NHL Trade Deadline Top Five Surprising Non-Moves
The Trades That Didn't Happen on NHL Trade Deadline Day 2009
Mar 15, 2009 Sebastian Egerton-Read
The 2009-trade deadline was another active one for the NHL, with 22 trades involving 47 players; however the deadline was marked as much by the moves that didn’t happen. Most GM’s commented that a combination of high asking prices, a lack of sellers and team’s proximity to the cap made trading more difficult this deadline than most. Here is a review of the day’s five most surprising ‘non moves’.
St Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks- Keith Tkachuk and Chris Pronger
The St Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks entered the trade deadline as ‘bubble’ teams in the playoff race. St Louis ended up making no moves but rumours suggest that they did have a deal worked out to trade off Keith Tkachuk that fell through just before the deadline. Anaheim GM Bob Murray did commit to selling at the deadline trading Travis Moen, Kent Huskins, Steve Montador and Sami Pahlsson but somewhat surprisingly did not trade off Chris Pronger, in spite of strong rumours linking him to the likes of the Boston Bruins. Though Pronger is not necessarily an obvious trade candidate, he would have given the Ducks a strong return in their present re-building movement.
Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens Stand Pat
The Flyers and Canadiens are 4th and 5th in the Eastern Conference standings respectively and in a tight playoff race both teams were expected to make trades to improve their rosters and mount serious challenges on the cup. The Flyers were strongly linked to the likes of Jay Bouwmeester and Derek Morris; they strengthened trade speculation ahead of draft day by sending Glen Metropolit and Ossi Vaananen to waivers but made only a lateral move swapping Scottie Upshall for Daniel Carcillo. The Canadiens had expected to try to add a scoring forward with the likes of Olli Jokinen and Milan Hejduk linked to a move to Montreal. After starting the season with high expectations the Canadiens have proven they are a strong team but have struggled for consistency, it is surprising the GM Bob Gainey didn’t add a strong scoring forward to bring greater consistency to their offense.
Cap Space Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild
Vancouver and Minnesota are in the thick of an incredibly close Western Conference playoff race; both held the distinct advantage at the deadline of having cap room to spare but neither made a move despite several rumours linking various players, in particular to the Canucks. The Wild and Canucks are extremely well coached but are not among the NHL’s most dynamic teams and it is curious that GM’s Harvey Jones and Doug Risebrough did not decide to make a move to strengthen the depths of their rosters.
Colorado Avalanche Fail to Sell
A poor run of form has seen the Colorado Avalanche drop out of the playoff race altogether and by the trade deadline they looked set to be one of the biggest sellers. A combination of injuries and an aging roster has made it a difficult season for Colorado and it seemed the perfect time to change the guard with the likes of Milan Hejduk and Ryan Smyth potentially garnering a useful return, but GM Michel Goulet chose only to move defenseman Jordan Leopold in an otherwise quiet deadline.
Jay Bouwmeester Not Going Anywhere
There was more talk about Jay Bouwmeester than any other single player in the run-up to the deadline. Florida Panthers GM Jacques Martin was faced with the difficult decision of whether to trade or not trade his impending UFA superstar. Bouwmeester has made it clear that he does not wish to re-sign in Florida and even though the Panthers are locked in a playoff battle, it seemed almost certain that Martin would make a trade at the deadline. The Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers were both strongly linked to the young defenseman but no move was made and Bouwmeester’s home for next season remains a mystery. It is unknown whether the Panthers elected to stay the course for the playoffs or the returns offered were simply not up to their valuation, however it is a decision Martin will most surely rue if Florida fail to reach the postseason.
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