The Peak

NHL Trade deadline : The West wilder after deadline

By Matt Lee

The Western Conference has suddenly gotten twice as competitive. Half of the teams in playoff contention have added top players to boost their chances of making the Stanley Cup playoffs and making a run at hockey’s most prized trophy.

The ‘Big Four’ in the West all made significant noise at the deadline, and The Peak provides Canuck fans the lowdown of the trades that affect Vancouver’s playoff chances.

The Colorado Avalanche sign Peter Forsberg, acquire Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei for Karlis Skrastins, first-, third- and fourth-round draft picks.

I could rant about how Forsberg’s sudden change of heart to return to the NHL was underhanded and sneaky, but I’ll save you the pleasure of reading curse words you’ve never even heard before.

Canuck fans, welcome to your worst nightmare: Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk, Ryan Smyth, Andrew Brunette, Paul Stastny, Marek Svatos, and Wojtek Wolski. Can anyone say forward depth? The three cost a first- and third-round selections as well as Karlis Skrastins, but their additions have suddenly turned Colorado into a playoff contender. And with the Avalanche within reach of Vancouver, the heat is on the Canucks to stay ahead. I should mention that only once in a blue moon has a division had four of its five teams make the playoffs; Calgary, Minnesota, and Vancouver are currently holding down spots.

The Dallas Stars acquire Brad Richards from Tampa Bay in exchange for Mike Smith, Jeff Halpern, and Jussi Jokinen.

This was only the second-worst piece of news for Canuck fans. Brad Richards to Dallas gives the Stars a tremendous amount of punch down the middle with Mike Ribeiro and Mike Modano at centre.

A top-six of Richards, Ribeiro, Modano, Jere Lehtinen, Brenden Morrow, and Niklas Hagman in addition to a defensive core led by Sergei Zubov and Philippe Boucher as well as star goaltender Marty Turco has suddenly elevated the Stars to an instant Stanley Cup contender.

It looks like Detroit and Dallas will most likely finish first and second, respectively, in the Western Conference. Pick your poison, Canuck fans.

The San Jose Sharks acquire Brian Campbell from Buffalo in exchange for Steve Bernier and a first-round pick.

A tearful goodbye from Brian Campbell and a fresh start on the West Coast. It seems a physical, puck-moving defenceman like Brian Campbell is just what the doctor ordered for the inconsistent Sharks. He was the most coveted defenceman at the trade deadline and for promising forward Steve Bernier and a first-round draft pick, did not come cheap. However, his ability to move the puck out of the zone and jumpstart offensive breakouts is what the Sharks are sorely missing. No offense to any of the other Sharks’ defence, but Matt Carle and Christian Ehrhoff are too green to handle the playoffs.

Outside of Joe Thornton, this Sharks team was said to be a band of soft players. Campbell’s arrival has suddenly changed that. Thankfully, the Canucks have no more games against San Jose, having lost all four meetings already this season.

The Detroit Red Wings acquire Brad Stuart from Los Angeles.

A minor deal at best, but Brad Stuart is no stranger to the playoffs, or being a playoff rental player for that matter. Having served on four different teams in the last two seasons, Stuart’s addition to the Red Wings blueline is merely to stop the bleeding, which has been the result of severe injuries to some key defensemen. With Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, Bri

an Rafalski, and Niklas Kronwall all out of the lineup, Detroit has slumped horribly but still sits atop the West. Stuart will help to stop the skid and keep the Red Wings at that vital number-one seed.