The Nashville Predators (65 points) and Calgary Flames (64 points) played a classic four point game on Tuesday night. The Preds and Flames are two of the six contenders slugging and battling for Western wild card berths. Neither team is guaranteed a ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
What is guaranteed is that the road will continue to be difficult to navigate.
Peter Laviolette keeps preaching consistency but his team cannot seem to string together the 6-7 game winning streak that will be necessary for the Preds to jump out of the friend zone with the other playoff wannabees and into the upper echelon strata of the Western Conference.
Poile and Laviolette cannot continue to cross their fingers and hope that veteran forward James Neal returns to his 30 goals form. Will Mike Fisher score in the playoffs should the Preds qualify for the postseason? Veteran winger Craig Smith, a three time three 20-goal scorer has been very disappointing this season with only nine goals and seven assists in 56 games played. Victor Arvidsson is young and inexperienced. Kevin Fiala, the former 11th overall pick, is a wild card.
Winnipeg, LA, Vancouver and Dallas are a four team cluster that are ready to pounce on Nashville and Calgary should they falter and stumble in the dog days of February and March.
Nashville GM David Poile is one of many NHL GMs who are anxiously trying to add a top six scoring forward who can light the lamp at even strength and on the power play before the March 1 NHL trade deadline.
Like Poile, San Jose's Doug Wilson, LA's Dean Lombardi, Anaheim's Bob Murray, Minnesota's Chuck Fletcher, Calgary's Brad Treliving,Vancouver's Jim Benning, Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen, Pittsburgh's Jim Rutherford, and Carolina's Ron Francis are all rolling snake eyes on a daily basis as their quest to add a scoring winger continues to grind on. The general managers continue to make their phone calls and they confer with the AGMs and scouting groups. Something has to give, right?
Poile and his NHL GM contemporaries are looking for the same unique player who plays with size, speed, skill, and snarl.
Rare is the power forward that has term on his contract and is available for trade at the March 1 NHL trade deadline.
On Tuesday, Poile said on Nashville radio that he sees the NHL trade market as “frozen” right now. Poile said that the selers and buyers have yet to identify themselves league wide. Poile also said he would not be surprised if the majority of trade activity will happen on March 1.
Most GMs are hoping the prices come down in the next ten days on scoring forwards like Matt Duchene, Evander Kane and Gabe Landeskog.
Thanks, 102. The Game
Keep dreaming, boys.
The prices are already set.
It's likely that the prices will be increasing in the days to come.
Poile and his NHL GM counterparts can thank Edmonton and New Jersey for that. The Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson deal set the trade comparable for a scoring top six forward at a top four defenseman. Those days are long gone.Pile said that he will “never say never” to trading a top four D for a top six scoring forward, however, he isn't “particularly interested in going that route”.
Last year, Poile traded top pair D Seth Jones to Columbus in exchange for scoring forward Ryan Johansen last season. Poile said he would prefer not to trade away another top D-man to get his scoring forward.
The market doesn't really care about Poile's desire to hoard his D assets.
If Poile wants to play, he's going to have to pay.
No free lunches, Dave. Get out your platinum card.
Poile will have to pony up four premium pieces, including a top four D to get his hands on Duchene. The word I hear is that Joe Sakic will not be cutting his buddies any deals. If you want Duchene and or Landeskog, gone correct or don't bother. The chilling effect in the markeplace that was caused by Colorado has shifted focus to Buffalo's Evander Kane, who has scored 20 even strength goals since December 3. Kane now has 21 goals in his past 36 games and is lighting the lamp with regularity. Kane has 15 points (9 goals, 6 assists) in his last 14 games. Kane has been healthy, motivated, and focused. I get the sense that Kane hears his name in trade rumors and is motivated by it. The better he plays, the more his stick price increases. Most importantly, Kane has been a model citizen off the ice since he found off-ice law enforcement trouble last June. Kane's legal issues will be officially dismissed on March 31, assuming Kane stays out of trouble between now and then.
I can see Sabres GM Tim Murray chirping Poile now. Murray was shopping Kane last summer and there were no takers for obvious reasons. Poile could have dictated the terms of the deal back then. Kane's legal issues coupled with his broken four ribs on opening night delayed the start of his season. Since December, Kane has been the most feared goal scorer in the NHL.
If Poile wants to trade for Kane it will cost him not a top four D, but top pair lefty Roman Josi.
If San Jose wants Kane, they will have to part with Marc Edouard Vlasic. LA will have to deal Jake Mussin or Alec Martinez to Buffalo. Anaheim will have to send Sami Vatanen or Shea Theodore to Buffalo. Minnesota will have to part with Jared Spurgen or Jonas Brodin; Caklgary will have to trade Dougie Hamilton; Vancouver will have to send Ben Hutton to Buffalo; Columbus will have to trade Ryan Murray; Pittsburgh will have to send Olli Maatta; and, Carolina will have to trade Noah Hanifin.
How bad do Poile and his NHL GM counterparts want a top six scoring forward?
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