As most people know, the NHL trade deadline is noon EST tomorrow. The Sharks have been in the midst of rumors for every NHL player this side of Theo Fleury. Sundin (before he asserted his NTC) McCabe (before he asserted his NTC), Redden (before he… you get the idea), Hossa, Jokinen, Holik, Boyle, and mostly, Brian Campbell. Because I enjoy looking like an idiot, I’m going to call it right now. The Sharks will not make any big deals. Maybe they’ll get a minor piece like Bryce Salvador, but none of the big names floating around. This is so for two reasons.

1. There are so many buyers, and the price is too high. A reasonable deal for Campbell would be Ehrhoff, Setoguchi, and a high draft pick. But when you have half a dozen teams in the mix, Buffalo can command a deal that isn’t reasonable. Some teams (and the Sharks might be in this group) are so desperate for playoff ticket money they might just mortgage the future so they can push for the playoffs and break even money-wise. I’d like to think that DW is too smart for this, and he’ll let Dallas trade Mike Smith, Trevor Daley, and a pick for Brian Campbell. Then in two years the Stars will be screwed.
2. No one wants to play for San Jose. If soon-to-be UFAs are the ones being looked at, it’s good business to see if they would want to sign and extension before they become unrestricted on July 1. As we’ve see with Redden, Chara, and others, players don’t see San Jose as a good hockey destination, despite strong attendance numbers and a loud arena. Players want to be king s^&*# in town. Just look at Forsberg. He’s joining a team with a ton of problems; they’re four points out of the playoffs right now. Even though their big three just came back, there’s no guarantee any of them will stay healthy. It’s an ego move on his part, and lots of other players around the league are the same way. They don’t want to live in a city where a guy like JR or Thornton can walk down the street and not get mobbed. They want their multi-million dollar paycheck and have panties thrown at them.

So get ready to crawl back under the covers tomorrow morning, Sharks fans. The roster you see today will (mostly) be the one you see tomorrow.