Tuesday Timeout

Top Five Players to be Moved at Trade Deadline

It's a date that has been circled on the calendar all season for hockey fans. Monday, February 28th is the day for contenders to make that last move which could result in a Stanley Cup, and for rebuilding teams to sell of veterans for future assets. Last years deadline saw 53 players moved and according to TSN that was the most ever. This years deadline could virtually attract the same amount of activity. Hockeysureshot feels that five NHL clubs are realistically eliminated from playoff contention. They are Edmonton, New Jersey, NY Islanders, Toronto and Ottawa. We feel that Florida, St. Louis, and Columbus will be teetering on the brink of elimination by month's end.

Which leaves us to the five most attractive players to be moved by contenders. First, let's take a look at the clubs who are projected to be the most active. The Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Ray Shero always seem to make a move at the deadline. With the injury to Evgeni Malkin, and the health concerns of Sidney Crosby look for the Penguins to acquire a forward.

The NY Rangers are in the midst of a losing streak and badly need a point man on their struggling power play. Los Angeles could use a winger to play with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Two Northeast division rivals, Boston and Montreal are looking for a stay at home defensemen. Throw in the San Jose Sharks as another team looking for defense. The Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators desperately need offense.

The goaltending market seems dry, but are the Philadelphia Flyers comfortable with Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Boucher? Does Washington truly feel confident in Semyon Varlmov and Michal Neuvirth between the pipes? Below we break it down.

Breakdown of top five players to be moved:

#5 Chris Phillips, Ottawa Senators

Veteran defensemen who has struggled on a awful Ottawa team this season. He is a free agent at the end of the year which is important and will probably welcome a change of scenery. Philips has not registered a goal and is a -26 this season. He clearly has missed former defense partner Anton Volchenkov. He is big at 6'3 220 lbs. and would clearly help a team that has a solid defense.

Prediction: We'll guess that Philips ends up a Boston Bruin. Boston has offensive assets that Ottawa desperately needs.

#4 Dustin Penner, Edmonton Oilers

Penner is the Oilers leading scorer, but that's not saying much since he only has 34 points. He's a streaky scorer who had success in the playoffs with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. He is signed through next season so the team that acquires him will need to have salary cap space. Penner would be a good fit on a line with a skilled center.

Prediction: The Pittsburgh Penguins were looking for a forward before the injuries to Crosby and Malkin. Penner may be their best option.

#3 Tomas Kaberle, Toronto Maple Leafs

It seems like Kaberle has been on the market for years. Toronto needs to move the free agent to be and start building with young players in the organization. He may be a bit overrated, but will undoubtedly help a team looking for offense from the blueline.

Prediction: The NY Rangers are the most logical fit and we can't see why he wouldn't waive his no trade clause to play on Broadway.

#2 Bryan McCabe, Florida Panthers

McCabe is having a solid year for Florida and would add grit and leadership to any clubs blueline. The Panthers are continuing to rebuild and are realistically a year or two away from serious playoff contenders. The value of physical stay at home defensemen come playoff time can't be underestimated. Florida Panthers GM, Dale Tallon should receive plenty of offers for McCabe right down to the final hour.

Prediction: Montreal would love to pair him with Hal Gill, especially since they have lost Andrei Markov for the season.

#1 Tomas Vokoun, Florida Panthers

Here is our surprise of the trade deadline. The Florida Panthers Tomas Vokoun is an elite goalie who is not signed past this year. They have the highly regarded, Jacob Markstrom waiting in the wings. If the Panthers are still sitting seven points out of the playoffs by the end of the month they may have to move Vokoun to get something back for him at least. The bigger question is if any of the contenders are seriously looking at a goaltender. If they are, Vokoun would be a huge addition.

Prediction: The Washington Capitals can say all they want about how they like their young goalies, but if the opportunity presents itself to acquire Vokoun they would have to consider it. With the Penguins injury issues and the Flyers having goaltending questions of their own, this could be a move that make the Capitals the favorites in the Eastern Conference. There has to be enormous pressure on Washington to advance far in the playoffs this season and they may feel a goalie like Vokoun may give them their best shot.

Atlanta at Carolina

A big game in the SouthEast Division Saturday night as two struggling teams try to take claim of the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes seem to be a bit hungover after hosting the All-Star Weekend and the Thrashers have been terrible now for about a month.
The Hurricanes trail Atlanta by just 1 point for the 8th and final playoff spot in the East.
For a while, Atlanta had a nice lead on 9th place but now with their struggles, find themselves just 1 point in front of Carolina and just five points in front of 10th place Florida, who has 2 games in hand.

Look for the experienced Hurricanes to turn it around at home and start their 2nd half run to the playoffs.

PICK: Carolina -140

Calgary at Atlanta

Two teams heading in opposite directions meet tonight in Atlanta as the Flames travel south to play the Thrashers. Calgary has lost just once in regulation in their last 10 games and all of a sudden found themselves just 2 points behind 8th place Chicago in the Western Conference.
Calgary got off to a terrible start this season but have found the hot hand lately and have won 5 in a row with impressive wins over Dallas, Vancouver, Nashville twice and St. Louis.

Atlanta has won just twice in their last 10. The Thrashers were a feel good story this season and at one time, found themselves atop the SouthEast Division. Things have gone poorly since and Atlanta can fall out of playoff position for the first time this season with a loss and Carolina win tonight.

Atlanta was beaten soundly at home by the Islanders on Tuesday night 4-1 and didn't look like a team desperate to make the playoffs. Islanders announcer Howie Rose rumored that some team officials feel a sale of the team and move could happen as early as next season. Could this be what has turned their season downward?

Tonight we like the Flames. The Flames have the character and experience to keep the momentum going forward towards the playoffs.

PICK: FLAMES +105

Wednesday Prediction

Ducks over Sharks in key Pacific Division tilt

Prediction: Anaheim -105 over San Jose

Give the Sharks credit for coming back from a 3-0 deficit and beating Phoenix at home last night 5-3. They may not have made their coach happy with how they played the first two periods, but they ended up with two points. Tonight they head to Anaheim to face the Ducks who have won seven of their last ten games. The Ducks shut out the Sharks 1-0 on January 9th and have a very respectable 17-7-1 record at home. San Jose has been way too inconsistent to have any confidence in them winning on back to back nights. All Star goalie, Jonas Hiller gets the call for the Ducks, while Antti Niemi will start again tonight after being pulled last night. We think Anaheim has a slight edge over the Sharks tonight.

Tuesday Prediction

NHL Action returns following All-Star Break

The Pick: Chicago -125 over Columbus

As we start the second half of the NHL season the defending Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks would qualify for the playoffs by a mere point. Chicago lost it's last two games before the break after winning six of their previous eight games. It appeared that the Hawks were getting back on track but had difficulty with the Flyers and Wild at home. They now embark on a six game road trip beginning with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Chicago has beaten Columbus in two of the three meetings thus far this season and in their wins have won by three goals. Columbus continues to be led by Rick Nash, and is barely in the playoff picture with only 51 points in the ultra competitive Western Conference. This pick is based on the fact that Chicago is the better team, and that they should be feeling some heat that they could miss the playoffs.

Boston and Los Angeles

The Bruins stroll into Los Angeles tonight to face an angry Kings team. Boston has given up a league low 109 goals and come off an impressive 6-2 victory in Colorado. The Bruins remain a threat in the playoffs having received ridiculous goaltending from Tim Thomas and shutting down the opposition.

The Kings for the 2nd time this season find themselves in a major slump. The Kings have won just 3 of their last 10 but do come off a 4-3 win in Phoenix the other night. The Kings sit 4 points out of the playoffs and need to get on track before it's too late.

Look for the Kings to come out flying tonight and get back on track.

Take the Kings -120

Buffalo at Boston

Look for the Bruins to keep their winning ways going. Tonight's pick.

Boston -160

Wednesday Prediction

NY Rangers should end two-game losing streak against Toronto at MSG

The Pick: NY Rangers -175 over Toronto

The NY Rangers have lost two in a row and have only scored eight goals in their last five games which prompted John Tortorella to call out his players, specifically Marian Gaborik. The head coach is obviously angry and we're expecting the team to feed off that against the Maple Leafs. The Rangers haven't played bad during the losing streak, but still did not get the results to show for it. During the loss on Saturday to Montreal, Carey Price stood on his head to give the Habs the win 3-2. On Sunday, the Rangers trailed the Flyers early, and mounted a comeback only to come up short and they lost 3-2. Toronto has won four of their last five on the road, but are also struggling to score goals recently. The Rangers have won two of the three meetings between this clubs and we expect that to continue.

Tuesday Prediction

Anaheim Ducks should begin four-game road trip with a win over Ottawa.

The Pick: Anaheim -105 over Ottawa

Since the other Southern California team let us down last night, we'll take a chance with the Anaheim Ducks on the road over the struggling Senators. The Ducks are clearly better at home than on the road, but tonight they face an Ottawa team without Jason Spezza, Alex Kovalev, and goalie Pascal Leclaire. Anaheim is without Ryan Getzlaf, but still has enough playmakers with Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, and Teemu Selanne. Huge goaltending edge for the Ducks with Jonas Hiller over Brian Elliot. This is a game the Ducks must win if they want to be a playoff team. We can't see them taking Ottawa lightly.

Monday Prediction

Kings should cool of Stars in Dallas tonight on Versus

Prediction: Los Angeles +115

Last week: 2-3 (first losing week of the season)

The Los Angeles Kings concluded a brutal homestand by winning 5-2 over Edmonton on Saturday which made them 2-6 on the season-long eight straight games at Staples Center. Perhaps, the Kings got some confidence with that win, and are actually looking forward to going on the road. They played with more energy on Saturday and have seemed to finally get star players Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty more involved. Both players were exceptional against the Oilers at both ends of the ice. The Dallas Stars conclude a three-game homestand tonight and are coming off an impressive win over the struggling Thrashers on Saturday night. However, Dallas has had trouble with the Kings this season by losing the first two meetings, and the Kings have played well in Dallas the last few years. Los Angeles is the more desperate team entering tonight's action sitting three points out of the playoffs and ten points behind first place Dallas. A rested Jonathan Quick will be in goal tonight for the Kings who normally gives Dallas fits. We also feel the Kings should enjoy finally playing a road game.

Sunday Prediction

Look for the Anaheim Ducks to keep up their winning ways at the Pond against the Oil

Prediction: Anaheim -180

No team has won more games at home in the Western Conference than the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks record at the Arrowhead Pond is 16-7-1, and the Oilers are a woeful 7-11-4 on the road. The Ducks played last night and lost at Phoenix 6-2 in a game that saw Jonas Hiller get pulled after the 2nd period. The injury depleted Edmonton Oilers lost in Los Angeles 5-2 last night in a game that got out of hand midway through the third period. The fact that the Ducks had won six of seven entering last night, and have been solid at home makes them a safe bet. Edmonton is simply missing too many key players right now, especially on defense. Look for Anaheim to rebound from a poor effort and win once again at home.

Ottawa at NY Islanders

The Ottawa Senators come to Long Island to face an angry Islanders team tonight. During a taping of a TSN show Wednesday morning at the Coliseum, a reporter called the Islanders "a perennial dormat." During practice yesterday, Islanders center Zenon Konopka yelled at the reporter from the ice "We're not a doormat anymore." Konopka and John Tavares were interviewed by Newsdays' Katie Strang after practice. Konopka added, "We were just sitting there enjoying our morning coffee and yes, we take issue with being called a doormat. We have a good group of young guys that are making news like JT, Comeau, and Bailey who are working hard and playing well. So let's talk about us being a little underrated instead of a doormat." John Tavares, the Islanders number one pick of 09 has picked up his play as of late and is starting to resemble the potential superstar that he was projected to be. He also spoke up, "No one likes being called a doormat or being considered that at this level,"Tavares said. "We've done some really good things this year, we've beaten some good teams. We've held some good players in check. We've had our own success at many different stages. I don't think we're an easy team to play against."

The Islanders will once again start rookie goalie Kevin Poulin. Due to the trade of Dwayne Roloson and injury to Rick Dipietro, Poulin's NHL career has started earlier than expected. However, in 2 starts and almost 3 full games, Poulin is 1-1 with a .944 save percentage and 1.97 GAA.

The Senators are in a free fall and have lost 6 games in a row. Coach Cory Clouston's job is in jeopardy. The Senators coach has named a starting goalie the day before a game for this first time in his tenure. The Sens have called up 19 year old Robin Lehner. Lehner has made two appearances in relief this season without giving up a goal on 10 shots.

The Senators are coming off a 6-0 loss at the hands of the Bruins and people suspect that one more poor showing and Clouston could be out.

The Senators are a lost team heading into the Coliseum where the Islanders are 4-0-2 in their last 6 and are fired up feeling they still have a lot to prove.

The Pick: Islanders -110

Washington at Tampa Bay

A battle for first place takes place in Tampa tonight as the Capitals stroll in to take on the Lightning. Both teams have played 43 games and have 55 points. After a long losing streak, the Capitals have turned it around and have only lost 1 time in regulation in the last 10 games.

The Capitals have returned a very similar team as last year but have not found the scoring touch they had last season. In 82 games, the Capitals averaged 3.88 goals a game last year and outscored their opponents by 85 goals, more than 1 goal a game. So far this season, they have averaged 2.93 goals a game and only outscored their opponents by 13 goals. Both stats aren't terrible, but when you look at Washington's 55 win season last year, they are not even close to reaching those numbers. Could the early playoff losses have shaken their confidence and swagger?

It also doesn't help when Alex Ovechkin is on pace for his fewest goals ever.

Tampa Bay has rebuilt their team in a few short years. It helps that throughout that process, they have kept Lecavalier and St. Louis. Add Steven Stamkos, who in our opinion will be talked about in the same vein as Crosby and Ovechkin in the next couple of years.

Both teams have a lot to prove and want to lay claim as the best in the Southeast division. We are going with Washington. They still have a lot to prove and the Capitals will bounce back after their 1-0 OT loss last week.

Pick: Washington +105

Tuesday Prediction

Expect the Flyers to keep it rolling against Buffalo tonight

The Pick: Philadelphia -120 over Buffalo

If you listen to NHL coaches and analysts they always mention that when a team plays their first home game after a long road trip it's a difficult situation. That's what the Buffalo Sabres will be battling heading into tonight's game at home against Philadelphia. The Sabres had a successful west coast trip by going 2-0-1 and have only given up one goal in their last two. Although Buffalo is not scoring a multitude of goals, they are still finding ways to win. Tonight they face one of the more talented teams in the Eastern Conference in the Philadelphia Flyers who have won three games in a row and defeated Buffalo 6-3 earlier this season. The fact that Buffalo has a 6-17 record this season following a win, and have played under .500 at home this season bodes well for Philadelphia. Go with the more talented and consistent Flyers tonight at HSBC Arena.

Monday Prediction

Look for Blues to end three game skid at home against Phoenix

The Pick: St. Louis -145 over Phoenix

It's still only early January, but in the Western Conference every point matters and both these teams are on the outside looking in and only separated by one mere point. Although St. Louis has struggled recently, this is their last home game before a three game California trip, and they're starting to get injured players back in the lineup. This should be a close low scoring game, and we like the goalie matchup of Jaroslav Halak for the Blues against Illya Bryzgalov, who is making his first start in the last three games because of injuries. The Blues were outworked by the Rangers on Saturday night at home, which is rare since St.Louis is 14-6-2 at home. Look for them to rebound against an inconsistent Phoenix team.