Gotta be embarrassing for the Waterboy to have his miss on the front page of Yahoo with the title, “Goalie’s ‘humiliating blunder'”.  Oops.

That’s all I’m going to say about that.  Let’s talk about something good, shall we?  Today at The Puck Stops Here, there’s an article about the Dan Boyle trade that says it’s the worst trade of the past year, and I have to agree (although the Patrick O’Sullivan trade might be close).  Also, the point has to be made that Tampa has done an astoundingly poor job with the subsequent trades involving the pics and players they got for Boyle.  All the trades are pointed out in the link above, so if you’re interested in the individual deals, check that out.

Because I want to take my mind off of the Wild game, I tabulated all the assets that changed hands going into and out of the Lightning organization that were involved in the Boyle trade, and here’s the whole equation:

Tampa Bay loses: Dan Boyle, Brad Lukowich, Filip Kuba, Alexandre Picard, and a 3rd round pick.

Tampa Bay gets:  Andrei Meszaros, Noah Welch, Steve Downie, Ty Wishart, two 3rd round picks, and a 4th round pick.

So for a top-10 NHL defenseman, two solid blueliners, a marginal NHL player, and a pick, they get one decent blueliner, a solid prospect in Wishart, two players that are very questionable, and some middle round picks.  Not only was the Boyle trade bad, the suckiness of the trade was compounded by other major crap deals they’ve made this year.  Feel better about the Sharks now?

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With Travis Moen and Kent Huskins not available until Saturday in Vancouver and Kaspar being sent on the Worcester courtesy shuttle, the Sharks will let Brad Staubitz live another day and have promoted Jamie McGinn. Mike and I discussed why McGinn hadn’t been called up with a long term roster spot up for grabs, he is certainly the best player in Worcester. I think this is definitely the right play by DW here.

So, can we expect Marleau to slide back down to the 3rd line? It might be the best option to keep the Sharks running for the rest of the regular season and gives McLellan a stronger three line look that he desires.

McGinn/Thornton/Seto
Clowe/Pavs/Michalek
Moen/Marleau/Cheech
Lemiuex/Plihal/Shelley

I would assume that when Grier, Goc, JR and maybe even Mitchell are healthy, then the four guys to sit would be Plihal, Lemieux, McGinn and Shelley. Having Goc to win face offs could be what gives him the edge over Shelley for a playoff series.

As for Kent Huskins, this guy isn’t a total scrub and we should expect, if he’s healthy, he’s going to play and McLellan will be able to give people a day off down the stretch here if their banged up. Depth is key for the Cup run – and Huskins has been there before.

One more thing I want to say about Travis Moen – recent history will show that Doug Wilson doesn’t acquire guys he’s not interested in trying to lock up in the offseason. DW is totally locked in on Moen and I’m expecting that he’s going to zero in on locking him up to a 3 year deal before the man can hit free agency. Just a hunch….but we should consider getting used to Moen in Teal….and his arrival could spell the departure of Grier in the offseason….

Mike and Doug put off recording the podcast this week for a little while so they can report and weigh in on all of the trade deadline moves in all of their splendor. The Sharks pick up Travis Moen and Kent Huskins, so the dudes discuss how this fits in with the current team and all of their injuries, and break down all the other moves made by the Pacific Division, which is most of the major stuff.  The dudes also pick their trade deadline winners and losers on this very eventful day of the season.

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The Sharks traded two prospects for two more players with Stanley Cup experience by making a rare Pacific Division swap by landing Travis Moen and Kent Huskins from the Ducks.

I like it. Travis Moen is exactly the type of player I wanted the Sharks to add. He kills penalties and is a general pain in the ass to play against. I hated him on the Ducks. It’s gonna be great to see him in Teal and he should look good on the 3rd line. Huskins is here for depth and is a general upgrade over Frankenstein. He’s won a cup, was a +22 in 76 games last year for the Ducks and is another “Luko” type guy.

The price. College player, Nick Bonino, former 6th round pick and ranked #15 by Hockey Future.com in the Sharks system and goaltender Timo Pielmeier, the fifth rated goalie in the Sharks system. It’s hard to pass judgement on guys we haven’t seen in person – but it certainly doesn’t appear to have damaged the core of the San Jose minor league depth.

And….as I PREDICTED on the podcast – Kyle McLaren was traded to the Flyers. Thank you very much to all those who laughed in my general direction.

More detailed comments on this deal and all the trades made in the NHL on our new podcast tomorrow!

Not that I mean to blast Goc (exactly), but when you’re missing a 9-point scorer in the lineup, you have some problems.  The Worchester Sharks lost to the Stars last night in a fairly embarrassing fashion.  Other than Jumbo, Patty, Boucher, and maybe a couple others, it looked a lot like a minor league effort.

Now knowing that JR and Grier will likely be out the rest of the regular season, the Sharks will have some serious holes for the next few weeks.  And if last night is any indication, Staubitz and Kaspar are not up to the job of filling in.  If I were Doug Wilson, I’d fly to Worchester and throw the gauntlet down in the locker room over there.  “We have a job opening, and we’re looking for someone to fill it.  It might be one of you, or it might not.  But there’s an opportunity for one of you to seize it.”  Then get a standing Boston-to-SJ plane ticket, and try out some guys.  Vesce.  T.J. Fox.  Steven Zalewski.  For God’s sake, suit up Roy Somner if you have to.

Watching TSN trade coverage very early in the morning, the only thing I’ve heard about the Sharks is that Brian Murray of the Senators has a deal in place with the Sharks for Chris Neil, but the Senators are still negotiating with Neil about a contract extension.  I like the idea of having Neil on the team (depending on what the Sharks send in return, of course), but make no mistake, he will not solve the production problems the Sharks are having on the third line.  Pop quiz: who has more points right now, Goc or Neil?  The answer is the aformentioned 9 pointer Goc.

With the BJs trading goalie Pascal Leclaire and a 2nd rounter to Ottawa for Antoine Vermette, it’s shaping up to be a pretty interesting day.  More to come.

Some Sharks rumors swirling around yesterday.

CHEECHOO TO PITTSBURGH
While this makes sense in a way for the Penguins, what are they offering in return. San Jose isn’t in the charity business right now. I’m not sure what the Pens have to offer that makes the Sharks better TODAY.

Mike’s take

Pittsburgh just waived Satan, so something is in the works.  Unless Goligoski or Letang are in the conversation, no thanks.  Of course that would make the deal even bigger, and I think the Sharks shouldn’t make a blockbuster deal at this point.

PRONGER TO SAN JOSE
Not a chance in hell the Ducks trade Pronger within their own division. End of story. Unless the Ducks were able to take DW to the cleaners (Michalek, Ehrhoff and Couture for Pronger) then they would pull the trigger. DW would never do that kind of deal in division. No Pronger in Teal.

Mike’s take:

Reportedly, the Blues would have to give up David Perron, as well as other players and a first round pick.  Translate that to the Sharks, and the Ducks would want Vlasic at least, and a first round pick in 2089, or whenever the Sharks have their next one.  They’ve traded a few of those away lately (see Boyle, Guerin, and Campbell).

All that aside, bringing Pronger to San Jose would screw the Sharks cap number for the forseeable future.  The last thing the Sharks need is another $6M man, with Marleau, Thornton, and Boyle all topping that figure now. With one more year on Pronger’s deal, say goodbye to Ryane Clowe- the Sharks can no longer afford him.  Oh, and Rob Blake too.  And after the 2010 season?  Likely only three defensemen under contract, with Marleau unrestricted.

With Boyle clearly taking the top spot in the blueline core, good young D under contract for years, gaining an aging high-priced defenseman would be a recipe for future disaster.

SMYTH TO SAN JOSE
With a cap hit of $6.25M over the next three years, how is this even possible? The reported Sharks scout at last nights Isles/Avs game might not have been there for a big fish like Smyth. Perhaps he was scouting Ian Laperierre? While Smyth would look great on the Sharks PP in front of the net, SJ can’t absorb his mega-deal.

Mike’s take

Refer to above about $6M contracts.  Smyth is underperforming, and with McLellan’s system enticing Joe and Clowe to stand in front of the net more, Smyth is even less valuable to the Sharks than he was last year.

12:15 PM: MAJOR UPDATE THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING
Bob McKenzie is reporting that Grier and JR are both out 4-6 weeks. I think this changes everything for the next 24 hours as the Sharks will need to add at least one player to offset these two major veterans. Oh man….this is not good news.

Who wouldn’t want to be the GM of a major league sports franchise? Well, this is my chance to play GM in one sentence of all NHL teams as the deadline approaches. Let me know what you think. I’ve listed them by division, in the current place they are as of today.

Before I get started, looks like Steve Ott is out for tomorrow night, awaiting suspension. I think we kill Dallas tomorrow, like a 5-0 laugher. That’s it on that.

ATLANTIC DIVISION
New Jersey – Not Lou’s style to make a big move – so despite rumors, Devils stand pat.
Philadelphia – They get goalie they desperately need, Lehtonen or, if they sell, Backstrom from Wild.
NY Rangers – Coaching change will bring makeover, Avery claimed and perhaps Roszival.
Pittsburgh – Some defensive depth to offset losing Whitney, like Kostinen or Zanon from Nash.
NY Islanders – Poor Bill Guerin. I hope he likes re-runs of People’s Court while he sits and waits.

NORTHEAST
Boston – I think the Kaberle rumors could be true.
Montreal – Hot streak means Gainey will stand pat, like usual.
Buffalo – When have they ever bought at the deadline? Um…never. Connolly and Kotalik gone.
Toronto- Like the Costco of Hockey – Kaberle, Antropov, Ron Wilson’s prostate all available.
Ottawa – If they were smart, and they’re not, I would trade Spezza to LA for Johnson and Bernier.

SOUTHEAST
Washington – Add a second line to Russian collection (Antropov) and someone like Derek Morris.
Florida – Nothing. They keep Bouwmeester and take their chances.
Carolina – Something that makes us go….WHAT? If they think they’re contenders, they’re high.
Tampa Bay – Recchi, Roberts, anyone and everything – but they’ll find a way to get zero return.
Atlanta – Trading UFA’s like Havelid and should give up on Lehtonen.

CENTRAL
Detroit – Last two years they have added, they will again – perhaps Shark killer Pahlsson?
Chicago – They land Jokinen for Cam Barker + prospect – big spending continues.
Columbus – A minor tweak, of if Scott Gomez is really available, could these two teams deal again?
Nashville – Sell. Sell. Sell. Get some scoring help and peddle some D and Dan “bust” Ellis.
St. Louis – Won’t be able to pull the trigger on giving up prized prospects.

NORTHWEST
Calgary – They add someone like Ian Laperierre.
Vancouver – They are the team crazy enough to take the chance on Gaborik.
Edmonton – Sell Cole and anyone else, Lowe can’t really think they are going anywhere.
Minnesota – Finally folding the tent on Backstrom and Gaborik for the face lift they need badly.
Colorado – They need a massive do-over and could be the biggest sellers, other than Toronto.

PACIFIC
San Jose – With talk of Mitchell returning, I’m back to thinking nothing, except maybe Chris Neil.
Anaheim – They should really sell, sell, sell – adding Whitney was a good start to a reboot.
Dallas – Give up already and sell you losers.
Los Angeles – Lombardi is going to make a big move here, he’s been waiting for this.
Phoenix – No one will take Jovo’s deal, so Jokinen and Morris move here – perhaps Klee too.

Thoughts?

Against Montreal, the Sharks decided that coming out flying wasn’t enough.  They wanted to set up some big obstacles for themselves. So they coughed up three goals in less than seven minutes, and went back to work.  Too bad it didn’t turn out the way they wanted- they more than doubled the Habs shots, out-hit them, won more faceoffs, and dictated play for the last forty minutes, and ended up with no points.  Montreal was content to lay back, clog the neutral zone, and sit on their three mostly easy goals, and it worked.  The blue-blanc-et-rouge combined for only 11 shots the second two periods, and it was enough for the win.

Three things:

• I’m glad to see Boucher got the start, but I have a tough time believing Nabby would have given up the second goal, and maybe even the third.  Boucher, while a very good backup, showed a few times why he’s a backup in the NHL, and not a starter.
• I’m not going to go on a anti-ref rant here, but let’s just say if the Sharks’ opponents were wearing blank jerseys, I might still have guessed we were watching Hockey Night in Canada.
• Is it just me, or was it the Shelley-Laraque fight that turned the tide in the first?  The Sharks are killing it the first 7 minutes, the fight happens, and three minutes later Montreal starts scoring goals.  I actually winced when I saw the gloves dropped, because fights, despite all the controversy, do have the potential to shift momentum.  Shelley showed up, but Laraque is one of the best two or three fighters in the game, and big Georges gave more than he got.

It’s something that Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda never mentioned on the telecast, and I’m going to ask Randy about it tonight.  He’s appearing on ChompTalk, the only Sharks call-in show on the airwaves.  Tune in tonight at 9pm PST at 1220kdow.com to listen.  And make sure to call in at 1-800-516-1220 with your Sharks questions and comments.

So grier’s prediction about Ryan Whitney didn’t come true, but Whitney did get traded today, a big trade less than a week away from the deadline.  The Ducks traded Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi (a junior prospect) to the Pens for Whitney, effectively doubling the number of defensemen they have under contract next year.  For those counting, that number now stands at two- Pronger (one year left) and Whitney (four years left).

The Ducks know better than most that you need good D to win championships, and this is a pretty good move by their new GM, Bob Murray.  Kunitz was a distant third in the Ducks trio of top forwards- Chris Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf are much better players.  With Bobby Ryan breaking out this year, I’m sure Murray had him higher than Kunitz in his internal rankings too.

So now we have to assume that Scott Niedermayer will be traded, because the Ducks’ willingness to re-sign him just went down by about 90%.  The Devils have been oft-mentioned in their interest for  SN, but the question is, what would they give in exchange for the tearful reunion?  Johnny Oduya could be on the block, but to me, that sounds like too much- Sweet Lou could run into Scotty’s reluctance to commit just like Brian Burke did.  With the Devils’ needing to re-sign Paul Martin after next year, and only Colin White and Bryce Salvador locked up long-term, they’re probably not looking for any more defensive uncertainty than the Ducks are.

In terms of the Ducks’ playoff prospects this year, I’m not sure they changed a whole lot- Sleek has talked about this over at Battle of California, and at least according to the site he uses,  the Ducks’ current chances at making the playoffs are well south of a coin flip.

The exciting soap opera continues.

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Ouch.I have a few thoughts off this disappointing loss.

– I soiled myself when I saw Joe Thornton lying on the ice. Visions of wasted playoff deposits flashed before my eyes.

– The refs were bad. They weren’t the reason why we lost, but they sure didn’t help. Ticky-tack calls on Plihal and Joe, no major boarding call on Cleary, reversing a goal that (to me) there was no DEFINITIVE evidence to overturn. What else could have happened – is a puck going to hit the net, out of play, but no one sees it and Zetterburg scores? Nah….the hockey gods don’t hate me that much, right?

– I was a little disappointed in the coaching staff tonight. Thornton gets run – and Shelley plays less than three minutes? This is the second time the Sharks have been boarded in the last week, with Gauthier taking out Marleau last week – and the Sharks did nothing to get a little payback. A little disappointed in that….

– Another coaching head scratcher. Why play Frankenstein if you’re only going to run him out there nine minutes? Luko didn’t look bad on Monday, in fact his was a +1 in nearly fourteen minutes. Can anyone explain this? If you want to rest Luko, rest him in Ottawa.

So, in the battle of the titans – the home team reigns supreme in all. It is so important that the Sharks get home ice. Tonight proved that more than ever.