The NHL trade deadline is fast approaching, causing many General Managers to take a hard look at their rosters as they ask themselves... "Can these guys win the Stanley Cup?" Everyone looking to add that one player who can put an above average team over the top. Now is the time when an invisible line is drawn in the standings to separate the buyers from the sellers. Teams who are mathematically eliminated from the playoff race, will look to ship off a marquee talent in the last year of a contract as a "rental player" to a playoff bound organization as a way to get value from someone who could eventually walk away in the summer leaving his present team without compensation.
A perfect example occurred last seasons when the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Marian Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers. Hossa went to the Stanley Cup finals with the Pens only to leave them in the off-season to join the Detroit Red Wings. Pittsburgh sent 2 roster players (Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen) plus the rights to top notch prospect Angelo Esposito AND a first round draft pick in 2008 (ended up being Daultan Leveille) in exchange for Hossa's services for a few months. A huge price to pay, but that's the gamble to take to win the Stanley Cup.
I can't wait to see who is moved this year... it's like a second Christmas!
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