From the Penthouse to the Outhouse

By Scott Antoszewski

There isn’t usually a lot of notable trade action in the NHL offseason, but the deal that went down yesterday between the Blackhawks and the Thrashers was a big one. The Blackhawks have sent Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, and Brent Sopel to the Atlanta Thrashers for veteran Marty Reasoner, a minor leaguer, a first round and second round draft pick in Friday’s draft.

Byfuglien, Eager, and Sopel were all critical players in Chicago’s Cup run, and now they are gone. I can’t imagine how these guys must be feeling. Heck, they haven’t even gotten their day with the Cup yet. They are going from a potential dynasty, to a team that may not even make it through next season in Atlanta. It’s strictly a result of the salary cap, and I’m sure the Hawks would have rather kept them, but big contracts for Toews, Kane, and Hossa have them up against the cap. Personally I feel bad for these guys, but they are professional athletes and I’m sure the big checks they will be getting from the Thrashers will help them get over the disappointment of the trade.

In other trade news, the Montreal Canadiens have sent goaltender Jaroslav Halak (no that isn’t a typo) to St. Louis for two players, both are young and neither are stars. Halak is up for a new contract and the Canadiens decided to go with Carey Price as their every day goalie instead of Halak, who carried the team to the third round of the playoffs. The Canadiens have always loved Price, but I have to say I’m not sure I agree with the decision that was made. Halak regularly outplayed Price during their time together in Montreal, but apparently the Montreal brass aren’t ready to give up on Price just yet.

The NHL Entry Draft is tomorrow (Friday) night from Staples Center in Los Angeles. Edmonton picks first followed by the Boston Bruins. Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin are projected to be the first two picks, and will probably be the only two players from this years’ draft that go straight to the NHL. I’m looking forward to see if there will be more “wheelin’ and dealin” at the draft. I’m off to New Jersey this weekend to try and get my hands on some game used Devils equipment. I’m looking forward to checking in with the Devils fan base.

Until next week…