By JIMMY D / Mock-buster deals at NHL trade deadline | Jimmy's archive

The NHL trade deadline has morphed over the past few years into something so big and so all-consuming that it mimics Election Day coverage.

It has a pre-show and day-long analysis on TSN. It has speculation galore with GMs and former coaches queued up to provide spin. The team causing the biggest hubbub (aka makes the most deals) often wins the unofficial moniker of Trade Deadline champion.

And like election coverage, at the end of the night, little has been accomplished that changes things.

What does it all mean for your team heading towards the playoffs? More importantly, what does it mean for your fantasy roster as it heads for the playoffs? In many cases, the answer to both questions is ‘not much.’

Take a peek at last year’s uber-exciting deadline deals with blockbuster deals and plenty of roster tinkering for veteran defensemen like Adam Foote, Karlis Skrastins and Jaroslav Modry.

Hosed on Hossa

Hossa owners were drooling. The skilled winger earned the nightly opportunity to skate on the port side of either Sid Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, surely a sign that his fantasy production would soar.

But he soared like the flightless bird on his new logo, scoring just twice and adding three assists in the regular season. He was a minus player and had no power-play goals. True he proved his value in the playoffs, but that didn’t help your fantasy team in March.

Brad was bad

Brad Richards went to Dallas in a huge deal that sent goalie Mike Smith, forward Jussi Jokinen and others to Tampa Bay. He had five assists in his first game in Big D and Richards owners were thrilled. But then he went into a big chill, scoring just twice and adding three assists in March and April.

Flyin’ Brian

On the flipside of these mock-buster deals was the Buffalo-San Jose trade that saw Brian Campbell go west. He had points in 18 of 21 games for the Sharks, before leaving the tank for the Windy City as a free agent.

Cristobal Huet caught fire for the Caps as they surged for the playoffs, after he fell into a platoon role with Carey Price in Montreal. Another small deal had Sergei Federov going to Washington and he was strong as the Caps won of 11 of 12 to end the season.

Wednesday’s deadline is unlikely to see Jay Bouwmeester or Marian Gaborik peddled, if you believe anything coming from management in Miami and Minneapolis. The fact both are UFAs in July makes it unlikely something big will happen on either front, because the players can walk a la Hossa and Campbell.

But Chris Pronger in Anaheim, a stud who could positively impact both your fantasy production and your team’s shot at the Cup, is included in rumours involving the Blues, Flyers and Bruins. In fact, rumours out of Beantown have the Bruins sending Mark Stuart, wing prospect Joe Colborne and a first rounder for Pronger and checking pest Travis Moen.

If this is true and the Bruins haven’t pulled the trigger, shame on them. The Ducky trade for Penguin blueliner Ryan Whitney seems to be a precursor to a Pronger move.

The Flyers don’t make a lot of sense from a salary cap standpoint. They just had to waive useful Glen Metropolit and Ossi Vaananen and send rookie Claude Giroux to the minors to bring back Danny Briere. Jimmy would rather have Ossi and Metro because Briere doesn’t fit the Philly mold.

Boston is also rumoured to be seeking Tomas Kaberle with a first and third heading to Toronto in a rumour shot down by Brian Burke. Have fun on Wednesday and make immediate plans to tweak your roster.

jpoole@herald.ca