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Lack of Movement May Have Doomed Flyers posted on 03/10/2010
Ray Emery was brought in to be the goaltending answer in Philadelphia.  How things change in just a few months.

Emery signed a deal on July 1 by the Flyers for one year, spelling the end for former Flyer goalies Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki, whose contracts had let out on the same day.  The Flyers then signed Brian Boucher as a back-up, so it was apparent that the team was ready to commit to Emery as the starting goalie.

But things have not worked out as general manager Bobby Clarke has hoped.  It was announced just before the trade deadline that Emery has a degenerative bone disorder and may never play hockey again.  That leaves the Flyers with the tandem of Mike Leighton (claimed off re-entry waivers from Carolina in December) and Boucher.  While Leighton has played well enough the past few games to keep Philadelphia in the playoff picture, it keeps the Flyers goaltender depth very low compared to the rest of the league.

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Anaheim Trades Ryan Whitney and a Sixth-Round Pick to Edmonton for Lubomir Visnovsky posted on 03/04/2010
After a long wait, Edmonton finally moved one of their top players.

Only making a minor deal earlier in the day (Cody Wild to Boston for Matt Marquardt), Edmonton was expected to make a fire-sale on the deadline.  The Oilers rank last in the entire league with a dismal 19-38-6 record, recording only 44 points.  Names like Dustin Penner, Sheldon Souray and Andrew Cogliano were all being discussed today, but only one player is on his way out.

Visnovsky, acquired in June 2008 from Los Angeles, has scored four goals and thirteen assists to lead the Oilers in power-play points.  The Slovakian Olympian is a -4 on the season, but still ranks second on the Oilers' roster among defensemen who have played more than five games.

Whitney, who was acquired just last deadline day from Pittsburgh as a part of the Chris Kunitz deal, is also known for his offensive abilities.  Before the deal, the US Olympian ranked seventh on the Ducks with 28 points.  His smooth skating strides and quick feet are just two of his attributes that fans in Anaheim are going to miss. 

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Washington Acquires Milan Jurcina from Columbus and Joe Corvo from Carolina posted on 03/04/2010
Rumors swirled that the Capitals were looking for another defenseman to make a serious playoff run; how about two of them?

Reports stated Tuesday night that the Capitals were in discussions with many teams about bringing in a defenseman.  The number one rumor (found on NHL.com) was that Capitals GM Mike McPhee was talking with Blues' GM Larry Pleau about bruiser Barret Jackman.  A deal seemed imminent until it was announced that Jurcina was brought in from Columbus for a sixth-round pick approximately ten minutes before the deadline.  It was announced a half hour later that the club also brought in Joe Corvo from the Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman Brian Pothier and an undisclosed draft pick.

Jurcina adds size (6'4” 236 lbs.) and grit to the Capitals blue line.  The 2010 Slovakian Olympian has just one goal and two assists in 17 games this season for Columbus, but his ability to stay in the play and take the body is probably the most impressive skill that Jurcina adds to the team.

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Calgary Trades Curtis McElhinney to Anaheim for Vesa Toskala posted on 03/03/2010
Anaheim just can't seem to stop shuffling their goaltenders.

After shipping away J.S. Giguere and Justin Pogge in the past month, they have also sent recently-acquired Vesa Toskala packing.  After being acquired in the Giguere deal on January 31, Toskala did not play in a single game for the Ducks.  His 3.66 GAA and .870 save percentage with Toronto is an unimpressive stat on this season. 

McElhinney has been backup in Calgary for parts of two seasons, and has posted a NHL-career .889 save percentage.  The 26-year old goaltender is expected to battle for the backup role next season with prospect Timo Pielmeier.

The nod in this deal goes to Calgary.  While Anaheim made a smart move in acquiring someone that they can bring back next

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Phoenix Trades Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter to Colorado for Wojtek Wolski posted on 03/03/2010
Talks of Peter Mueller being the next best thing in Phoenix have come to an end.

“He's a great young man who loves to play the game,” former head coach Wayne Gretzky once said about the now-21 year old.  “He's good with the puck. We're happy with his progress and production.”

Mueller has seen quite the decline in offensive numbers this season, despite his team having a collective great year.  His 17 points in 54 games are less than impressive, especially when compared to his numbers the past two seasons (54 points in 2007-08 and 36 points in 2008-09). 

Wolski, on the other hand, is having a decent season in Colorado.  His 47 points ranked him second on the Avalanche before being traded.  His speed and puck-handling ability will add to an already strong Phoenix offense.

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