CBC-Sports

NHL poised for fantastic finish

February 10, 2009 06:54 PM | Posted by   Craig Simpson  

I don’t think there has ever been a time in modern-day NHL history when as late as Feb. 10 the last place team (15th) in the Western Conference was a mere six points out of a playoff spot.

The Western Conference playoff race is as crowded as the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby with about as much drama set to unfold as the storied thoroughbred race.

With just three weeks left until the trade deadline, there has never been a more difficult time to predict which teams will be buyers, and which will be sellers. Even the ninth and 10th place teams in the Eastern Conference are within two points of eighth, so in total, 25 of the 30 teams in the NHL are within six points of going to the post-season.

Unprecedented race for the post-season

Whether you agree that parity is good for the NHL or not, you can’t argue that what the salary cap has done to bring teams closer together in talent than ever before. The byproduct is what we are seeing now. Every night teams have a chance to win, no matter who is playing. Even the top-tier teams like San Jose, Detroit and Boston, which separated from the crowd early, have faced a few setbacks lately.

What this parity has done is given us an unprecedented race for the post-season and the prospect of a wildly-competitive Stanley Cup playoff. If growing television ratings and filling arenas during this tough economic time is critical for the health of the league, then this is exactly what we needed.

The most interesting thing to watch for over the next three weeks is to see who pulls the trigger on the first big deal before the deadline. There is always the feeling that once the first trade domino falls, they all start tumbling fast, but with so many teams in the mix, it’s harder to predict how many teams will be looking to unload.

Right now there are really only five teams that should be in selling mode, with the dead-last New York Islanders at the top of that list. Free-agents Doug Weight and Bill Guerin have some valuable experience and are not part of the Islanders’ future, so they will most certainly be on the move.

Who is buying, who is selling?

Barring a miracle, Atlanta, Ottawa, Tampa and Toronto will see their seasons end with game 82, so the ‘For Sale’ signs will be posted soon. Toronto’s general manager Brian Burke has let it be known for weeks that he is looking for a trading partner, the only question will be, how far he goes to try to stock the shelves with draft picks and prospects.

The impact of trades from the Eastern Conference sellers to the West could have huge playoff impact.

It’s hard to imagine teams in the West who are so close to each other making deals within the conference. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that a team sitting in 12th could finish as high as fifth in the West. I think that will really hamper the movement within the conference and stop those bubble teams who in the past would be selling assets, but now might think they are a player away from making the playoffs. The sellers in the East will be working hard to pry the best deal from those teams sitting right on the bubble.

Trade deadline day has always been an exciting time for NHL fans and in many ways has become a television event of its own. This year you just might want to stay glued to yours as this could be one of the most important playoff-positioning trade deadlines we have ever seen.

Stay tuned.

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