Today is Day 3 of our Trade Deadline Cheat Sheets. This time, we’ll take a look at the Southeast Division. We’ll take a common sense approach in reviewing each team in the division. Are they going to be a buyer or seller? Do they have cap space? What holes do they need to fill? Is management working with a lower budget mandated by ownership? Do they have assets in their pipeline?
All of these things go into any potential trades at the deadline. To make a trade, you have to have the necessary assets, salary cap space and NEED at the position where a player is available. These cheat sheets are not so serve as fuel for the rumor mongers. No, these are just here to give you some idea of the position of every team in the NHL before the trade deadline and going forward.
Each day this week, we’ll take a look at another division in preparation for the NHL Trade Deadline on March 3. Remember, if you hear something—don’t believe it until you hear it from a reputable source! Here are some things to think about when you hear about a breaking NHL trade.
This week, here’s what you can expect:
Monday: Atlantic Division
Tuesday: Northeast Division
Thursday: Pacific Division
Friday: Central Division
Saturday: Northwest Division
Washington Capitals
Want to know what is just as scary as the Capitals offense this year? Think about them at the trade deadline. They have a ton of NHL talent, a strong pool of prospects to use as trade bait and can take on almost $20 million in annual salaries in trades. Are you effing kidding me? Let me get this straight. The best team, with the best player is also in the best position at the deadline among contenders? Fuck.
Assuming the Capitals will be buyers at the deadline is a little like assuming that JFK was a womanizer. We’re not exactly breaking new ground here. But when GM George McPhee goes shopping on deadline day, he’s going to be asking the question: “What do you get for the team that has everything?” It’s safe to say that a team that is averaging almost 4 goals per game is doing fine in the scoring department. They might add a depth forward, but that’s not where their concentration will be focused. Instead, their money will be best spent keeping pucks OUT of the net.
Does anyone REMEMBER last year's playoffs?
The 800-pound gorilla in the nation’s capital is the goaltending situation. Whether it should be or not—people are going to ask about Varlamov and Theodore until they prove they can take their team deep into the playoffs. Theodore might be the veteran that makes more money, but you know fans have more faith in Varlamov. That’s right—the best team in the Eastern Conference could be depending on a 21-year-old rookie who can’t stay healthy. When Varlamov has been healthy this season, he has shown that he has the potential to be a great goaltender. But do the Caps want to go into the playoffs with that kind of question mark at the most important position?
But goaltender isn’t the only position that keeps the puck out of the net. Jeff Schultz has been a huge surpise, Brian Pothier has bounced back from serious injury and Mike Green has been Mike Green. But you know that everyone would feel a little more comfortable with another Top 4 defenseman on their team.
Of course, we’re splitting hairs here. This team could go into the playoffs tomorrow without making a change and be one of the teams to beat. But take this team and mix in a strong defender to go with Green? Then you have something scarier than that chick from Fatal Attraction.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Ownership problems. No, they’re not the most exciting thing to read about. But if you want to know what’s going on with the Lightning at the trade deadline, you can’t even begin to talk about what they could do without talking about their ownership problems.
Right now, people will tell you that Vinny Lecavalier’s contract is killing the Lightning like Jigsaw would kill the dumb hot girl at the beginning of a Saw movie. For a team that’s on a self-imposed budget, that’s only partially true. If the Lightning’s owner (whoever that may be) had any intention of spending to the cap, they’d have almost $10 million to play with for the rest of the season. How much is that exactly? They could afford to sign the entire Islanders team and still could fit them under the cap for the rest of the season. So Lecavalier’s $7.7 million cap hit is only part of the story.
There’s a huge question whether the Lightning are going to be buyers or sellers at the deadline. On the one hand, they are in the 9th spot in the East and only a point out of the playoffs. On the other hand, teams that are being acquired VERY rarely add outstanding debt to the bottom line. Is the team going to be able to add payroll before Jeff Vinik officially takes control of the team? Unfortunately, that question is about 7.7 million times more important than the standings or roster needs.
Basically, the team can go in 1 of 2 directions. If they want to trade away assets, don’t be surprised if Mike Smith is on the move. Just from a logic standpoint, he’s making almost 4 times as much as the guy that is actually starting (Antero Niittymaki) and the Lightning’s strongest part of their prospect pool is in goal. If they’re trying to save cash, that would be logically be the first place to look. If they’re looking for other places to save money, both Alex Tanguay and Jeff Halpern are unrestricted at the end of the season and make at least $2 million per season. If they’re cost cutting, they would be on the chopping block. If they want to go to the playoffs THIS season, then they’d be safe. Both should be good barometers to watch during the deadline frenzy.
If Tampa were to be buyers (which Brian Lawton has hinted towards), then the question turns to: “What would they be buying?” John Fontana nailed it when he said that they need a puck moving defensemen and someone to do Alex Tanguay’s job better than Alex Tanguay. More importantly—he said they don’t need a grinder. But if they’re going to do something, they have to be focused on someone that can help get the puck out of the zone and play the point on the power play. Yes, 29 other teams could use a guy like that, as well.
Atlanta Thrashers
They effin’ traded Kovalchuk. Do you really think they’re going to be a buyer? Seriously? Of course, that’s not what GM Don Waddell will tell his fans. He’ll say that they really tried to make the best of a bad situation and they’re still trying to make the playoffs this season. Right. That’s why they got a 2nd pairing defensemen, a cheapshot elbower, and a draft pick for a 50-goal scorer. Not even I would be able to drink that kind of Kool-Aid.
Alright, all that is fairly harsh. The Thrashers are currently 2 points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Because of the market they’re in (and the potential sale by the Atlanta Spirit), they desperately need any kind of success they can find. If that means a 4-game sweep by Capitals in the 1st round, then so be it. So on that note, they should be looking for good, young assets that can come right in and immediately help the team’s drive towards the playoffs. And by young, I mean cheap.
Here’s the problem with the Thrashers that they’re going to have to rectify. They keep selling the “We’re building a winner from within,” rhetoric to their fans. But, let’s take a look at some of those really good players they’ve had from within. They were developing #2 overall pick Dany Heatley—and traded him. They watched #1 overall pick Ilya Kovalchuk blossom in the Freak Nic—and traded him. They brought Marian Hossa to the Dirty South—and traded him. #2 overall pick Kari Lehtonen was supposed to be the goalie of the future—and they traded him. #1 overall pick Patrik Stefan just sucked anyways—but they traded him too. So at some point, that “rebuild” story has to wear a little thin, right? And management wonders why they have some of the worst attendance figures in the entire NHL.
No matter which direction the Thrashers are going to move at the trade deadline, they’re going to have to make decisions on Slava Kozlov, Colby Armstrong and Pavel Kubina. All three are staring free agency in the face and will make decent money next season. Of course, they won’t make Kovalchuk type money—but they aren’t going to be making Eric Boulton type money either. Are the Thrashers going to be willing to pay them their money? Are these players going want to re-sign with a team that has had trouble keeping any superstars they’ve had?
If they’re going to play to make the playoffs, then look for them to address the defense at the deadline. The Thrashers are 28th in the league in goals against and 29th in the league in league in shots allowed per game. Any time you’re mentioned in the same breath as the Edmonton Oilers, things are not going right.
The team has plenty of room under the cap, have openly stated they only want players that can help them this season and is only a single win away from a playoff spot. On the other hand, they just traded away their best player, they’re working on a tight budget, and have just acquired young players that will help them more in the future than they will in the present. Who knows what they’ll do—but at least you know why they do it.
Florida Panthers
If everyone's available, how long would the line be for Vokoun?
They’ve already declared themselves open for business and willing to listen to offers from all comers. What that means when you look at their roster though, isn’t as clear as it may seem. Stephen Weiss, David Booth and Nathan Horton all have some type of no-movement clause in their contract (Horton’s is limited). For a team that views themselves as rebuilding, trading away their young assets that are under contract makes so sense at all. But then again, neither did keeping Jay Bouwmeester until the off-season either. With that in mind, they have posted a message on their website to all of their fans that basically says, “Don’t get attached to your favorite player because we want to trade anyone and everyone for something different.” Of course, I’m paraphrasing.
Aside from the guys that would be a shocker, Dennis Seidenberg will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. As far as strict rentals go, he seems like he will probably have another address on March 4th. A guy that can play serious minutes if you ask him to and can play the point on the power play, he could be a “piece” to a team that is trying to complete the puzzle.
When looking over the roster and the salary structure, another guy that looks like he could possibly receive interest is Radek Dvorak. After this season he only has one more year left on his deal which is a relatively reasonable $1.7 million. As a 1st or 2nd liner, he doesn’t look like the greatest player. But as a role player used for secondary scoring? Now that would make him appealing.
Lastly, the guy that all of the rumor sites have zeroed-in on: Tomas Vokoun. Despite rumors from Chicago to Washington that say he’s going to be traded, he still has not been asked to waive his no-movement clause. That would be a small, yet significant detail when hearing reports that he’s being actively shopped to the contenders around the NHL. At $5.7 million for this season and next, he’s certainly not the cheapest guy on the market. But if the Florida Panthers are truly intent on blowing the team up, then Vokoun may just get moved. And then they just may proceed to go winless for the rest of the season.
From an outsider’s perspective, it kind of sucks to be a Florida Panthers fan right now.
Carolina Hurricanes
If Florida is having a fire sale, then the Carolina Hurricanes are that house on the end of the street that has been having a yard sale for the last week and most of the good shit is gone. No one likes a yard sale person that is asking for too much money for their used crap. We want the huge dining room table for $2.50 and we want them to throw in a sofa for an extra buck. We don’t want to give up 1st rounders for a table with 3 legs (stay with me, OK?).
The piece that everyone is waiting to move is veteran forward Ray Whitney. The problem is that he has a no-trade clause and wants an extension to waive the no-trade clause. Case in point: there was a report that the Kings had a deal in place with the Canes for Whitney—but he wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause without a 3-year extension in place. It’s a slight problem.
Aside from the inevitable Whitney transaction, pending unrestricted free agents Joe Corvo, Aaron Ward and even Stephane Yelle should probably start Googling “real estate agent” as well. Teams are always looking to get help on specialty teams and Corvo is a power play specialist. Aaron Ward is practically begging to be sent back to Boston (for the 147th time) and Stephane Yelle has made a career of being a final piece for contenders. Since the ship has already sunk in Carolina, chances are that GM Jim Rutherford is going to get what he can—when he can for these players.
The upside of trading with the Hurricanes is that the trade probably won’t require current NHL talent. While the Thrashers want NHL talent this season to help them with their playoff push, the Hurricanes have already kissed this season goodbye. Anyone offering prospects and draft picks should be able to pry almost any asset out of Raleigh.
Matt Reitz
Matt Reitz is an NHL Writer for ProHockeyTalk on NBCSports and the Editor-In-Chief here at ViewFromMySeats.com. When he's not shoving a mic in the face of NHLers or explaining why home teams should wear white, he's usually trying to figure out what song to play next on his iPod. It's a never-ending job.
