Speculation: What Teams Should Have Been Selling/Rebuilding This Year...

[The Leviathan]

Originally Posted by Cruel11

They are ufa's this year

I think he meant that LA should've got a return for Stoll and Penner considering they are both UFAs this year.

One question though (as I haven't seen too many LA games lately), why would the Kings be looking to trade Stoll?

[Go Habs Go]

Originally Posted by Redarmynative

Montreal surprised me this year. I expected them to trade most of their veterans. It looks like Gauthier has no idea what he is doing.

Or perhaps they were injured and couldn't be traded...

[Go Habs Go]

Originally Posted by Giontatas

Montreal did the best it could, all things considered.

Moen was injured (Still is, Post-concussion syndrome)
Campoli really is worthless. There were rumours of him getting a couple of nibbles, but apparently it wasn't worth it to PG (Which, considering the fact we're short some D... I'm not surprised)
Who else would you have expected to go?
Darche? Also has a concussion, he really isn't valuable to any team other than us as we have virtually no one left to call up.
Cammy was already dealt
Gill, AK left on deadline. Nothing left to deal.

It doesn't surprise me when fans of other teams make this assumption because obviously they don't follow the Habs very closely. but when I hear Habs fans complain that they didn't make more trades, its so irritating. Like you said, Moen and Darche are out with concussions, can't be traded. Campoli is beyond worthless, the best we could've gotten is like a 7th round pick. Any GM that gives Gauthier something higher then a 6th or 7th is a worse GM then Gauthier period. Theres this rumor flying around that they could've gotten a 5th... but its simply a rumor while HF people take it as truth. Gionta is out for the rest of the season, untradeable. Gomez... Nuff said... Kaberle, we just traded for him...

[Doug Gilmour]

Originally Posted by Dusk Soldier

This thread screams Toronto Maple Leafs.

I don't even think there is word to describe how true that statement is.

Toronto Maple Leafs (Big contracts for terrible players)
Calgary Flames (The prospect pool is barren and the vets will retire)
Columbus Blue Jackets (They have been sucking since 2000)
Montreal Canadiens (Scott Gomez .... enough said)
Anaheim Ducks (Need a shake up to really push it home)
New Jersey Devils (Yes I know they are a playoff team, but they are running into financial trouble that will ruin the team)

In the order of severity and stupidity of not have done something.

[madmike77]

What everyone seems to ignore in these threads is the fact there didn't seem to be many buyers. How many teams would have given up picks and tried to shoe horn veteran players into their lineups while staying under the cap?

[SvenBartschi27]

Calgary of course, but I really hope that the flames get a stud defense prospect that falls i.e. like Fowler and Gormley did in 2010

[Chapin Landvogt]

I was truly surprised that the Islanders did not move PA Parenteau and Nabokov at the deadline. I also thought they might move impending UFAs Jurcina and Eaton, although these two might not have brought back more than a 3rd rounder (despite good returns for Dmen at this deadline).

Fact is, the team could not have fairly been assessed as still being in the playoff race at the deadline. It was out by six or seven points and had dropped 4 of the last five games, several losses being complete shalackings. If the team was deemed to still be in the race, then it had to be added to, because it was far from spot 8 and it was clear that the current team would go nowhere in the playoffs, if it were to have miraculously made it there. The line-up is just too thin and unproven.

Throw in the fact that there is absolutely nothing close to a guarantee that PAP or Nabokov can be resigned by the Islanders, and there's actually little reason for those two NOT to check out the UFA market, then one has to ask why they weren't moved? Even a 2nd and fringe prospect in return would be better than 22 games of a playoff-less season and then seeing them walk.

On top of it all, this Islander team isn't constructed very well and there have been a lot of disappointments. In light of what some of the Dmen were bringing back, it could have been time to see what Mark Streit - who has one more year on his steal of a deal - could have brought back. There are a number of playoff teams he could be helping right now. Grabner and Okposo - maybe even together - should have been shopped (maybe they were?), as both have sweetheart deals and have questionable upsides should they remain on the Island.

All in all, Snow had some attractive trading pieces to change things up with in a positive manner in light of a plethora of good kids coming in as soon as next season.

All he did was dump a wee bit of salary by moving the very disappointing Rolston and Mottau (who most fans didn't see as viable NHLers heading INTO THE SEASON) for two ECHLers.

In fact, this non-action by Snow should be the end all say all proof for anyone contending that the Isles are not doing a thing to win until the building situation is cleared up.

Umm, like, no duh...

[Smartguy]

Originally Posted by smoke meat pete

And the only reason the Oilers aren't 10-12 points worse is because of the world class goaltending they got the 1st 4-6 weeks of the season. Where are the Oilers going to find this type of goaltending in the future? Kippers of the world, which make teams playoff bubble teams aren't easy to find.

They also did not get very good goaltending for the rest of the year and I'm going to go ahead and say the reason they are not that much lower is maybe attributed to hall, eberle and Hopkins. Oh and they have to number 1 ranked power play that has to count for a couple points