The Trade Deadline Approacheth!

Ah, the trade deadline. The most over hyped “event” of the NHL season. Yes, even more than the All-Star game. It is a time where more is talked about than done, more speculated than accomplished. Still, there is a certain excitement to the unknown: will your favourite team make that big move and bring in that one golden player that you’ve been dreaming of? Or will they bring in Bryan Smolinksi. No offence to Smolinski, who’s a solid guy and a perfectly serviceable center forward, but there aren’t any fans out there praying, dreaming, wishing, hoping that their team will sign 

Smolinski, like the Canucks did a couple years ago. Fortunately, that won’t be happening as he isn’t signed to any team this season after playing for 8 different teams in his 16 year career.

In any case, it is rare, at least in the last decade, that a big trade at the deadline will propel a team to the Stanley Cup final. Brian Burke (shockingly) acquired Brad May at the deadline in 2007 for the Anaheim Ducks, a move that clearly was the difference maker in the playoffs. The Red Wings made the daring trade that brought Brad Stuart to the team, the player that put Detroit over the top to win the Stanley Cup. On the other hand, the Penguins added Marian Hossa, who was fantastic for the Penguins and a major reason they made it to the cup finals. So, occasionally, a player can make a difference. For the most part, however, your favourite team will not be making a blockbuster move. 

As a fan of the Canucks, I am even more certain that a major move is not forthcoming. Mike Gillis, the rookie GM of the Canucks, has stated as much in this article on Canucks.com: “Unless we have an opportunity to do something really big I think we're going to be pretty quiet.” Honestly, this isn’t bad news in the least. The Canucks have received the pleasant surprise of the emergence of Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler as top-six forwards, leaving them with a third-line composed of three borderline top-six forwards in Taylor Pyatt, Steve Bernier, and Kyle Wellwood to fill in if they can't keep up their torrid pace. When it comes to forwards, the Canucks are likely feeling very comfortable at the moment. The Canucks may want to bring in a bottom-six forward to shore up the third or fourth lines, perhaps to play as checking line center in place of Kyle Wellwood; perhaps someone like Bryan Smolinski. Damn.

The Canucks also have a good core of defensemen. There is a lot of talk of bringing in a puck-moving offensive defensemen, but Kevin Bieksa and Alex Edler have stepped up in the latter half of the season to provide some solid point production from the back end. Bieksa is sitting 18th in scoring amongst defensemen, ahead of the much-ballyhooed Jay Bouwmeester, while playing in 9 fewer games.

Speaking of Jay Bouwmeester, he has been the center of oodles of trade rumours leading up to the deadline, but I’m one of the few who doubt 

he will be going anywhere. The Panthers are sitting in a playoff position and Bouwmeester is a vital part of both their offence and defence and they are very unlikely to move him unless a ridiculous deal comes along. So, Canucks fans dreaming of Jay Bouwmeester anchoring the Vancouver power play can stop dreaming and accept the fact that Mike Gillis won’t be making many moves at the trade deadline. Unless it’s to sign Bryan Smolinski as a free agent.