The Anaheim Ducks are in a very difficult position in the Western Conference, however they have a very good problem on their hands. When Simon Despres and Cam Fowler were out of the lineup the Ducks leaned on Shea Theodore and Josh Manson. They both played very well, which raises the problem every team would love to have, and that is having too many quality defenseman. With both Despres and Fowler coming back it opens up the question of what to do now? In a salary cap league that means you may have to move a defenseman. While the smart move would probably be to move Despres, the return for him may not be as great as you would like. Fowler though may be a different story, the asking price for his caliber of player would be a first round pick in a regular market or maybe a top-six winger. This is no regular market though there is a very high demand on top-four defenseman. Teams wanting one almost always have to over pay.
NHL: Trade Talk – News and Notes
From Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers – players available at the trade deadline: Teddy Purcell, Justin Schultz, Mark Fayne, Eric Gryba, Lauri Korpikoski and Matt Hendricks.
I really think Jordan Eberle would fit well with the New York Islanders. With Kyle Okposo being a UFA a trade might make sense for the two teams.
Jeff Blair of Sportsnet: The Toronto Maple Leafs may now be thinking that James Reimer should be a part of their long-term future. He should be open to the possibility of re-signing with the Leafs. It is still possible that the Maple Leafs could trade Reimer before the deadline and then try to re-sign him in the offseason. If they do trade Reimer, I have heard some buzz leaning towards Montreal being a possible landing spot for this season. Somewhat hard to believe, since the Canadiens are not looking as if they will need a rental player for the playoffs.
The Vancouver Canucks have many depth players they may look to trade away at the deadline if they fallout of a playoff spot. I could see Alex Burrows fitting well with the Chicago Blackhawks since they are looking for forward depth.
I am a passionate Pittsburgh Penguins fan from Pittsburgh. I graduated from Sports Management World Wide in Hockey Management and Scouting. I interned with the Wheeling Nailers of the East Coast Hockey League in the Hockey/Business Operations Department. I currently do independent hockey scouting services, blogging and podcasts.