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It's pretty safe to say at this point that all the NHL trade action is going to be tomorrow before and possibly during the early part of the draft.
The Blackhawks, it appears, will be no exception.
I heard this afternoon from a source close to Stan Bowman that the GM is holding firm on his price for Patrick Sharp—which begins with a first round selection in this year's draft. Meanwhile, demand for Sharp remains high. Teams are calling. Bowman is listening.
The following are teams I've heard have called about Sharp:
Toronto Florida Pittsburgh Washington Dallas (alleged to have dropped out) The Islanders
And the latest team, rumored to be ready to make a strong push for Sharp, is the Montreal Canadiens. In fact, I'm told Bowman is meeting with Marc Bergevin the evening.
Montreal bears all the earmarks of a good destination for Sharp: a cosmopolitan city, a very good team trying to reach the next level, in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile the source tells me the Hawks have some contingency plans in the event Sharp and perhaps Bryan Bickell or Kris Versteeg can't be traded that "might surprise some people."
Meanwhile, all this debate over the value of Sharp reminds me of three summers ago when there was no debate over . . . Shane Doan.
Now, don't get me wrong, there was a time when Doan was one of the league's most productive power forwards and greatest leaders.
Coming off a nice playoff run in the summer of 2012, Doan was the toast of the league, the big "catch" who was going to put some lucky team over the top in 2013. There was a "Doan Sweepstakes," with teams wining and dining the then 35 year old veteran, trying to lock him up for 3-4 years.
OK.
So Doan signed with Arizona for $5.3 million a year over the net four years and . . . then . . . nothing . . . happened.
Yet this year, 33 year old Patrick Sharp, according to fans of a number of Eastern Conference teams is the red-headed step-child nobody wants. Sharp, coming off 15 points in 23 playoff games. Sharp, the guy with three Stanley Cups and an Olympic Gold Medal in the last 6 years. Sharp, the guy who plays wing, some center, and some point on the power play. Kills penalties, takes face-offs, wears the "A" on the best team in hockey.
Here's what's really funny. The hysteria surrounding a clearly diminished Shane Doan three years ago and a still fairly productive Patrick Sharp today.
Among fans.
Sure, Sharp had a bad regular season this past year. Thus, the herd has spoken: Sharp is done.
However, he averaged nearly a point a game (78 in 82) the year before, 2013-14. And apparently, judging by the reports of interest teams are showing and rumored offers, people in the NHL think Sharp still has a lot of hockey in him, and a lot to offer the right team.
The same sort of applies to Phil Kessel. How could anyone want a guy who "bombed out" in Toronto? But the fact is, Kessel is as dangerous a scorer as there is in the game, and can clearly help a lot of teams.
Meanwhile fans regard their late first round picks as though Bobby Orr himself will emerge from 20's—not an 18 year old kid with only a middling chance of being a good NHL player.
Silly. Silly. Silly.
But all this will be forgotten in a couple of days when a lot of players have new homes—and we transition into free agency.
When things get really silly.
All for now,
JJ