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Eliot J. Schechter | Getty Images

Star pieces move as deadline arrives

Brady Stark
Contributor

he NHL trade deadline came

and passed with some very
significant players finding new
homes to finish off the 2013-14
campaign. Despite the number of
trades being fairly low compared
to recent years, the quality
of players were at a high. The
wheeling and dealing actually
happened a few days before the
deadline with the first significant
piece to be moved in the form of
all-star goaltender Ryan Miller.
Miller, a two-time Olympic athlete
and Vezina winner, was traded
to the St. Louis Blues along with
Steve Ott for Montreal playoff
hero goalie Jaroslav Halak, Chris
Stewart, William Carrier and
a 1st Round pick (Halak was
later traded to the Washington
Capitals with a third round pick
in 2015 for Michael Neuvirth and
Radislav Kesla). This trade put
every other general manager on
notice and started the frenzy that
would ensue until the 5 March
2014 12pm deadline. The next
giant domino to fall came from
the Vancouver Canucks shocking
the hockey community by ending
the torture of Roberto Luongo
by sending him home to Florida
for Jacob Markstrom and Shawn
Matthias.

Goaltenders continued to be

the trading commodity as the
Edmonton Oilers decided to trade
their resident Ursophobic (fear
of bears) goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov,
to the Minnesota Wilds and
picked up Victor Fasth from the
Anaheim Ducks for draft picks.
Speaking of goalies who mentally
snapped, Tim Thomas has been
blazing the comeback trail after
leaving the Boston Bruins a year
after winning the Stanley Cup,
due to personal reasons. The
moment that Luongo signed

the trade papers to go back to
Florida, Thomas picked up the
phone and demanded a trade out
of Florida knowing full well that
he was going to be the back-up if
he stayed. Still showing signs of
the goalie that won the Vezina
and Conn Smythe for playoff
MVP in 2011, Thomas wanted
the opportunity to play a lot

and make a difference to a team
that would want him. That team
was the Dallas Stars. The Stars
are battling a few teams for the
last playoff spot in the Western
Conference wild card. They
already have a goalie in Kari
Lehtonen but his inconsistent
play was enough to call the
Panthers for Thomas.

Another team that has question
marks in the goal due to injuries

is the Montreal Canadiens, who
made a band-aid goalie move by
acquiring Devan Dubnyk from
the Nashville Predators for a
conditional pick depending on
what the Canadiens do with
Dubnyk for the rest of the season.
Goalies being traded left, right
and center was not the only
story as star forwards were also
on the trade menu in the form
of the former captain of the
Tampa Bay Lightning. Martin

St. Louis was poised to spend

the rest of his illustrious career
with the bolt on his chest, but
that all changed when his own
general manager decided to
leave him off Team Canada. Even
though he ultimately represented
Canada because of an injury, the
damage was already done. That
damage came to a conclusion as
he was sent packing to the New
York Rangers in exchange for
their captain, Ryan Callahan,

a 1st round pick in 2015 anda
conditional 2nd round pick in
2014. This trade marked the

first time in recorded history
that two captains were traded
for each other. Both teams get
star quality forwards, but the
winner of this trade will not be
determined for at least five years,
as draft picks may or may not
become NHL stars. Speaking of

NHL stars, the last significant
trade of the day might have also
determined the most lopsided
trade as far as winners and losers
of the trade deadline go. The New
York Islanders traded disgruntled
forward Thomas Vanek to the
Montreal Canadiens for Sebastien
Collberg, with draft picks
switching teams. The Islanders
were in need of trading Vanek
even though they had just traded
for him earlier in the season from
Buffalo. The Islanders did not get
nearly enough for Vanek, who has
53 points in 60 games this season.
Normally, a player such as Vanek
would require a significant roster
player and a 1st round draft pick
in return, but because GM Garth
Snow had no choice but to accept
any offer that came to him, the
Canadiens get a steal and bolster
their playoff chances. It is hard for
anyone to determine who won or
lost in a trade due to draft picks
being the mystery variable, but

it is clear that teams like the St.
Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens,
and Florida Panthers made strides
toward the playoffs. Another NHL
trade deadline is in the books, and
now it time for the stretch drive.
Buckle up fans; hockey time is just
starting to heat up.