The Puck Stops Here

A big flurry of deals occurred at the NHL trade deadline. As is usually the case, the biggest sellers are often the biggest winners at trade deadline time as teams want to add that final piece and willingly overpay for it. The salary cap will go up next year, so teams should be able to handle adding a contract (within reason). Here are the trades are along with my opinions of them:

To Edmonton: Dwayne Roloson To Minnesota: 1st round draft pick and conditional third round pick This is a high price to pay for a goalie for the Oilers. Roloson is a UFA at season's end. He is 36 years old. His statistics looked better than he actually is when he played behind Minnesota's defensive scheme which allowed few quality shots. This is not worth a first round pick. Advantage: Minnesota

To Toronto: Luke Richardson To Columbus: 5th round draft pick in 2006 or 4th round pick in 2007 Richardson may retire at season's end. A mid-round draft pick is of little value. If Richardson can play a regular shift, its likely more than the draft pick ever will. Maybe the Leafs will convince Richardson to stay on for another year. Advantage: Toronto

To San Jose: Ville Nieminen To NY Rangers: 3rd round draft pick Nieminen is a useful player who will play a regular shift in San Jose. Most third rounders never do that. Advantage: San Jose

To Los Angeles: Mark Parrish and Brent Sopel To NY Islanders: Denis Grebeshkov, Jeff Tambellini and a conditional third round pick Parrish is a UFA this summer. Sopel has one more year left on his contract after this one. Grebeshkov and Tambellini are both usable prospects who will likely have NHL careers. They will likely contribute more than a Parrish rental or a year and a bit of Sopel. Advantage: NY Islanders

To Colorado: Jose Theodore To Montreal: David Aebischer Although I could not forecast this deal, I recently suggested Theodore may get traded. Theodore is having a bad year and currently hurt. Theodore is also a former Hart trophy winner who should have many good years left. He has far more upside then Aebischer, but also carries more risk. I am a bit of a gambler, but if I can acquire a 29 year old who has won a Hart trophy without giving up a perennial all star in the process, I would do it. Advantage: Colorado

To New Jersey: Ken Klee To Toronto: Alexander Suglobov Klee is a usable defenceman who can play a regular shift, but he is beginning to show his age. Suglobov is a very good AHL player with clear NHL talents. He will likely still be making an impact after Klee is gone. Advantage: Toronto

To Montreal: Todd Simpson To Chicago: 6th round draft pick Simpson is a solid player as an extra defenceman. He hits hard, but takes too many penalties. He is more likely to hold a roster spot longer than a 6th round pick. Advantage: Montreal

To New Jersey: Brad Lukowich To NY Islanders: 3rd round draft pick Lukowich is a solid stay at home defenceman who has good playoff experience. He's worth a third rounder. Advantage: New Jersey

To Vancouver: Sean Brown To New Jersey: 4th round draft pick Brown probably lost his job in New Jersey with the addition of Klee and Lukowich. With Vancouver's defensive injuries, they can use him. He's worth a 4th rounder. Advantage: Vancouver

To Philadelphia: Denis Gauthier To Phoenix: Two first round draft picks (Florida and Tampa Bay's) and Josh Gratton Gauthier is a UFA this summer. This is too big a price to pay for a rental defenceman given the other defencemen who can play a regular shift moving around for less. Likely, one of the two second rounders will be more valuable then a Gauthier rental. Advantage: Phoenix

To Anaheim: Sean O'Donnell To Phoenix: Joel Perreault O'Donnell is not a rental. He is signed until 2007. Perreault is not a first class prospect. He is poor defensively and needs to bulk up badly. Advantage: Anaheim

To Vancouver: Mika Noronen To Buffalo: 2nd round draft pick Buffalo has needed to move a goalie all season given their threesome in goal. Vancouver needs another goalie as long as Dan Cloutier is hurt. Noronen still has some upside. Advantage: Vancouver

To Anaheim: Jeff Friesen To Washington: 2nd round pick Friesen returns to Anaheim. He never fit in with the rebuilding Caps who needed him to be above the salary floor. There is a legitimate chance that Friense resigns in Anaheim. Advantage: Anaheim

To Carolina: Mark Recchi To Pittsburgh: Krys Kolanos, Niklas Nordgren, 2nd round draft pick Recchi is one of the hottest scorers in 2006. He will take injured Eric Cole's roster spot. Kolanos nearly played himself out of the NHL this season. Nordgren doesn't have much upside either. Advantage: Carolina

To Vancouver: Keith Carney and Juha Alen To Anaheim: Brent Skinner and 2006 NYI 2nd Round Pick Carney is a very good defensive player. He is signed through 2007. I wouldn't hold out much hope for Alen or Skinner making an NHL impact. Advantage: Vancouver

To Phoenix: Jamie Rivers To Detroit: 7th round draft pick Rivers will be an extra defenceman in Phoenix. That is always worth a 7th round pick. Advantage: Phoenix

To NY Rangers: Sandis Ozolinsh To Anaheim: 2006 SJ 3rd round pick Ozolinsh has had a hard year with a trip to the NHL substance abuse program. He played a very good Olympics. He has more than enough upside to make this deal worthwhile. Advantage: NY Rangers

To Nashville: Brendan Witt To Washington: Kris Beech and 1st round draft pick Witt wanted a trade all season. Washington held off, in part, to stay above the salary floor. Washington did well. A first rounder and Beech, who is still young enough to be useful. Advantage: Washington

To Detroit: Cory Cross To Pittsburgh: 4th round pick Cross is a useful defenceman who will play some minutes in Detroit. He's worth a 4th rounder. Advantage: Detroit

To Atlanta: Steve McCarthy To Vancouver: 4th round pick McCarthy is a useable defenceman who may still mature. He's worth a 4th rounder. Advantage: Atlanta

To Edmonton: Sergei Samsonov To Boston: Marty Reasoner, Yan Stastny and a second round pick Samsonov is a talented guy, but he is a rental. Yan Stastny is a prospect with some potential. Reasoner is a useful role player. Edmonton again paid too much for a rental. Advantage: Boston

To Ottawa: Tyler Arnason To Chicago: Brandon Bochenski and a 2nd round pick Chicago has had problems with Tyler Arnason. Bochenski has looked like a good prospect this season, but was unable to get a shot on the deep Sens. He will get to play regularly in Chicago. Arnason is an RFA this year and a potential UFA the next. I bet Bochenski is a useful Hawk after Arnason is gone from Ottawa. Advantage: Chicago

To Colorado: Jim Dowd To Chicago: 4th round pick Dowd is a useful role player who is worth a 4th rounder. Advantage: Colorado

To Philadelphia: Niko Dimitrakos To San Jose: 3rd round pick Dimitrakos is a useful role player in the middle of his career. He's worth a 3rd rounder. Advantage: Philadelphia

To Dallas: Willie Mitchell and a second round pick To Minnesota: Martin Skoula and Shawn Belle Mitchell is a good unsung stay at home defenceman. Skoula is a puck moving defenceman who has defensive lapses he must get over to stay in a Jacques Lemaire system Belle is a prospect with significant upside. Advantage: Minnesota

To Phoenix: Oleg Kvasha and a conditional draft pick NY Islanders: 3rd and 5th round picks Kvasha is a rental. He may resign in Phoenix after an unhappy stay on Long Island. I think that's worth a 3rd round pick. Advantage: Phoenix

To Vancouver: Eric Weinrich To St Louis: Tomas Mojzis and a third round pick Weinrich is 39 and may be on the verge of retirement. Mojzis has enough upside that St Louis should win out over time. Advantage: St Louis

To Calgary: Jamie Lundmark To Phoenix: 4th round draft pick Lundmark is still young enough to have some upside and should be a good extra forward at worst case. Worth a 4th rounder. Advantage: Calgary

To Phoenix: Yanick Lehoux To Los Angeles: Tim Jackman Both Jackman and Lehoux are 20-somethings who have not really caught on as NHLers. Lehouxplayed a few games in the Phoenix organization before leaving on waivers. He returns to the Coyotes. Lehoux is younger and has more upside. Advantage: Phoenix

To Florida: Ric Jackman To Pittsburgh: Petr Taticek Jackman is an offensively talented, but defensively lacking defender. He will not last long in a Mike Keenan GMed team unless his defence improves. Taticek is a prospect with some upside. Since Jackman is signed up beyond this year, he is worth it. Advantage: Florida

To New Jersey: Jason Weimer To Calgary: 4th round draft pick Weimer is a solid role player. He's worth a fourth rounder. Advantage: New Jersey

In the next few days, I will look in more detail at the bigger of these deals.