Question of the Week - Final Thoughts on the Deadline

At the 2000 deadline the Lightning acquired the immortal Dwayne Hay. So yeah, this year wasn't too bad.

Here we go with round two of The Raw Charge Question of the Week!  Yeah, I missed last week’s question what with all of that boxing stuff I posted, but now I’m back on point and raring to write some hockey stuff.  The question, put forth by Editor John Fontana, is:

How would you describe the Tampa Bay Lightning’s tradedeadline moves?

In one word – strategery.  

Just kidding. 

I would say progress.

Taking into consideration the moves made before the actual deadline day on the 27^th, General Manager Steve Yzerman brought in several assets that will benefit the organization in the long term. While it did cost him a popular player in Steve Downie and left the team with essentially one scoring line as it fights for its playoff life, the draft picks and young players he brought in continues the rebuild he started when he took over control of the club.

Please remember that the product on the ice is still a work in progress.  He openly admitted that he delayed some of his plans to restructure the farm system when last year’s squad got themselves involved in a legitimate Stanley Cup run.  This season’s are-they-aren’t-they-in-the-race run hasn’t been easy for him to judge either.  Sure they were only 8 points out of a playoff spot at one time, but they were also only a point or two away from last in the conference and a top 4 draft pick at the same time.

With the Dominic Moore, Pavel Kubina and Downie moves he signaled that he wouldn’t be a buyer as the deadline moved in, but that’s not the same as being a seller.  The Steve Yzerman Garage Sell and Pancake Social never opened.  Rather he kept his phone lines open and waited to see what would end up in his lap.

In the end, he brought in three new defensemen in Keith Aulie, Mike Commodore and Brian Lee (who I will call Chris Lee at least once in the foreseeable future. I can’t help it, I worked with a Chris Lee for a long time) in exchange for Carter Ashton, Matt Gilroy and a conditional draft pick.

For the record I think Commodore is here for the next 20 games and that’s it. It was purely a depth move for a defensive unit that lost Victor Hedman and doesn’t know when Marc-Andre Bergeron and his 65-year-old back will return.  I have no problem with Mr. Yzerman bringing in a veteran player for basically a couple of game checks and a pick that the Bolts will probably end up keeping.

The Gilroy-for-Lee deal I see as a lateral move.  They are two young defensemen who have potential that may have stalled in their current organization.  More so in Lee’s case than Gilroy’s.  The former Boston University Terrier showed some offensive promise in Coach Boucher’s scheme, but also struggled with defensive zone coverage.  Given a full season I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him figuring it out and even eventually manning a power play point, but in the end the play of Brendan Mikkelson made him expendable. 

Now, the one move I’m still questioning is the Carter Ashton trade.  A lot of Lightning fans have mentioned that the organization has a lot of offensive prospects in the farm system.  I say you can never have enough.  The jump from the American Hockey League to the NHL is prodigious. No matter how good Cory Conacher or Tyler Johnson has looked in Norfolk there is no guarantee that they are going to be able to do the same with the big boys.

Having as many potential contributors available to promote heightens the chances that at least one of them will succeed.  Especially one who is a big-bodied forward willing to crash the net.  However, in order to get something of value one has to trade something of value (despite what people on message boards tend to think).

If Mr. Yzerman believes Keith Aulie can develop into a top-pairing defenseman then moving Ashton is worth it.  A Hedman-Aulie pairing could be a defensive foundation for the Lightning for many years to come.  If that happens then this trade ends up looking like genius while I, as usual, have to admit I was wrong.

There was a lot of screaming on the internet and radio about Mr. Yzerman needing to pick up a goalie at the deadline.  That wasn’t going to happen.  When Paul Gaustad, basically a solid defensive forward, goes for a first round pick then Corey Schneider and Jonathan Bernier are going to cost a fortune.  It was a seller’s market and Mr. Yzerman wasn’t going to overpay for what he wanted.

Yes, I will use this everytime I mention SY's "vision".

The GM had a vision for this team when he took it over, and he’s not going to change it to meet expectation based off the team overperforming last season. He knows that to make this team competitive for the long haul he needs to find and build off of young talent.  That’s what he did in this deadline and I can’t feel bad about that.

Trade Deadline! Time for a Running Diary

Welcome to Rick Nash Day!

It’s time for my favorite day of the year – the NHL Trade Deadline Day! It’s the day where playoff bound teams find the missing piece of their Stanley Cup puzzle and struggling teams stockpile for the future.  Where do the Lightning stand – somewhere in the middle.  General Manager Steve Yzerman has sold off two of his best assets in Dominic Moore and Pavel Kubina, and he pulled a bit of a surprise by turning Steve Downie into a 1^st round pick.

For the most part he’s said that he’s done with the big trades and he’s basically run out of live bodies to trade. Will that just be Mr. Yzerman setting a trap for other GM’s? Or is he happy with the roster as it currently sits? Only time will tell so HERE WE GO……

(all times Central, cause I live in Chicago folks!)

7:42am – Boot up computer.  Internet is down. Contemplate firebombing AT&T then I realize it wouldn’t do any good so I add “Call Comcast” to the list of things to do.  Unplug modem, plug it back in and start making breakfast.

8:00am – Internet is back up, but I realize I am too lazy to make breakfast so I grab the open box of Tagalongs and finish them off.  Currently have twitter, tsn.com, Sportsnet trade special streaming and yahoo mail up.  Fire off first update to friends who are working.

8:13 – You know it’s a slow start to the trade deadline when the big names being thrown around are Steve Ott and PA Parenteau. Best part of watching trade coverage – the analysts talking while looking at their Blackberry’s and texting.

8:24 – Love that Sportsnet has Brian Lawton on a panel of experts.  “Hey I traded for Teddy Purcell!!!” He also tried to trade a draft pick the team didn’t have for the late Derrick Boogaard. Joining him on the panel are Neil Smith and Pat Quinn.  It’s like a room full of people openly begging for a job.

8:27 – The Twitter stories going out with the “Lightning are done”. It’s really the only Lightning news hitting the Twitter-wire.  Is Mr. Yzerman playing coy on his thin cupboard of assets? Oh Nigella Lawson tweets a recipe for a “ridiculously easy spinach and coconut soup”

8:35 – I’m working on some copy about flash drives.  Luckily I sold the stuff long enough that I don’t have to focus on research too much. Which is kind of hard to do that when I’m checking Twitter every 30 seconds.  Oh my Boston calling troops up from the AHL! 

9:29 – There is not much happening so I spent most of the hour cleaning up the “work” I was doing.  It looks like the first deal is close to being done.  Nashville reunites the fabulous Kostitsyn brothers.  Love the paparazzi style TV coverage of Brian Burke walking into a building.

9:45 – I get the shower out of the way and return to  Pierre Lebrun reporting that the first trade of the day is finished as Kostitsyn goes to Nashville in return for a 2^nd round pick and the conditional pick Nashville got in the Hal Gill trade.  Whatever happened to no takebacks?

9:57 – There are a lot of tweeters going with the “NOT” posts. As in Paul Gausted is NOT going to Detroit.  Let me try one. Steven Stamkos is NOT going to Columbus.  Yea. I’m an insider now.

10:10 OMG Joffrey Lupul has a soft cast on.  What does it all mean? It means it’s time for me to get a sandwich.  Love the tweets “so-and-so” just came off the ice.  Montreal was smart to cancel team practice.  It’s just not worth it for the players to be put through the speculation. Pat Quinn just referred to his panel (with Lawton and Neil Smith) as the “Dead Poets Society”.  Made me chuckle.

10:18 – Have a feeling Brian Burke is trolling the media.  Walking between buildings and feeding James Reimer rumors. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started tweeting random information.

10:34 – The cat joins me on the desk and I start scrolling through thechive.com .  In other words, not much going on.  I don’t see the Bolts being too active today, although if the price stays high on some of the names out there teams might turn to Yzerman for Hall or Clark.

10:39 – Is the Nash hype any different than the Brad Richards hype from last year?  Chances are the result will be the same.  To trade someone who has been the face of the franchise since the moment he was drafted would take a franchise-altering bounty.  That’s not something that can come together in 3 hours.  Better to wait until the draft

10:55 – Still holding by my declaration not to read the comments made by St Pete Times readers on Lightning related articles.  Feel like my blood pressure has dropped by at least 3 points. Whole lot of nothing going on officially which has led to a lot of trade jokes involving sandwiches. Joe Jonas is the sexiest has been trending all day long on Twitter.  Just thought you should know that.

11:03 –one of the “anonymous” bloggers is reporting that the Nash banner is being taken down in Columbus.  He also reported that Paul Gaustad was going to Detroit.  Soooo yeah…

11:05 – Jets claim Grant Clitsome on waivers! Waiver moves way more interesting than trades so far today.

11:12 – Lightning news – Teddy Purcell named 2^nd star of the week.  Good news for my fantasy team which is fighting for its playoff life.

11:36 – Sportsnet was coming up with reasons for the lack of activity today and mentioned the parity in the league as if it’s a bad thing.  If I’m a fan of a team I’m more excited that they’re in a position to make the playoffs then in a position to sell. As much as I like big trades, I’m not sad the Lightning aren’t more active today.

11:44 – And just like that Steve Yzerman pulls the trigger picking up Mike Commodore.  No word on what went the other way yet.  To me this makes me think Hedman is going to be out longer than expected.

11:53 – Some confusion over his contract status.  He signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Detroit this year after his previous contract was bought out.  So he’ll be a UFA in a couple of months.  Didn’t cost anything (7^th round pick) and gives the bolts some depth.

11:56 – Things picking up as Edmonton trades Tom Gilbert to Minnesota to Nick Schultz.  Some rumors saying Detroit is close to dealing a d-man and Chicago is close to picking up Johnny Oduya .  Guess everyone needed some lunch to think over the deals.

1:02 – With an hour or so to go, Mr. Yzerman continues his defensive overhaul.  Prospect Carter Ashton to Toronto for Keith Aulie.  Matt Gilroy to Ottawa for Brian Lee.  I wouldn’t be surprised if 2 of the 3 d-men picked up today are in the lineup tomorrow.

And I was never able to use my "Gilroy was here" photoshop

1:10 The trades are coming in now, but no big name deals.  A lot of depth moves going on like Paulson to Vancouver and Oduya to Chicago.  These are good solid moves that end up meaning more than trading for the big name.

Well he's been in one fight, that's one more than Gilroy.

1:13 – Not sure who the grumpy radio guy is on SportsNet, but his shtick isn’t going over well.  Thanks for playing Saliva though, guys!

1:18 – Starting to come around on the Aulie deal.  Still not a big fan, but the Lightning desperately need depth on the blue line and Aulie is only 22.  He could be a solid foundation along with Hedman.

Wait, a d-man who knocks people over? I'm listening....

1:25 – Other than Martin Short I’m not sure who they are, but the “Canada’s Got Talent” judges seem excited to have their jobs. I find out that the conditional pick the Lightning are sending to Detroit for Commodore is based on the Lightning making the playoffs and Commodore playing 15 games. So basically Mr. Yzerman gets him for nothing.

1:26 – If Columbus doesn’t trade Nash it will be interesting to see how they use the picks they’re acquiring to build around him.

1:40 – 20 minutes to go and if I had to wager right now, none of the big names will move. Doesn’t mean they won’t move in the summer.  I’m kind of surprised that not a single goaltender has moved yet. Oh and in case you’re wondering….yeah none of the names I mentioned have been traded by the Lightning.

2:05 – The deadline shows up and a few deals are trickling as are the confirmations from teams that they are done for the day.  Looks like Nash finishes the season in Columbus. Will make for an interesting summer in Columbus.

2:09 – Spent 6 hours staring at twitter.  Did manage to write a couple of product review during that time, but still feels like a bit of a waste.  For next year I think Deadline day will start at 10:00am.

2:11 – I find it funny that the “anonymous” rumor mongers taunt legitimate reporters who actually have reputations to protect.  Taunting Darren Dreger because he is actually confirming Greg Zanon to Boston instead of tweeting it first is weak.

2:33 – I enjoy Brian Burke as the Maple Leafs GM.  Not sure how I’d feel about him as the Lightning GM.  He’s taking the Toronto media to task for the stress they put on players around the deadline. Small deals still trickling through the twitter-wire with 34 minutes gone past the deadline.  Not the best deadline in terms of big names being moved, but a couple of teams made solid moves.

2:39 – With a late Cody Hodgson deal to Buffalo I’m shutting it down.  Everyone on my email chain is on their own.

There ya go.  The Lightning did indeed become a player on deadline day as Mr. Yzerman continues to revamp his blueline.  I’m not sure if I’ll ever come fully around on the Carter Ashton deal, I just have a feeling that he’s going to be a solid player in the NHL for a long, long time.

For me the Gilroy for Lee deal is a lateral move.  Two teams traded young defensemen who haven’t fulfilled their potential yet.  Sometimes a change in scenery is what they need.

I think Nashville  was the boldest team as they went for offense with Kostitsyn and Paul Gaustad (which cost them a 1^st round pick).  Vancouver made some solid pickups to strengthen a very good playoff-bound team.  I’m not sure what Washington was doing sitting on the sidelines and the same can be said for Philadelphia

It wasn’t the most exciting deadline in history, but with a lot of teams still in the race and the looming CBA crises I didn’t think it would be.