Sport-scan daily brief

2:15 p.m.: Conacher swapped for Bishop

The Tampa Bay Lightning acquire goalie Ben Bishop from the Ottawa Senators in what is the biggest trade of the day. The Lightning give up rookie Cory Conacher and a fourth-round pick. Both teams get an asset they need. With Bishop and Anders Lindback now on the roster, the Lightning probably are now comfortable that one of them will emerge as top performer in net. Conacher is a late bloomer who had more goals (nine) and points (24) than any player in the Senators' lineup.

2:02 p.m.: Panthers sign prospect

The Florida Panthers announced they have signed prospect Nick Bjugstad, and that might be one of the top news items of the day. He has scored 46 goals over the past two seasons at the University of Minnesota. He still had a year of college eligibility remaining. The Panthers wanted to sign him last season because he is projected to be a key player in their building effort. He's 6-4 and he is expected to score at the NHL level.

2 p.m.: One hour to go

With an hour to go in the NHL trade deadline, general managers must be on spring break because nothing seems to be happening in the marketplace. Toronto general manager Dave Nonis just said he doesn't expect to do anything. As hard as this is to believe, we may need a Ben Bishop Sweepstakes just to spice up the proceedings.

1:45 p.m.: The day so far

With 1:15 left before the trade deadline, we've seen three trades involving legitimate NHL players. The guys who have moved include a third-pairing defenseman (Scott Hannan), a fourth-line center (Jerred Smithson) and a player who has already cleared waivers this season (Jussi Jokinen). This has not been a day for big-name players moving.

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1:30 p.m.: Penguins add Jussi Jokinen

1 p.m.: Two hours to go

With two hours to go until the trade deadline, we've seen only two deals involving true NHL players.

12:55 p.m.: Jerred Smithson goes to Oilers

Jerred Smithson is going from the Florida Panthers to the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth-round pick. He is known as an exceptional faceoff guy and he understands his value as a role player. Eric Belanger, who fills that role in Edmonton, is on the injured list.

12:48 p.m.: Our first real trade, Hannan to Sharks

The San Jose Sharks make the first trade of the day involving a true NHL player when they acquired defenseman Scott Hannan from the Nashville Predators for a conditional sixth-round pick. Hannan previously played in San Jose. At 34, Hannan is still a gritty competitor who gives the Sharks some depth. They previously traded Douglas Murray to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

12:30 p.m.: A trade, sort of

The first trade of deadline day involved the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks swapping centers. But don't get your hopes up. The deal sent Maxime Sauve from Boston to Chicago for Rob Flick. They have a combined one game of NHL experience among them. Sauve, 23, a former second-round pick, played one game for the Bruins in 2011-12. This is his fourth season in the American Hockey League. Flick is 22 and he's a former fourth-round pick. He is playing his second season in the AHL.

12:10 p.m.: Waiver pickups

The Philadelphia Flyers picked up Adam Hall from the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Winnipeg Jets grabbed Mike Santorelli from the Florida Panthers. Hall can fill the role of Max Talbot, who broke his leg the other day and is out for the season. Kurtis Foster, Drew MacIntyre, Steve Montador, Rostislav Olesz and Cam Barker all cleared waivers.

12:05 p.m.: Red Wings' needs

The Detroit Red Wings have been mentioned often as a team in search of help on defense. But their defense actually has exceeded expectations, and the coaching staff is content with that group. The team's most pressing need is for a proven scorer.

BIGGEST PLAYERS TO MOVE BEFORE DEADLINE

Marian Gaborik - The struggling winger was sent from the Rangers to the Blue Jackets in exchange for forwards Derick Brassard and Derek Dorsett and defenseman John Moore and a sixth-round pick.

Marian Gaborik - The struggling winger was sent from the Rangers to the Blue Jackets in exchange for forwards Derick Brassard and Derek Dorsett and defenseman John Moore and a sixth-round pick. Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports USA TODAY Sports

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Marian Gaborik - The struggling winger was sent from the Rangers to the Blue Jackets in exchange for forwards Derick Brassard and Derek Dorsett and defenseman John Moore and a sixth-round pick.

Jason Pominville: Buffalo sent its captain and a 2014 fourth-rounder to the Wild in exchange for goalie Matt Hackett, winger Johan Larsson a 2013 first-rounder and a 2014 second-rounder.

Martin Erat - The Predators sent him and forward prospect Michael Latta to the Capitals for forward prospect Filip Forsberg.

Cory Conacher - A contender for the Calder Trophy, Conacher was surprisingly used along with a fourth-round pick in a package that netted the Lightning goalie Ben Bishop from the Senators.

Ben Bishop - The Senators sent 26-year-old to the Lightning on April. 3 for rookie winger Cory Conacher and a fourth-round pick. Bishop has an 8-5-0 record, a 2.45 goals against average and .922 save percentage on the year.

Raffi Torres - The Coyotes sent their tough winger to the Sharks for a third-round pick.

Wade Redden - The Blues sent the veteran defenseman to the Bruins right at the deadline for a 2014 seventh-round pick.

Scott Hannan - The defenseman was involved in the first real trade of deadline day, heading to the Sharks from the Predators for a conditional sixth- or seventh-round pick.

Jussi Jokinen - The center already passed through waivers once because of his $3 million cap hit, but the Hurricanes eventually found a taker for Jokinen on deadline day in the Penguins, who gave a conditional sixth- or seventh-round pick. Carolina also will pay some of his salary.

Ryane Clowe - The rugged winger was shipped to the Rangers from the Sharks on April 2 for three picks (a second, third and conditional pick that can become a second.)

Marc-Andre Bergeron - The defenseman gives the Hurricanes, who acquired him for a seventh-round pick and Adam Hall from the Lightning on April 2, depth they've lacked on the blue line and a legitimate presence on the power play, which is ranked last in the league.

Jaromir Jagr - The Bruins lost out on Jarome Iginla and were looking for more offensive punch up front. Dallas sent the accomplished winger over for two prospects and a conditional second-round pick on April 2.

Derek Roy - The Canucks on April 2 acquired a second-line center they've longed for, giving up a 2013 second-round pick and defense prospect Kevin Connauton.

Jay Bouwmeester - Calgary on April 1 sent the blueliner to the Blues for a first-round pick and two prospects. St. Louis gets a legitimate top-four defenseman who can log big minutes.

Jarome Iginla - The longtime Flames icon was sent to the Penguins on March 27 in exchange for a 2013 first-round pick and two prospects.

Brenden Morrow - The Penguins on March 24 acquired the high-character leader from the Stars for top defense prospect Joe Morrow. Pittsburgh also acquired a third-round pick, while sending a fifth to Dallas.

Next Slide

Noon: Three hours to go

Only three hours remain before the NHL trade deadline expires and we have not had a single trade. That's like waking up on Christmas and finding no presents under the tree.

11:29 a.m.: Report says Kipper is staying

TSN's Darren Dreger tweeted, "Sources indicate (Miikka) Kiprusoff will stay in Calgary and retire at the end of the season." Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer has to be happy with that news.

11:25 a.m.: Quiet so far

Yes, it's quiet so far, but usually things don't get buzzing until noon. However, last year, the first deal (Andrei Kostitsyn to the Predators) occurred at 10:45 a.m.

11:15 a.m.: Pominville's name out there

The best forward available in the marketplace now might be Buffalo's Jason Pominville. But he has one season left on a deal paying him $5.3 million next season. If the Sabres move him, they would have to get back a player who would be a significant contributor next season.

11 a.m.: Hannan's experience appealing

When it comes to sizing up defensemen, general managers often talk about games played. That's why Nashville's Scott Hannan, with 937 NHL games under his belt, might be someone who could move now. He's injured now, but he's expected back soon. He's clearly not in Nashville's plans. With his experience, Hannan might be worth looking at for an insurance policy.

10:48 a.m.: Quiet day for Coyotes?

It sounds as if the Coyotes won't sell off any key assets. "We want to give our team and Coyote fans, who have been incredibly supportive the last few seasons, every opportunity to qualify for the playoffs," GM Don Maloney says.

10:44 a.m.: Guy Boucher weighs in

Did former Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher forget what day it is when he scheduled a conference call at 4:30 p.m. today? Either that's the case, or he didn't want want many members of the hockey media on the call.

Sarah McLellan of Gannett's Arizona Republic says she is not convinced the Coyotes will trade Derek Morris, but she says he is the most likely defenseman from the team to move. She says the Coyotes would have to be bowled over by a deal to move Yandle.10:32 a.m.: Coyotes update

10:30 a.m.: Quiet so far

Starting to hear too many teams saying they might not do anything today. It's clear that there are not enough available players to help contending teams. That's why the Pittsburgh Penguins moved early.

10:02 a.m.: Over/under for the day

With most of the big-name players already moved, the over/under for the number of trades today might be 15. It might be a day to take the under.

10 a.m.: Good fits

Deals that seem like a good fit: Ben Bishop to Tampa Bay or Edmonton or Carolina. Miikka Kiprusoff to Toronto. Raffi Torres to Montreal.

9: 55 a.m.: Keith Yandle talks

The Philadelphia Flyers and Phoenix Coyotes have had very serious discussions about defenseman Keith Yandle, but they got stuck when GM Don Maloney wanted the wrong two forwards off Philadelphia's roster.

9:50 a.m.: Keep an eye on Whitney

If the Edmonton Oilers keep defenseman Ryan Whitney, it's a good indication that they believe they can make the playoffs.

It's always a difficult decision knowing when to leave the rebuilding mode and when to start aggressively acting like a legitimate contender. There's a tendency to stay in rebuilding mode too long.

Fans should at least appreciate the symbolism if the Oilers keep Whitney.

9:45 a.m.: Pitkanen out for season

With Joni Pitkanen gone for the season with a broken heel bone, the Hurricanes probably will be looking for another defenseman in today's marketplace.

Pitkanen was injured chasing the puck on an icing call. That certainly will come up when the NHL makes the decision about whether to change the icing rules this summer. The chase for the puck in those situations isn't exciting enough to put players at risk.

The recovery time on Pitkanen's injury is 10-12 weeks.

9:35 a.m.: Goalies could be moved

This might be the strongest goalie market we've ever seen on trade deadline day. Roberto Luongo, Miikka Kiprusoff, Ryan Miller and Ben Bishop are all being discussed.

But it would seem as if it would be hard to move Luongo and Miller because their teams would want assets that are more difficult to part with during the season. Kiprusoff would be easier to move because the Calgary Flames seem to be stockpiling draft picks.

Bishop's price is said to be a pick and a prospect. The over and under for goalies moving today is probably one.

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The Nashville Predators (4-1-2) in their last seven are scrapping to make the playoffs, but they are not likely to add. The only guy they might move would be injured defenseman Scott Hannan.

9 a.m.: Role players could draw interest

With most of the big names gone, NHL general managers will be looking primarily for role players. Here are some of the possible veteran "rental" players that might be targeted. A rental is a player whose contract expires this summer. That list includes:

-Raffi Torres (Phoenix): He's a 220-pound winger with some bite to his game. Will chip in some big goals. The Coyotes, in a fight to make the playoffs, would have to think long and hard about trading him.

-Eric Nystrom (Dallas): Played almost 400 NHL games and is very dependable in his role

-Jochen Hecht (Buffalo): Can play center and wing, and has 14 seasons of NHL experience. has 59 games of NHL playoff experience.

-Jerred Smithson (Florida): Wins 54.8% of his faceoffs, and can kill penalties.

8:50 a.m.: Salary breakdowns

The breakdown of some of the players who signed extensions on Tuesday:

-Vancouver Canucks' Chris Higgins: Four years at $2.5 million each

-Columbus Blue Jackets' Mark Letestu: Two years at $1.2 million and $1.3 million.

-Washington Capitals' Jack Hillen: Two years at $700,000 each

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YAHOO SPORTS / 2013 NHL Trade Deadline: Winners & Losers

The clock struck noon on Wednesday before anyone made a move in the NHL, and the first deal involved two minor-leaguers, one of them a kid named Flick. It felt more like “A Christmas Story” than Christmas morning on TV. Only it wasn’t Flick whose tongue was stuck, frozen to a pole. It was the news-breakers with no news to break, the analysts with nothing to analyze.

Marian Gaborik takes his high-wire goal-scoring act to Columbus. (Getty)But though Roberto Luongo and Miikka Kiprusoff stayed put, the dead tradeline turned into the trade deadline after all. Marian Gaborik went to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jason Pominville went to the Minnesota Wild. There was a flurry of moves up to and even past 3 p.m. ET, despite the tight standings, the lower salary cap next season, the tough seller’s market.

Combined with the activity leading up to deadline day – from Jarome Iginla and Jaromir Jagr, to Jay Bouwmeester and Ryane Clowe – several contenders fortified themselves for the playoffs while others girded themselves for a rebuild. None of the deals can be judged fairly yet, but here are our knee-jerk reactions:

Winner: Columbus Blue Jackets

Wednesday was Jarmo Kekalainen’s coming out party as Columbus GM. He made the boldest move, acquiring Gaborik from the New York Rangers in a deal that involved five other players and a draft pick. Gaborik struggled so badly and was so deep in John Tortorella’s doghouse that the Rangers wanted him gone and he waived his no-trade clause. But speedy snipers capable of scoring 40 goals are hard to find, and Gaborik fills the superstar void left when the Jackets traded Rick Nash to the Rangers last year. Kekalainen also added Blake Comeau and dumped Steve Mason. Even if the Jackets don’t make the playoffs, they are pushing to improve and still have three first-round picks in a strong draft.

[Related: Blue Jackets pull off trade shocker, obtain Marian Gaborik from Rangers]

Loser: New York Rangers

The Rangers needed to replenish the grit and depth they lost last summer, and they did that by adding Ryane Clowe, Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett and John Moore. Clowe is a rugged winger. Brassard is a skilled center. Dorsett will be a banger when he comes back from a broken collarbone. Moore can skate on defense. By dumping Gaborik and adding Brassard, the Rangers cleared cap space and might have set themselves up to use their last amnesty buyout on center Brad Richards this summer. But the fact remains, they are the worst offensive team in the NHL. Clowe, Brassard, Dorsett and Moore have 10 goals combined. Gaborik has nine. He scored 41 goals last season, under Tortorella, in Tortorella’s system, so it can work. But it hasn’t worked, and while Gaborik is responsible for that, so is the coach who played him on his off wing, benched him, demoted him and ultimately ran him out.

Loser: Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers traded Sergei Bobrovsky to Columbus last season – and now Bobrovsky is playing so well, he is a candidate for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender. One theory: Bobrovsky is playing without the kind of pressure there is in Philadelphia. So now the Flyers have acquired a goaltender from the Blue Jackets, but it isn’t Bobrovsky. It’s Steve Mason, who has struggled with his confidence and performance since winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year in 2009. Is he going to recapture his form in Philly, of all places? The Flyers might want to buy out Ilya Bryzgalov, and they might not have wanted to pay the price for Ben Bishop. But it will be incredible if Mason becomes the answer to their chronic goaltending woes.

Winner: Minnesota Wild

The Wild paid dearly for Jason Pominville, but he's a do-it-all type who will help their playoff push. (AP)This is the next step in the Wild’s evolution as an organization. First, the Wild drafted well and built a base of assets. Then the Wild landed the top free agents on the market last summer, signing winger Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter to matching 13-year, $98 million deals. Then the Wild started competing for a division title. And now GM Chuck Fletcher has made a splash at the deadline by adding Pominville, a former captain and top-six forward who has a season left on his contract at $5.3 million. The price was high, very high – prospects Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett, plus a first-round pick and a second-rounder, with a fourth-rounder coming back. But the Wild has enough young talent to make this deal and try to start winning now.

Loser: Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres aren’t losers because of the return GM Darcy Regier received – certainly not for Pominville, and not for Robyn Regehr and Jordan Leopold, either. He received two second-rounders for Regehr, the going rate for top rental defensemen. He received a second-rounder and a conditional pick for Leopold, another rental on ‘D.’ The Sabres have now have a pile of picks and a couple of good prospects. Hackett could be a key addition if they decide to part with goaltender Ryan Miller. No, the Sabres are losers in the big picture. This is an admission that the moves they made since owner Terry Pegula bought the team were wrong. Pegula begged Regehr to waive his no-trade clause to come to Buffalo, and now the Sabres asked him to waive it to leave. They traded their captain, one of the few who was not part of the problem. Though Regier did a good job this week, it’s still fair to ask whether he should be on the job this summer.

Winner: Nashville Predators

Martin Erat wanted out. Things had gone bad with coach Barry Trotz and the Predators, the only coach and team he had known in the NHL. He had only four goals. He was minus-7. The Preds were on the playoff bubble, at best. Not only was Erat willing to waive his no-trade clause, he asked to be traded. But the Predators kept it quiet, and they packaged Erat – with two years left on his contract at $4.5 million – with minor-leaguer Michael Latta. In return they received Filip Forsberg, the 11th overall pick in the 2012 draft. Forsberg, 18, is a skilled center. As well as the Predators have drafted and developed, they have struggled to find elite offensive talent. Snagging Forsberg, especially under the circumstances, was a coup.

[Also: Flyers acquire up-and-down goalie Steve Mason from Blue Jackets]

Loser: Washington Capitals

Erat usually scores about 20 goals a season, and he can contribute on the power play. Latta, a third-round pick in 2009, is a 21-year-old center prospect with 6-foot, 209-pound size and an edge. There must be a reason why Forsberg slipped to 11th overall in 2012, when he was projected as a top-six pick, and the Capitals’ top center prospect remains 20-year-old Evgeny Kuznetsov, a first-rounder in 2010. Still, Forsberg seems like a lot to give up, and will adding Erat’s salary make it more difficult to re-sign center Mike Ribeiro, the pending unrestricted free agent the Caps decided not to trade?

Winner: San Jose Sharks

GM Doug Wilson sparked a winning streak, cut fat from his roster and increased his team speed while stockpiling draft picks. Then he plugged two of the holes he created with cheap rentals. After his first trade early last week, Wilson made it clear that performance would influence his next moves, and the Sharks won five straight. He traded three pending free agents who were slow and unproductive – Clowe, Michael Handzus and Douglas Murray – and turned them into two second-round picks, two conditional second-rounders, a third-rounder and a fourth-rounder. On Wednesday, he acquired Scott Hannan, a former Shark on an expiring contract, to fill in for Murray on the blue line. All it cost was a seventh-round pick (or a sixth-rounder if Hannan appears in the playoffs). Finally, he rented Raffi Torres for a third-rounder to replace Clowe’s physical edge. Savvy maneuvering.

Loser: Dallas Stars

Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk needs to decide on a direction and stick with it. (Getty)Look, after failing to make the playoffs and losing pending free agents for nothing in the past, the Stars had to do it. They had sell off Jagr, Brenden Morrow and Derek Roy, and they got a decent return – picks and prospects, including defensemen Joe Morrow and Kevin Connauton. But it’s fair to wonder if GM Joe Nieuwendyk could have gotten more, and it’s fair to say the Stars are still a mess. Morrow was slowing down and couldn’t continue as captain. Fine. But when they added Jagr, Roy and Ray Whitney last summer, the idea was that they would sell tickets and compete for a playoff spot. The idea was that the experience would help youngsters like Jamie Benn. Well, the rink still has too many empty seats, and the Stars still are on the bubble, at best. The Stars need to decide whether to continue with coach Glen Gulutzan, if not Nieuwendyk, and what kind of team they are going to be.

Winner: Ottawa Senators

Craig Anderson is returning from injury. Robin Lehner is going to be a star. So the Senators could move goaltender Ben Bishop if they got a great offer, and they got one: Cory Conacher and a fourth-round pick. Conacher cooled off considerably after his hot start this season, and he’s a 5-foot-8, 179-pound 23-year-old who was never drafted. But he’s fearless driving the net, and he should fit in with a team that has used guts and goaltending to overcome injuries and stay in the playoff race.

Loser: Tampa Bay Lightning

In the long run, GM Steve Yzerman could look smart. Maybe he sold Conacher’s stock at just the right time. Maybe Bishop will become the goaltender he has been looking for. But for now, there is skepticism, because he gave up a lot in a package for goaltender Anders Lindback last year and it didn’t work out, and now he has given up a young talent for another big goaltender who is unproven. With Bishop and Lindback, the odds are better that the Bolts will develop someone solid in net. But Yzerman still needs to address a porous defense, and with Conacher gone, he needs more secondary scoring.

[More: Ottawa sends goalie Ben Bishop to Tampa for Cory Conacher]

Winner: Pittsburgh Penguins

GM Ray Shero is known to be aggressive before the deadline, and with a stacked roster and salary-cap space, he was in position to go for it again. He added a future Hall of Famer in Iginla, another captain in Morrow and another vet in Murray, adding a mix of scoring, grit, toughness and experience on the wing and blue line. He gave up nothing off his roster. He gave up picks and prospects – and none of his top prospects, though Joe Morrow has potential. Finally, after Sidney Crosby suffered a broken jaw, he added Jussi Jokinen, who can play center while Crosby recovers and wing after he comes back. Jokinen has one year left on his contract at $3 million, which is why he passed through waivers last week. But Shero got the Carolina Hurricanes to eat some of the money, and the cost was only a conditional pick – a sixth- or seventh-rounder. Amazing. The only concerns are chemistry and speed. The new arrivals need to fit into a team that was already elite. None is a burner.

Winner: St. Louis Blues

The Blues have been looking for a left-shot, top-four defenseman for a long time, and they outbid their division rival, the Detroit Red Wings, for Jay Bouwmeester. Though he hasn’t lived up to his contract – which still has a year left $6.68 million – Bouwmeester can move the puck and defend. His contract is even sort of a positive in St. Louis, because it shows the Blues aren’t sticking to such a tight budget under new ownership. The Blues also added Leopold to their defense while subtracting Wade Redden.

Loser: Calgary Flames

The Flames continued their dysfunction, even as they finally seemed to start looking toward the future. They traded Iginla, as fans and media have been urging for years. But after agreeing to a deal with the Boston Bruins, they had to accept a lesser deal with the Penguins when Iginla waived his no-trade clause for Pittsburgh. GM Jay Feaster got a decent return for Bouwmeester, but not a great one. He moved Blake Comeau, but he couldn’t move Kiprusoff, who didn’t want to leave Calgary partly because of family reasons and partly because he might retire after the season. It was classy to respect Kiprusoff’s wishes. But it was scary to hear Feaster say his marching orders from owner Murray Edwards were to make the playoffs next season. If the Flames are still focused on the short term and not recognizing how much rebuilding they need to do, they have not solved their main problem.

Winner: Boston Bruins

The Bruins got lucky when Dallas decided to put Jaromir Jagr on the market. (AP)The Bruins lost out on Morrow. They lost out on Iginla, even though they thought they had a deal and made a better offer. They watched both of them go to the Penguins, one of their main rivals in the East. But they caught a break when the Stars decided to trade Jagr, who has been more productive than both and came at a lower price than they would have paid for Iginla. Jagr has 14 goals, as many as any current Bruin. He has six power-play goals, three more than any current Bruin. If he bolsters the power play, he will have strengthened their greatest weakness. The Bruins also added Redden for depth on defense. If only they could be sure they will have Patrice Bergeron, who has suffered another concussion.

Winners: Teams that made subtle moves or didn’t do too much

The Los Angeles Kings added Regehr, who played for coach Darryl Sutter in Calgary and can make up for the loss of Willie Mitchell to injury…The Montreal Canadiens added Davis Drewiske, a solid third-pair defenseman…The Chicago Blackhawks added Michal Handzus to help on faceoffs, where they fall off badly after Jonathan Toews…The Phoenix Coyotes managed to get something in return for Torres, Steve Sullivan and even Matthew Lombardi…The New York Islanders kept captain Mark Streit even though they haven’t re-signed him…The Toronto Maple Leafs did not trade for a goaltender, only depth defenseman Ryan O’Byrne.

Losers: Teams that didn’t do enough

The Winnipeg Jets are clinging to the lead in the weak Southeast Division. But they were unable to add anything, let alone a top-six forward…The Hurricanes had to eat salary to move Jokinen, and they seemed stuck between buying and selling. They have been trying to add a defenseman, and it hurts even more now that Joni Pitkanen is injured…The Detroit Red Wings badly need an upgrade on defense, and they were wise not to sacrifice assets to make a bad deal when they haven’t drafted high and aren’t top contenders. But that won’t satisfy fans who are so used to winning, and it could cause short-term pain in the playoffs…The New Jersey Devils added Sullivan, a smart, skilled veteran, but how much does he have left?...The Edmonton Oilers did not move Ryan Whitney, when there seemed to be a market for a struggling player…The Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers had little to sell and no reason to add for the present…The Anaheim Ducks didn’t do much of consequence – Lombardi? – despite their lofty position in the West…The Vancouver Canucks badly needed a center and added Roy, but is Roy really the missing piece? They were unable to unload Luongo, yet again. Not only did they not get a player in return who can help right now, they ensured the soap opera will continue.

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Nicholas J. Cotsonika

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