no waxing philosophically to start. the deadline is just around the corner and there are some teams that absolutely have to do something, so let's talk about them.
LA Kings: This team appears to be over the hump and fighting to hold on to a playoff spot, but at the same time challenging for the division lead. They are four points back of Phoenix for the division lead (yeah you read that right) and only 3 points ahead of 8th in the conference. A few games in either direction can either make or break this team. Marco Sturm was claimed off waivers today, giving LA even more cap space. They need a top line winger to play with Kopitar and add depth to their scoring. Rumors are saying possibly Hemsky from Edmonton but who knows what Lombardi is thinking. I think that's part of the problem, as no one seems to know what anyone is thinking. The Kings have a good crop of younger players and a respectable veteran presence, but it's not enough to go deep in the playoffs, especially in the West.
Washington Capitals: I love the fact that for once a team with goaltending issues being discussed ISN'T the Philadelphia Flyers, although they do have some of their own. Hell, it wouldn't be a season if they didn't. Having said that, McPhee needs to do something to sure up the goaltending. The Caps need to choose between Neuvirth and Varlamov and then go for a possible trade. With Giguere injured, I don't see Voukun as a bad choice, albeit an expensive one. The Caps can still move Semin, and with his $6mil+ cap hit, it would be a wash in terms of money. Both players are set to become free agents at the end of the season, so it't a win win. The Caps could always use the space freed up by Semin to potentially re-sign Voukun too, thus giving their young goaltenders a chance to develop with one of the better goalies in the game today. McPhee has repeatedly stated that he's comfortable with the goaltending as it is in Washington, but given the decrease in offensive production coupled with some lopsided losses as well as injuries, you have to wonder if the Capitals are in for another early playoff exit.
Buffalo Sabres: Thanks to the new owner's green light to spend, it'll be interesting to see how fast the Sabres can spend. More importantly however, it's important that they spend to win. You also have to wonder if they will have to give up draft picks and prospects right now to get a return. The Tylers are far too good to trade for the short term, but out of any team in the east that has a chance to make it right now, I believe the Sabres have the best shot, with two games in hand of Carolina and only two points back. I'm looking for them to be busy, or at least in the running right up until 3pm monday, but how successful they are remains to be seen.
New York Rangers: If the Brad Richards rumors are true, Glen Sather has to be busy to get him in under the cap. The Rangers have needed a true number one center for awhile, but the addition of Marian Gaborik has only made it more imperative. The goaltending combination of Lundqvist/Biron is more than enough to get them through, providing they can play solid defense and get solid leads. The young crop of defensemen for the Rangers looks to be good for years, but right now they're still a little green, and will need all the help they can get from both their forwards scoring goals and their goalies stealing games. If Lundqvist has shown us anything in his tenure with the league, it's his ability to do just that. Well that and give up the odd angle goal now and again.
OK, that's all for now. I'm still here, just hard to focus on all these trades. Maybe after the deadline I will have a winners and losers run down or something. We'll see. In the meantime, just keep your eyes peeled on your favorite hockey news sources.
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