isn’t similar to J.P. Ricciardi’s five-year plan for the Blue Jays.

9:21am: Sara Orlesky comes on from Buffalo and….tells us nothing. 

9:12am: Darren Pang and Pierre McGuire gang up on Keith Jones because he has hair.

9:08am: Cory Woron says Dominic Moore couldn’t agree to a deal with the Leafs.  Apparently the contract talks are off and the Leafs will deal Moore.

No surprise.  I got the impression Burke didn’t want to keep Moore all along.

9:07am: McKenzie gets put on the spot and says he has nothing to say. Brilliant.  Then Dreger reports the same Connolly contract rumor as he did an hour ago.  Can’t miss television here folks!

9:04am: One question: If the trade deadline is so busy for GMs, then how the hell are they able to get a GM on television with less than five hours before the deadline???????????

8:59am: The official trade is Vermette for Leclaire and a second rounder. 

I liked the move for Ottawa before that information came out.  Nice work by Bryan Murray.  But as I said below, I also like the trade for Columbus.

8:55am: McKenzie tells us that the Senators have traded Antoine Vermette to Columbus for Pascal Leclaire.

This trade was rumored for a couple days now and really makes sense for both teams.  Vermette is a speedster who has pretty good hands and adds another offensive player to a team that needs offense.  In Leclaire, the Blue Jackets had a luxury in between the pipes, as Steve Mason is the goalie of the future there.  Even so, remember Leclaire’s play last season? Sure Hitchcock’s system turns out some pretty good numbers, but Leclaire was excellent.  He’s had injury issues this season but he is a huge upgrade for the Senators in net. 

I like this move from both sides.

8:50am: Bob McKenzie tells us that Filip Kuba has signed a 3 year, $3.7 million per season contract extension with the Senators.

Not an overly surprising revelation.  Considering he’s been making $3 million per the last few seasons, that isn’t exactly a big boost in pay.  That said, I’m not the biggest Kuba fan.  That is still a lot of money for Kuba, especially considering Volchenkov and Phillips make $6.7 million combined this season.  So, that is over $10 million dollars tied up on defense, and that’s before you have a real game-changing defenseman under contract. 

8:48am: Brent Wallace tells us that there are no suspicious no shows at Senators practice today.  On another note, when did Brent Wallace go grey?

8:40am: Between hammer curls, Dutchie finds the time to show us the hilights from last night’s games for the fourth time.

8:39am: Apparently the Sabres have offered Tim Connolly a 2 year deal at $4 million per.  If I’m Tim Connolly that contract is already signed.  My god.  He’ll probably play 34 games over those two seasons.  So if he plays 34 games (which is a stretch!), then he’d make about $235,000 per game.

8:31am: Mark Recchi takes a little bit of a shot at the Lightning management for not communicating with him about where he could possibly go.  Translation: GET ME THE HELL OUT OF TAMPA BAY!

8:30am: Matthew Barnaby and Peter Laviolette discuss who is wearing more hair gel. K, I made that up.

8:29am: Somebody stop the Leafs talk! I cannot handle the over-analysis of 3rd and 4th line players who happen to play on the first and second line of a horrible roster.

8:23am: If you are a Panthers fan, you probably don’t want to read this.

8:17am: The Leafs story is coming up next.  Wicked!  While I sit here on the edge of my seat waiting to hear where Dominic Moore (the same Dominic Moore who had trouble consistently cracking the Wild, Rangers and Predators rosters) will go, I am going to pass along this hilarious link.  Thanks to my friend Sean for passing that along.

8:12am: Yup, they are analyzing the Stan Neckar trade from 2004…He was the difference in that series against Calgary!!!!

8:06am: Pierre was on the phone in the background, and now he is walking up to the stage while Duthie is talking–awkward.

8:03am: One hour in and so far no trades.  Well, except for Pierre McGuire trading Darren Pang two Red Bulls for some speed.

7:58am: Our friend Robert from Habs Eye On The Prize has a great post detailing all of Bob Gainey’s transactions since coming to the Habs as GM.

7:53am: The crew has started playing games you play at parties when you are drunk. 

7:52am: Tim Wharnsby of the Globe & Mail says Justin Williams to the Kings has been talked about.

7:47am: Back to Bouwmeester for a second; Eric Duhatschek has a good article about that situation.

7:46am: Pierre says the Capitals won’t win with Jose Theodore in net.  Shouldn’t somebody have told that to the Capitals before the summer?

7:45am: Pierre thinks Bouwmeester will only go if the Panthers get four assets back–similar to the Marian Hossa trade.  Barnaby says he’d trade him.  I agree, and that means I’ve agreed with Barnaby twice now (he also said the Sabres can’t give Tim Connolly big money on a three-year deal).  Pretty trippy!

7:34am: Gord Miller finishes talking and Darren Dreger starts.  Miller then immediately logs onto Facebook chat…

7:27am: The writers panel comes on, hosted by Dave Hodge.  They are talking about the top five Cup contenders????? Couldn’t you save this for Sunday boys?  Thanks for telling me that San Jose and Detroit are the top two teams in the NHL…

7:20am: Lightning GM Brian Lawton expects a busy day.

7:18am: Blues GM John Davidson says if he had a deal in place for Keith Tkachuk already, the veteran probably wouldn’t have been in the lineup last night.

7:11am: The War Room panel includes Jay Feaster, Peter Laviolette and Matthew Barnaby.  So, Barnaby is now part of two crews?  How can he be part of the main panel and then the War Room?  Was Rob Ray unavailable?

7:08am: Pierre McGuire tells Dutchie he’s buff.  Hilight of the morning by far.  Sure we are only 8 minutes into the show, but that was hilarious.

7:06am: Chris Pronger isn’t off the block, but the Ducks apparently haven’t gotten a worthwhile offer yet.  The L.A. Times has some information on the story here.

7:02am: Darren Dreger tells us that the action won’t get started until the Western Conference GMs actually wake up.  Does that mean I can go back to sleep?

The Atlanta Thrashers have traded defenceman Niclas Havelid to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for blueliner Anssi Salmela.

The 35-year old Havelid is heading to his third NHL team in nine seasons, including five seasons with the Anaheim Ducks who drafted him in the 3rd round (83rd overall) in 1999.

Read entire story here.

This trade addresses a need for both teams.  First off, the Devils were lacking on the blue line and everyone knew Lou Lamoriello was going to upgrade his back-end.  In Havelid, the Devils acquire a solid stay-at-home defender.  The 35 year old Sweden native has playoff experience (Ducks 2004) and is steady force on defense.  He isn’t glamorous, or even overly offensive, but he gets the puck out of his own zone quite well and provides a nice veteran upgrade for New Jersey’s defense.

As for Atlanta, they get younger which is always a plus when your team is horrible.  Havelid was a pending UFA and they needed to get a return for their asset before he hit the market.  In Salmela, the Thrashers get a young offensive rearguard who can move the puck.  With Zach Bogosian, Ron Hainsey and Tobias Enstrom already doing that on the Thrashers’ defense, Salmea should fit in quite well.  In fact, Atlanta’s defense is looking like it may have a bright future.