Trade Talk on ESPN....

The Sharks popped up in the bi-weekly discussion between Pierre Lebrun and Scott Burnside on ESPN.com...

One thing I liked was that they hadn't heard of a current Shark that they were shopping.  The flip side of that is the likelihood of some of these guys: Couture, McGinn, Joslin, Ferriero, Stalock, Greiss, Tommy Wingels, and Petrecki disappearing are high.  Poop.

View entire article here

"LeBrun: First of all, there's no doubt in my mind the Caps are privately married to the idea that Varlamov is their man come playoff time, but they like having Theodore around as a veteran presence. Moving on to Chicago, here's what I heard from there Wednesday night: they'd like to add a defenseman. That may seem surprising given their star quality there, but that's what I was told.


And here's the kicker: I'm told the team is still toying with the idea of adding a goalie. Huet has never won a playoff round and there's apparently some nervousness there. Given his $5.625 million salary, I can't believe the Hawks can even try this given how tight they are under the cap, but I was told if they can move a $3 million player and add a $2.5 million goalie, who knows. Dwayne Roloson's cap number is $2.5 million, although the Islanders would rather move UFA-to-be Martin Biron ($1.4 million), as we discussed Wednesday. Roloson has one more year on his deal. Seems amazing there's still concern about the goaltending in Chicago, but apparently that's the case. [Begin talk about the Sharks] As for the Sharks, it is absolutely clear Wilson is canvassing the rest of the league looking for a D-man. No question. That's where his move will be.



Burnside: We all know how these deadline deals can turn out. The Sharks have known their fair share of deadline misery, having jettisoned a ton of assets in prospects and draft picks since the lockout and never advancing beyond the second round. I would think Wilson will be very cautious. And frankly, there just aren't a lot of defensemen out there; Marek Zidlicky and Kim Johnsson if Minnesota falters, and then there's Nashville GM David Poile's dilemma about what to do with Dan Hamhuis if he doesn't think he can re-sign him. But you can forget Poile trading him to San Jose for a host of reasons. I think Hamhuis would look pretty good in Washington, and the Caps have some assets they could move, including Alexander Semin, who was brought under contract this season but could be expendable given the team's offensive depth. Of the "big three," which most needs to make a move to solidify a trip deep into the playoffs?



LeBrun: I think the Sharks really need a defenseman. I get worried after Dan Boyle, Marc-Edouard Vlasic (injured right now), Rob Blake and the underrated Douglas Murray. Niclas Wallin of the Hurricanes is another available blueliner. Frankly, if I'm Wilson, I phone up GM Brian Burke in Toronto and tell him to inform the Tomas Kaberle (no-trade clause) camp that the Sharks are interested. It just so happens Wilson and the Sharks are in Toronto on Monday. Perhaps the two GMs can grab lunch. Until Friday, my friend."

The Wallin Trade Drinking Game!

I'll put a round of Long Islands down on this prediction (or closest):

To Sharks:
Wallin
2d rd pick

To Canes:
Huskins
Joslin

We'll all agree who was closest and who wasn't.  I retain McVet as my counsel.

It sucks to be St Louis...

The next seven games for the St Louis Blues:

3rd   Vs. Blackhawks
4th   Vs. Sharks
6th   Vs. Blackhawks
8th   @ Avalanche
9th   Vs. Red Wings
12th Vs. Maple Leafs
13th Vs. Capitals

They were already a bottom-three team in the Western Conference.  Yikes.

UPDATE::::::::
Just a post-script to this post.  The Blues posted some surprising wins in this stretch.

Record:

3rd   Vs. Blackhawks (win!, 3-2)

4th   Vs. Sharks (loss! 2-4)

6th   Vs. Blackhawks (loss! 2-1)

8th   @ Avalanche (loss! 2-5)

9th   Vs. Red Wings (win! 4-3(so))

12th Vs. Maple Leafs (win! 4-0)

13th Vs. Capitals (win! 4-3 (so)).

Overall, they finished 4-3.  Not bad!  Bad news: they are still at the bottom of the conference.  Sorry boys.

Niclas Wallin to San Jose?

At the expense of a more formal introduction (my name is Matt), I wanted to get this out there as soon as possible for anyone reading the blog.

About a half hour ago, TSN's James Duthie, who is usually as reliable as they come in the hockey world, reported that the Carolina Hurricanes were considering moving defenseman Niclas Wallin. He tweeted that San Jose was a possibility here-

http://twitter.com/tsnjamesduthie/status/8607868766

He went on to say that Wallin, who has a NTC, has likely waived it.

http://twitter.com/tsnjamesduthie/status/8608192001

It was just now confirmed that Wallin is indeed a healthy scratch for tonight, so this looks like it could be a done deal.

I'm guessing a 3rd round pick, or possibly a mid level prospect and a 7th.

Details and analysis to follow.


UPDATE #1 4:20pm

TSN is now reporting that a deal is imminent n their site.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=308812

Wallin's cap hit is $1.725m, and the Sharks can only afford a cap hit of $1.095m, so it would appear a roster player will be dealt if this trade is going to go through.


UPDATE #2 4:45pm

With a roster player having to go back, I'm starting to get the impression that this trade could be akin to the "trade someone with positive value (Wallin) for someone they don't want to take on plus a positive value draft pick/prospect" that has been popularized in the cap-ridden NHL.

If that is the case, I can see a few possibilities. The player would have to be earning at least $650k salary in order for the Sharks to have the cap space.

In order of my perceived likelihood (nothing is official)-

1. Wallin for Shelley (750K) + 3rd round pick
-Shelley is redundant with younger Staubitz and McLaren, and those two do not make enough (500K & 543K respectively) to clear

2. Wallin + 4th round pick for McGinn (997K)
-McGinn was sent to Woostah today, although as we all know, could definitely just be routine shuttling.

3. Wallin + 3rd round pick for Mitchell (1.357m)
-Mitchell hasn't regained form yet and has a high cap hit, and Carolina will likely be looking for a young player.

4. Wallin for Huskins (1.7m) + 5th round pick
-I'm going to say there is a very outside chance of this happening only because it would enable another move based on the wash in salary, and it would save salary next year (Wallin is going to retire at the end of the year).


UPDATE #3 5:15pm

So, a little backstory on Wallin while we're waiting for more information.

Wallin holds a NTC because there were a lot of rumors going around that after Carolina won the Stanley Cup in 05-06, Wallin (who was an impending UFA) wished to return home to Sweden to raise his family. It came down to him either staying in Carolina or moving home to Sweden, so Carolina offered him a three year contract with a NTC to entice him to stay.

This is relevant for any Sharks historians, who remember Wallin opting not to waive his NTC to come to San Jose in the 07-08 season, when the Sharks were offering Ehrhoff in return.

Flashing forward to the present, Wallin has stated that he will retire at the end of his contract, in which this is his final year. When this rumor first surfaced a few days ago, he also stated that he is honored that a team (SJ) thinks that highly of him, and that Carolina wants to give him a last shot at a Stanley Cup (of which they are nowhere close to).

In game thread

Its a good thing nobody reads this thing.....

its 2-0 10mins into the first period and my goat, Joe, has 2 goals.  Nicceeee.

oh! maybe not...2-2

Okay, I don't like to highlight every blown call out there but holy hell the refs tonight were incompetent.  They missed at least four calls against the Wings by my count in the third period.  They were completely oblivious to holding the stick twice, an interference, and a slash.

It's time to consider who we can deal away

As GBF and I gchatted about today, when it comes to the deadline DW gets things done.  Why?  Because DW will pay retail price for his rentals.

As we get to the topic of the deadline, we should know what it is we have in our wallet, how much value they carry, and how much we're willing to pay for what we need.

I'll start crafting this.  Brown, feel free to repost any HF boards postings on this topic.  I don't need to do work that's already been done.

Quietly, It's Confirmed That The Sharks Are Listening to HF Boards...

Taken from tsn.com's chat with Darren Dreger this afternoon:
"Trevor, Barrie: Darren, how much 'tweaking' do powerhouse teams like San Jose and Washington have to do? They seem unstoppable on most nights!

Darren Dreger: Trevor, I know the Sharks had considerable interest inIan White, an inexpensive defenceman with tons of upside, before the Flames scooped him in the Phaneuf blockbuster. That's an example of the type of deal San Jose will be in the market for. As for the Capitals, it's going to be intriguing to watch George McPhee play his hand. Does Washington need some help on the backend? Maybe a shutdown forward or PK specialist? McPhee has the cap space to add some bodies and with consistant goaltending, there is a growing sense the Caps should be considered the favored team in the East."

Well, that's what we've all thought the Sharks should do.  Now, we know it's what they think too.  And now, we wait.

Chat Transcript Link