Trade Deadline Eve

Its that time of year again; the NHL trade deadline is 24 hours away and the rumors have been swirling all week. The biggest rumor has been Rick Nash which I wrote about here. But with all the activity expected tomorrow there actually hasn't been many trades in the weeks leading up to the deadline. Last week I talked about three of them and I will continue that by clearing up the most recent trades. That way tomorrow, I will post again highlighting the trades from the final deadline.

Columbus Blue Jackets send Jeff Carter to the LA Kings for Jack Johnson and a 1st round pick

With all the rumors surrounding Rick Nash, it is easy to forget that the Jackets were also trying to ship away Jeff Carter. Carter has wanted out of Columbus ever since he was traded there at the draft last year and he gets reunited with his friend Mike Richards in LA. The Kings have struggled all year scoring goals and needed to make a move. Carter gives them a solid top 6 forward to complete their offensive arsenal. They did have to pay a steep price but Jack Johnson is the best return Columbus could get. He is an Olympian, a veteran but still young and an all around solid two way defenceman. This trade will need to be reevaluated in a couple years to determine who one but it could go down as one of the biggest trades of the year.

Columbus Blue Jackets send Antoine Vermette to Phoenix Coyotes for Curtis McElhinney a 2nd round pick and a 5th round pick

Another replayed the last place Blue Jackets shipped out was Antoine Vermette. This deal was mostly to give Columbus more draft picks this year and to clear space for their young guys on the top lines. Vermette will be a good depth center for the Coyotes but won't be a big enough difference maker for them to become contenders.

Minnesota Wild send Marek Zidlicky to New Jersey Devils for Kurits Foster, Stephan Veileux, Nick Palmieri, a 2nd round pick and a 3rd round pick

New Jersey's defence have struggle to score all year with 18 year old Adam Larrson leading the team with 16 points. Though he has been less offensive this season, Zidlicky has the skills and experience to score. In Minnesota he was being scratched and there are rumours that he had a falling out with coach Mike Yeo. Either way New Jersey adds him to their surprising contending team. The only valuable piece Mineesota gets is Foster who has a hard shot and has played for the Wild before.

Colorado Avalanche Sends Kyle Quincy to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Steve Downie. Lightning send Quincy to the Detorit Red Wings for Sebastian Piche and a 1st round pick.

This three team trade at first appeared lopsided, but based on each teams situation, it fits well. The Avalanche are trying to sneak into 8th in the West and Downie gives them both grit and scoring. The Lightning have struggled all year and even if they get into the playoffs, they won't be contenders. They now have 2 first round picks this year and 3 second round picks meaning they will be set for the future. Detorit has been the top team all season and Quincy gives them more depth on defence. He is big and good both ways as well as a former Wing who was claimed off waivers by LA in 2008. And with Johnathan Eriksson out at least a month with a broken wrist, Quincy fills his hole nicely.

NY Rangers send Wojtek Wolski to the Flroida Panthers for Mike Vernance and a 3rd round pick.

Wolski has had trouble finding a spot on the deep Ranger roster and a move to Florida should bring back his scoring that he had when he played for Colorado. Florida paid a modest price for him and they are building their own deep crop of forwards in anticipation of the playoffs. The Panthers have been having a special year this season and it's been a long time since they have been buyers not sellers.

St. Louis Blues send Ben Bishop to Ottawa Senators for a 2nd round pick

Bishop has been the best goalie in the AHL all season with a 24-14-0 record and 6 shutouts while playing for the Peoria Rivermen. Ottawa recently lost their starting goalie Craig Anderson to a cooking injury and needed another goalie to replace him. This acquisition also sends a message to the Sens to prospect goalie Robin Lehner who was expected to take the reigns next year. It looks like he has to play better in order to make the big club next year or he may become trade bait today or tomorrow.

Those were all the major trades of the week leading up to the Trade Deadline. This year more than ever it has become difficult to see who is buying and who is selling. I expect a trade to happen tomorrow that ignites a flame and sends all the GMs into a scramble mode to get the best players they can. Tomorrow night I hope to post a recap of the day similar to this one.

As always feel free to offer comments below or to send your thoughts to josh@jbenny.com. Also please visit my website, www.jbenny.com and follow me on twitter at @jbenny15. Thanks for reading.