NHL Trade deadline 2010

All of the hockey enthusiasts were holding their breath in anticipation. Where would the major moves take place? Would my favourite team lose or gain a star? Which team would give up and cash out their biggest names for draft pics and prospects? Which would take the risk and get some overpriced "veteran leadership" to make it to the playoffs?

At the end of the day, one big disappointed sigh. Hardly any remarkable trades were made. And all the biggest by far, already before the Olympics break. The teams clearly in decided to play it safe and not shake the roster. The teams clearly out didn't have anything to sell. The teams on the playoff bubble were too scared to mix it up or couldn't find a partner to make major trades. Well, at least we'll have very tightly integrated teams fighting for playoff spots this time. That might even be better for the fans.

Some random picks from me here. Case Vesa Toskala. A somewhat fairytaleish rise from San Jose backup to the number one goalie in the biggst hockey town in the planet in Toronto followed by a sad story of being traded a couple of times under trade deadline and landing as the backup of Miikka Kiprusoff. One of the few guys that will keep on playing 75 games a season. A fellow Finn with merits to share. A guy from the same home town in Finland. Vesa will unfortunately (from a Finnish fan point of view) end up sitting off the back of his shorts in Calgary.

Defencemen Lubomir Visnovsky and Ryan Whitney changed teams EDM-ANA. I can't see any point in Anaheim making this move. Players have similar attributes, but Whitney is a young horse where Visnovsky already a veteran. I guess this is the old merits talking. Anyway, I'd say this is good for Edmonton's rebuilding plans.

Colorado dumped Vojtek Volski. Can't wrap my mind around that either. The guy has been great for a few seasons, supercool in shootouts, one of the leading scorers in the team, still young and improving and whatnot. That one slipped off pretty cheap. Peter Mueller quite likely has talent and a decent future in NHL ahead of him, but still..

Pre-olympics trades were interesting, Toronto getting Phaneuf and putting all on this one card. Rangers swapping underachievers with Calgary. And last but not the least, New Jersey trying to integrate a superstar, bigger-than-the-team sniper artist Ilya Kovalchuck to a very tight, system-first team with dicipline above all. Kovalchuck could do it all, skate, hit, score, defend if he finds the right motivation. With that sort of package, New Jersey could well be off for a long cup run this year.

In conclusion, the trades were nothing special this year. The big guns of Washington, Pittsburgh, San Jose, New Jersey and Chicago will prevail and wrestle for the cup in a "league of their own". Surprises may come by Vancouver and Philly. Others can't take the heat this season.