The Florida Panthers took quite a gamble at the NHL's trade deadline by holding onto soon-to-be free agent defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. In the end, the Panthers not only missed the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, but now they've also lost their one-time franchise defenseman, as the team traded his rights to Calgary for Jordan Leopold and a third-round pick.
Leopold, like Bouwmeester, will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, assuming deals can't be reached before then.
After loading up at the NHL's trade deadline with Olli Jokinen and Jordan Leopold, the Calgary Flames went from run-of-the-mill playoff team to a legitimate contender in the Western Conference. Or so we thought. After being knocked out of the first round in six games against the upstart Chicago Blackhawks, the Flames have decided to part ways with head coach Mike Keenan after just two years on the job.
As the third overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Jonathan Toews has always been blessed with exceptional talent. He's excelled on the ice during his first two years in Chicago, he's currently the youngest captain in the NHL, and now that he's getting an opportunity to shine in the playoff spotlight, he's certainly not disappointing.
Toews scored a pair of goals in the second period on Saturday night, as the Blackhawks erased an early deficit to pull out a 3-2 win in game 2 of their Western Conference quarterfinal. Chicago now has a 2-0 lead in the series as it heads to Calgary on Monday.
Wild 3, Ducks 2: Thanks to a pair of goals from Stephane Veilleux and 35 saves from Niklas Backstrom, the Minnesota Wild picked up a huge 3-2 win in Anaheim. The Wild had lost eight of their past 11 games entering play on Sunday, and moved to within one point of No. 8 seed Nashville. The Western Conference race is every bit the logjam the east is, as six teams are separated by just four points.
Entering play on Sunday, the Ducks held a slim one-point edge over Minnesota, and now find themselves two points back of a possible playoff spot. Anaheim has been slumping as of late, losing seven of its past 10. It's not getting any easier in the coming week with games against Vancouver, San Jose and Nashville.
Even in retirement, Barnaby appears to have found a way to get on the nerves of those in the league, as Calgary Flames head coach Mike Keenan took exception to Barnaby's reporting on TSN prior to Wednesday's trade deadline.
Each Friday throughout the season, I'll provide you with my predictions on whose stock is on the rise and whose is failing miserably like the American job market pretty much everything these days. It's a neat little segment entitled Buys and Sells. There are a few teams/players/issues to buy and a few to sell.
This year's trade deadline features 22 trades that sent 45 players to new cities. There were only a handful of major ones, but those should still have an impact on their respective teams. Those deals can also drastically change the complexion of a the playoff races. Today, we'll examine if that will be the case for any of the teams currently in the hunt.
Flames 5, Flyers 1: The Calgary Flames were the big winners during the NHL's trade deadline, picking up Olli Jokinen from the Phoenix Coyotes and Jordan Leopold from the Colorado Avalanche. It didn't take the two newcomers long to make an impact for the Flames, as they each scored in the first period of Calgary's 5-1 win in Philadelphia.
Jokinen scored a pair of goals in the first period, while Leopold added his seventh of the season to help the Flames race out to a 4-0 lead.
It's not a surprise to see the Colorado Avalanche trade defenseman Jordan Leopold, seeing as how they're in last place in the Western Conference and Leopold is set to become an unrestricted free agent. It is a surprise, however, to see him go for what seems to be so little.
According to TSN, Leopold has been traded to the Calgary Flames for a second round pick, Ryan Wilson, and Lawrence Nycholat. Nycholat, by the way, was just claimed on waivers by the Flames on Tuesday.
Weeks of rumors, innuendo, and e5s will finally come to a head on Wednesday. At 3pm Eastern, the NHL trade deadline will pass. You can follow all the activity with our NHL Trade Deadline Tracker.
Entering play Tuesday night, 23 NHL teams are either in a playoff position or within six points of one. While this is great for the playoff races, it's not so good for the deadline. It minimizes the number of potential sellers, drives up the trade market for the few players who should be available, and leaves us wondering if any big deals will go down. Here's a look at how the Eastern Conference looks heading into the deadline.
Weeks of rumors, innuendo, and e5s will finally come to a head on Wednesday. At 3pm Eastern, the NHL trade deadline will pass. You can follow all the activity with our NHL Trade Deadline Tracker.
Entering play Tuesday night, 23 NHL teams are either in a playoff position or within six points of one. While this is great for the playoff races, it's not so good for the deadline. It minimizes the number of potential sellers, drives up the trade market for the few players who should be available, and leaves us wondering if any big deals will go down. Here's a look at how the Western Conference looks heading into the deadline.
The Florida Panthers took quite a gamble at the NHL's trade deadline by holding onto soon-to-be free agent defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. In the end, the Panthers not only missed the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, but now they've also lost their one-time franchise defenseman, as the team traded his rights to Calgary for Jordan Leopold and a third-round pick. 
Wild 3, Ducks 2: Thanks to a pair of goals from Stephane Veilleux and 35 saves from Niklas Backstrom, the Minnesota Wild picked up a huge 3-2 win in Anaheim. The Wild had lost eight of their past 11 games entering play on Sunday, and moved to within one point of No. 8 seed Nashville. The Western Conference race is every bit the logjam the east is, as six teams are separated by just four points.
Matthew Barnaby spent his entire NHL career getting under the skin of every player and coach in the league. He was a pest, an agitator and a troublemaker that nobody enjoyed playing against. Basically, he was the Sean Avery of his time, only far more entertaining on the ice (and without the incredible sense of style and fashion off of it).
Each Friday throughout the season, I'll provide you with my predictions on whose stock is on the rise and whose is failing miserably like 
Flames 5, Flyers 1: The Calgary Flames were the big winners during the NHL's trade deadline, picking up Olli Jokinen from the Phoenix Coyotes and Jordan Leopold from the Colorado Avalanche. It didn't take the two newcomers long to make an impact for the Flames, as they each scored in the first period of Calgary's 5-1 win in Philadelphia. 
It's not a surprise to see the Colorado Avalanche trade defenseman Jordan Leopold, seeing as how they're in last place in the Western Conference and Leopold is set to become an unrestricted free agent. It is a surprise, however, to see him go for what seems to be so little.
Weeks of rumors, innuendo, and e5s will finally come to a head on Wednesday. At 3pm Eastern, the NHL trade deadline will pass. You can follow all the activity with our NHL Trade Deadline Tracker.
Weeks of rumors, innuendo, and e5s will finally come to a head on Wednesday. At 3pm Eastern, the NHL trade deadline will pass. You can follow all the activity with our NHL Trade Deadline Tracker.
