I agree that this year is a make or break year with their team. Ohlund & the Sedins are all UFAs after this season…that is a huge piece of their core.

I’m just not sure that Gillis will pull a Boyes & parts for Nolan deal like we are used to seeing from our Leafs brass. If Kaberle does indeed go, we will miss his outlet passing ability on the back end, and his PP quarterbacking. But, I think we need to give some other guys a look in his spot, Stralman being one of them, White the other…perhaps even Van Ryn.

One thing is for sure, something is going to happen. If we are active, I would rather see younger talent come our way than picks…our draft history hasn’t been too great over the last few years, although with Didomenico, Hayes and others coming up…it doesn’t look as grim as it once did. Perhaps there are a few gems in the old cupboard afterall!!

If Vancouver is as desperate as we hope…Kaberle gets dealt for Schneider plus ?? straight up. Maybe they would even take Hollweg off our hands!!

One can dream, right?

The trade deadline can make a person do crazy things.

Here’s one thing to remember:

It’s a make-or-break year for the Canucks, plain and simple. Sure, the defense is locked up, but most of their forwards are on expiring contracts. Who knows what the scoring makeup of this team will be next year, if they are unable to re-sign their key forwards?

This is one reason they went after Sundin as hard as they did … Gillis knows this year is their best shot. And to that end, Gillis may feel that he has to sacrifice some youth to take that shot.

This happens every year, with one team or another. Two years ago it was injury-prone vets like Foppa, Smyth and Tkachuk getting crazy returns. Last year it was impending UFAs Hossa, Foote, and Campbell all generating 1st round picks as pieces of their deals.

So, really, you never do know what might transpire. Which is what makes this sort of thing so much fun.

Dream, dream, dream …

In most cases the lottery winner winds up with the #1 pick, given how it is weighted.

But, yes, if you want to nitpick, certainly another team can “win” the lottery and still not have the #1 pick.

Although I will say this: the true “winner” of the draft lottery is the team that winds up #1 overall … regardless of whose team moved the most in the lottery.

As a Leafs fan, I would hope Gillis would be that crazy to swap 2 for 2 in Antropov & Kaberle for Schneider & Hodgson or Grabner, but as a realist…I don’t think he would be that crazy. Hodgson is captain material, I don’t see Vancouver tossing him in the deal. Antropov is UFA this year, if he is dealt, I’m not seeing something huge for him in return…probably only a second rounder. On our team he is a top 6 guy, on another team, I’m not so sure. I really like him and I think we should hang onto him.

I agree that Kaberle would be a good fit in Vancouver for their PP, but I’m not sure if they do this deal if we demand Schneider in return. Luongo is UFA next year I believe, and I’m not sure if their have been any contract negotiations. I’m sure his future depends on what happens this year with the playoffs.

I do think we need to trade either Kaberle or Kubina to make room for Stralman…the kid has to play. If weren’t not going to make room for him, then we need to move him for another asset. The other crazy thing happening with our team is the stock-piling of right handed shots on D and all of our forwards shooting left (except for Deveaux, Stempniak & Mayers).

(a) The lottery winner selects first,

That isn’t necessarily true, any of the non playoff teams can win the lottery, obviously the lower in the standings you are, the better chance you have. The team that wins the lottery can only move up 5 positions, so for the team that wins the lottery to pick first they must be bottom 5.

For instance, last year the NY Rangers were knocked out in the first round, yet their pick stayed at 20 (under the old system they would have been at 23, minimum, for getting to the 2nd round). Similarly, Minnesota lost in the first round, yet their draft position remained at 24.

So I guess if you want to deal with Vancouver for picks … you had better hope they don’t win their division, or make it to round 3.

Either way, I’d still take the players … I prefer to know what I’m getting in a deal, rather than take “what’s in the box!”.

This is how I understand it, based on the NHL rulebook. Division winners make it a tad confusing, but here goes:

Barring any trades …

(a) The lottery winner selects first, followed by the remaining non-playoff teams, in inverse order of points (that is, lowest to highest regular season point totals); (1 – 14)

(b) Teams eliminated in the first and second rounds pick next (reg. season division winners excluded), again ranked by lowest to highest regular season points; (1 – 26 **)

(c) Regular-season division winners eliminated in the first two rounds of the playoffs are next, ranked lowest to highest regular season points; (** picks 24, 25, 26 would go to division winners eliminated in the first or second round, as applicable)

(d) Teams eliminated in the Conference Finals, ranked lowest points to highest; (27 – 28)

(e) Loser of Stanley Cup Final (29)

(f) Stanley Cup champion (30)

I’m saying I’d be happy with either. They’re both highly skilled, but they are also different types of players, so in a way it isn’t fair to compare them. A two-way centre would be useful, as would a speedy winger with hands.