Keep your phone on or keep visiting your favourite news feeds to grab the deals or dump traded players before your competition does.
TSN.ca/nhl is pretty quick on the draw for publishing new trade deadline info, but keep checking other sites too if you’re in a pinch in the pool standings.
Here are a few things to watch for down the stretch:
- If Vancouver trades for a defenseman, he’ll get lots of icetime immediately, then will return to normal minutes as their other players return from injury. Given Vancouver’s power play, there could be some great flash-in-the-pan performances by anyone they bring in.
- Consider picking up any forwards added by Pittsburgh. If they’re in line for playing with Crosby once he’s back or for filling in Malkin’s injury time, another short-term over-average performance is possible.
- Kaberle… Depending on where he goes, it could be a good or bad pickup. His powerplay time can only go down from current levels, but if he lands up on a potent team his points may go up. So, it’s likely a wash. However, the hype around him from now until he’s traded (or not) is abnormal, so if you’re in a league with swapping potential, you may want to trade him away for a better player who puts up more points but doesn’t show up in the headlines these days. Cash in on the hype and ride a better horse down the stretch.
- If Penner or Hemsky leave Edmonton, consider a quick pickup. They are both specialists playing on a team that lacks a reliable supporting cast, so they’re both out of their element right now. If either of these end up on a team where they can fly below the opposition’s radar on a 2nd line within a reliable offensive system, their numbers could jump dramatically.
- In the unlikely event that Calgary sells off their big names, leave them alone unless that name is Iginla. Calgary would be mad to unload Iginla (possibly the entire league’s MVP over the last 10 years), but if they go cold again who knows what the new GM will do?
- If Philly springs for a bonafide #1 in goal, pick him up immediately. He will win almost every game he plays.
If you’re sweating it out at the deadline, you probably didn’t draft well in the fall. But, if injuries or epic underperformances have put you in a tight spot, quick fingers over the next two weeks just may save your bacon.