The Trades That Didn't Happen

As the trade deadline passed today, I found myself more interested in the rumors of deals discussed than in most of the deals that actually happened.

Among the most interesting was San Jose supposedly offering up Antti Niemi for James van Riemsdyk. I don't understand how San Jose could do this as Greiss and Niittymaki don't really seem like a goaltending tandem for a contending team. Maybe they were planning on taking Bobrovsky back, but that still seems like a silly idea. Not to mention Philly would have looked awful to have taken another major salary in goal.

I also wonder if Dallas knew that Vancouver was willing to trade Cody Hodgson. If so, they may have offered Ott+. Hodgson is exactly the type of player that I'd have to imagine Dallas was looking for today: a young, skilled top-six forward.

And then of course there's the Rick Nash fiasco. What a mess there is in Columbus right now. I feel bad for the fans, as Columbus could really be a strong hockey market in my mind.

In my mind, a lot of these players whose names were whispered or confirmed to be on the market may be moved around the draft. Of course, the new CBA could also put a stop to that. Still, I think there'll be some blockbusters in this summer, much like last summer (M. Richards, J. Carter, D. Heatley, B. Burns).

Just for fun, here are the names I wouldn't be surprised to see moved around the draft: Rick Nash, Corey Schneider, Steve Ott, Brendan Morrow, Paul Stastny, Jonathan Bernier, Sergei Bobrovsky, Ryan Clowe, Ryan Malone, Marc Methot.