trade deadline

Defenseman may not be only position on Flyers wish list

February 15, 2012

Several writers have started to say that the Philadelphia Flyers need to rethink their plans to add a defenseman at the trade deadline.

Some believe that even with that kind of addition it still wouldn’t be enough to help the Flyers compete with the top teams in the league. Especially the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.

They’re absolutely right.

Even if the team does bring in a serviceable defender to sure up their shaky d-corps, the team still may not be good enough to contend.

That’s exactly why the team may be looking to strengthen the forward group as well.

Trade winds blowing in Philadelphia

February 12, 2012

Matthew Brigidi

3 Comments

It’s been talked about since captain Chris Pronger went down for the season in December, but now the question resonates louder than it ever has before.

Who are they going to get?

With the February 27 trade deadline quickly approaching, rumors have been swirling as to what the Philadelphia Flyers plan to do to make their promising team a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.

As each day ends and a new one begins, the anticipation to what will be done becomes more palpable.

Deadline Reality Check: Defensemen

February 11, 2012

A.K. Bennett

16 Comments

Like every other fan, I'll throw out a crazy trade possibility or nine this time of year. As hockey fans, it's typical to lose rationality in the month leading up to deadline day, an unofficial holiday in my book.

As Red Wings fans, this tendency is even stronger due to past deadline deals that brought Hall of Famers such as Chelios to Hockeytown. The salary cap era has stifled Ken Holland's freewheeling deals but with the Wings sitting atop the standings with over $5 million in cap space, many think a big splash is coming.

I think the Wings are going to make a lot of noise... in the summer, especially if Lidstrom and Holmstrom retire an...

Could a possible solution to Chicago's D-man woes be sitting in its press box?

February 9, 2012

Hockeybroad

9 Comments

It's well-known that the Chicago Blackhawks are shopping for at least one defensemen, although they're hardly the only team to be doing so.

A question which needs to be asked is: Is a possible solution to Chicago's defensive issues already on the team, but spending the majority of his season in the press box?

Finnish defenseman Sami Lepistö was a summer signing, fresh off a gold medal win at the World Championships. Despite what looked like a decent depth signing for that sixth blue line role, Lepistö has spent just 11 games in the Blackhawks lineup. There are certainly bloggers out there eager to decry him as bad (and those same writers are even eager ...

Will Nashville Trade Suter?

February 1, 2012

John OHara

6 Comments

With the 2012 NHL All-Star festivities in Ottawa finally over, teams are gearing up for the second half of the season. The crème of the crop is rising in both leagues, and with the February 27th trade deadline fast approaching, teams will soon assess whether they’ll be buyers or sellers. Some teams will reload for the grueling playoffs, and some teams will re-stock for the 2012-2013 season.

During the all-star festivities, Predator defenseman Ryan Suter felt like getting personal. Suter notified the hockey world on Fridays media day that he wouldn’t sign an extension until after the season. This remark was rather surprising. The t...

Grabovski: Valuable Trade Chip or Asset?

January 30, 2012

Ron Guillet

4 Comments

With the National Hockey League trade deadline approaching, Toronto Maple Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski continues to be amid trade rumours.

The NHL’s first star of the week is a pending unrestricted free agent and could garner significant interest should he decided to test the free agent waters. But that’s not stopping teams from around the league to inquire on his availability for the current season. The 28-year-old (birthday is tomorrow, which means he’s going to light up the Pittsburgh Penguins) is on-pace for 28 goals and 56 points, almost identical to last season’s production, in five less games.

With general manager Brian Burke actively see...

Leafs trade possibilities

January 30, 2012

Ron Guillet

1 Comment

With the rumour mill churning and the Toronto Maple Leafs actively seeking a top-six forward, general manager Brian Burke could soon pull the trigger with the trade deadline looming.

As the All-Star weekend wraps up, trade speculation reaches its peek with what’s sure to be a few weeks of absurd trade rumours (Jeff Carter and the Columbus Blue Jackets’ first-round draft pick for Luke Schenn and Mikhail Grabovski is my personal favorite).

Burke has publicly stated his desire to acquire a top-six forward that can add some size and strength to the line-up. The problem, it seems, is such players aren’t acquired at will. Burke had expressed his prefer...

The Future of Kipper

January 24, 2012

Drew Henn

1 Comment

Since being traded over in 2003, Miikka "Kipper" Kiprusoff has been tremendous for the Calgary Flames.

His acrobatic and show-stopping highlights have proved him to be a top goaltender in the league. With another strong season underway, his age doesn't appear to be slowing him down.

But, like every athlete in this world, his time will end. Unfortunately, that time is creeping close and Kipper's future with the Flames is as uncertain as ever.

How the Chicago Blackhawks are shaping up as training camp approaches

July 25, 2011

Hockeybroad

2 Comments

Chicago fans were disappointed in April when the Blackhawks couldn't make it past their hated rival, the Vancouver Canucks. But even in the face of the loss, there was a lot of positive things to take away from the postseason for the Hawks.

The most important thing was the Blackhawks' performance in games 4-7 of the first series. Despite Vancouver looking like the stronger, healthier team going to the series - and they were, having cruised through the final weeks of their schedule as Chicago battled down to the very last wire in the effort to hold on to their playoff berth - and even despite the Canucks practically skating circles around t...