For NHL general managers, this is the time of year in which they must be honest with themselves.
It's time to realize that the playoffs might not be in the cards for their teams. It's time for them to make all the players with the big contracts someone else's problem. It's time to start thinking about the trade deadline.
With the deadline just 18 days away, the bottom-dwellers and bubble teams will try to clean house. Possible playoff contenders will do the opposite. Just as Carolina added valuable pieces last year for their run to the Cup, many teams will seek to add depth for the postseason.
The most obvious seller at this point is Philadelphia. There's always next year, for a team with an abysmal 33 points on the season. The big prize in the Flyers' stable is center Peter Forsberg. At one point widely regarded as the best player in the league, Forsberg has struggled with injuries during the past few seasons. Dealing for him at this time could backfire, but it could also payoff if he stays healthy. Forsberg would be a good fit in New York, but he is more likely to land in Montreal or Vancouver.
Los Angeles got an early jump on its housecleaning, trading center Craig Conroy to Calgary and winger Sean Avery to the Rangers in order to loosen the burden on its payroll and make new room for young players.
St. Louis may be a beneficiary of the shuffling of players, with the possibility of veteran winger Keith Tkachuk moving there to bolster the depth of a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.
In Boston, there have been rumors of defenseman Brad Stuart being traded. Stuart, who will be an unrestricted free agent next year, would be difficult for Boston to keep with the new cap restraints, but the Bruins have some young defensemen that would benefit from more time on the ice. If Boston doesn't make a serious push toward a playoff spot soon, there could be others moved as well to free up cap space for next year.
As at any trade deadline, some teams will have trouble unloading their big contracts. The Chicago Blackhawks, for example, may have trouble moving defenseman Adrian Aucoin because of the $5 million-plus they owe him next season. If Florida decided it wants to trade disappointing winger Todd Bertuzzi, it may be in the same boat as the Blackhawks.
The trade deadline action in the league has changed significantly since the institution of the salary cap two years ago. The days of a lower-seeded playoff team adding a lot of personnel for the final push are over. Teams can no longer afford to grab two valuable veterans for the playoffs. Rather, general managers must be crafty when they add to their team. One player can make a huge difference in a team's composition. It's up to the execs to make sure that player won't cost them their team's future.
In other NHL news, there is a new iron man of the league. Colorado Avalanche defenseman Karlis Skrastins passed Tim Horton to earn the record for most consecutive games played by a defenseman. With the completion of last night's game against the Atlanta Thrashers, Skrastins has competed in 487-straight games, playing through many injuries to continue the streak. It's not a record that will be celebrated much, but it's a tribute to the man's character and perseverance.
