By Karen Aney (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: February 29, 2011
Jeff Carter to Los Angeles for Jack Johnson and a conditional first-round draft pick in 2012
This is an interesting one because it reunites Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. For those of you that need to be reminded like I did, they were traded away from Philadelphia to separate teams amid much controversy regarding their extra curricular bar-hopping activities. With Jonathan Quick in net, these guys have a legitimate chance at a run, so it should be interesting to see if any TMZ-like activities arise from the pressure. On the Columbus side of things, they’re acquiring a good puck-moving defenseman with good hands, though one that’s a bit of a liability because of the frequent chances he takes.
Cody Hodgson from Vancouver to Buffalo for Zack Kassian
This is the one that probably froze your Facebook and Twitter. Girls are crying, boys are cursing Mike Gillis, and hardly anyone is sitting back and thinking about it logically. First, Hodgson has been playing predominately soft minutes for the majority of this season. He’s had two great wingers supporting him constantly, and hasn’t had to battle against many first lines. Second, everyone who watched the Stanley Cup finals last year knows that the Canucks need a big gritty player to lend some sandpaper to the team when things get rough. This trade, aside from being a huge opportunity for Hodgson to play as a top-six forward, achieves both those things.
Outside of Vancouver, this is still a huge trade. Cody Hodgson is a contender for rookie of the year, and it’s incredibly rare for a rookie of his calibre to be traded so close to the deadline. Aside from that, Vancouver is number one in the NHL – it isn’t being a homer to call this the biggest trade of the season.
Samuel Pahlsson from Columbus to Vancouver for two fourth-round draft picks in 2012
This was another great move by Gillis. Scott Howson, Columbus GM, said that Pahlsson is a calming presence both in the locker room and on the ice. He’s the third line checking centre that Cody Hodgson is never going to be. He was part of an extremely successful line in Anaheim with Scott Niedermayer and Travis Moen during their 2006-2007 run. He’s played with the Sedins in Sweden, which may help ease his transition onto a team so late in the season.
Greg Zanon from Minnesota to Boston for Steve Kampfer
This is an interesting move because it improves Boston’s defensive depth quite a bit. He’s not as physical a player as many of the big bad Bruins, but he’s one of the best shot blockers in the league. As strength in the depth is one of Boston’s greatest assets, this only improves their chances in what could very well be a deep Cup run.
John Scott from Chicago to New York Rangers for a 2012 fifth-round draft pick
The Rangers got the short end of the stick here. Vancouver fans should remember John Scott from last year’s playoff series versus Chicago. That was when he tried to pick a fight with Kevin Bieksa, who instead took the road that meant he got some points for his team. Afterwards, he said to the media “when the six-foot-eight guy who can’t skate asks to fight, you say no, then skate around him and score a goal.”
Paul Gaustad and a 2013 fouth-round pick from Buffalo to Nashville for a 2012 first-round pick
This trade was probably the best one of the season – for Nashville, that is. They acquire some size and grit, just like they did with another trade for Hal Gill. Given Nashville’s defensive style, this means that teams playing the Predators can expect to be punished along the boards even more than before the trade deadline. Nashville, more than any or team, came out on top this trade deadline.
