FanHouse MartinGelinas

A couple of weeks ago, TSN hockey analyst Gord Miller came to the conclusion that in order for the Pittsburgh Penguins to remain competitive in the NHL, they would have to deal the league's leading scorer, Evgeni Malkin, for a first-line winger, a No. 2 center, and "hopefully" a pick or a prospect. It was a laughable proposal.

On Sunday night, Rob Rossi, Penguins beat writer for the Tribune-Review, appeared on a weekly Pittsburgh talk show and suggested the team would be wise to put Sidney Crosby on the trade block this offseason. I guess this is what happens when you go from being two wins away from hoisting the Stanley Cup to being the No. 10 team in the Eastern Conference in a matter of one season.

Every week there are minor moves and stories around the National Hockey League that tend to fall through the cracks. Consider this our weekly roundup of those moves from the previous week, all wrapped up in one neat little package.

I'm getting the idea that Ottawa prospect Alexander Nikulin was just a tad bit unhappy being a member of the Senators organization. On Sunday, the 23-year old forward issued what was, basically, an ultimatum to the team's front office when he threatened to return to his native Russia if he wasn't dealt to another team as soon as humanly possible. TSN had the story:

The 23-year old Nikulin has stated that he will return to Russia if the Senators do not have a deal in place by Monday. He was a scratch Saturday night as the Binghamton Senators faced Bridgeport. Nikulin stated on his Russian blog that he is disapointed in how slow the process is going. "So, I've asked for a trade, and the General Manager of the Senators Bryan Murray has agreed. But for some strange reason it's been really dragging. Because I was supposed to have been traded last week by Friday. Then they moved the deal to Monday. But then on Monday nothing was clear again, so I wait."

By Tuesday afternoon, Nikulin found himself as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes when he was dealt for defenseman Drew Fata.

Thus far, Nikulin has registered 52 points in 73 games in the American Hockey League, while Fata, a former third-round pick of the Penguins, is on his fourth different franchise in four years. Seems like a good deal for Phoenix, even if Nikulin never amounts to anything. Very low risk, potential high reward for the Coyotes.