Like Rob Ray said, "Cemetary or Hospital."

Hello hockey fans! PUCK YOU! is back for analysis of the trade deadline and the NHL season! Censorship has no place here. We’re going to be candid as hockey fans as we look down the stretch towards the playoffs. We’re going to discuss the trades made, whether they’ll make a difference, and who the winners and losers in this media hyped (debatable unofficial holiday in Canada) event. Without much further ado, let’s drop the gloves and start our debate!

Note: this installment will be divided into three parts. Today, Tuesday March 6 will be our first, with the second and third to follow on March 8 and March 10, respectively!

Our panelists include Bruce McGee, Al Creed, BaptisBlacktick, ThinkSoJoE, G, ThatDamnDoubleC, and Armchair MVP.

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All three of Columbus’ fans are in attendence!

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Question 1: Trade Deadline Day questions:
A). Which GM do you think made the best moves or the lack thereof?

BaptisBlacktick: The trade deadline was once again a let down from both a fantasy pool players view and a Calgary Flames fan view.
“Wait!!! You fuck! What about the Bruins? You always go on about how looong suffering and pained you’ve been for so long ad nauseum and then they win the Cup and now your a Flames fan? Fucking hypocrite hipster piece of shit!” is perhaps what you’re thinking, but zas much as I love the Bruins, I don’t live even close to far from Massachussettes and being a local sports radio junkie, I’m going to cheat and go with the Flames. That, and I see no need in commenting on Brian Rolston as he is a complete non-factor to any success the Bruins will get.

ThatDamnDoubleC A). David Poile, for signing Andrei Kostitsyn from Montreal. They also got a fifth rounder in this trade, and gave away a second for next year. Andrei re-joins his brother Sergei after both were at Montreal, and they seem to play better together than what they do separately. Sooner than later though, one brother will have to leave the other one and move on to bigger things, play on their own, get different friends, sleep in different bedrooms. Things may not work the same in Belarus as they do here, but brothers move out with their own partners, and their own kids. Maybe you two could play at different clubs and countries, but I was seen to be wrong. Go play with other players Kostitsyn’s.. like those at Dallas. We could use a winger of your quality. But noooo, you have to be all greedy and only play well with each other. Fine, go play with each other. You’re only playing for Nashville. Who else do you have? Shea Weber? Hal Gill? All Hal Gill does is scare Jay Onrait. And you guys this is what’s gonna get you a deep playoff run. It may do, but a deep playoff is pointless. Win the Stanley Cup. I dare you Nashville. Win the Cup. If you don’t, then bringing the brothers back, trading away your first round pick in this year’s draft for Paul Gaustad, will all be pointless.

Minor mentions go to Scott Howson for not trading Rick Nash, Darcy Regier for stealing a 1st round pick from Nashville and Joe Nieuwendyk for not trading Steve Ott (he doesn’t like trading does he?. I mean, I know he traded away Nicklas Grossman and all before the trade deadline.. but still, letting your best player walk away to free agency was a bad move. Sure, we got Ryder, Dvorak and Fiddler among others for the money we would’ve paid him, but it’s not often you get a 1st line C at your club. Although, maybe Nieuwendyk is getting revenge on Dallas for the trade that bought him to the Stars in 1995. You see, Calgary traded Nieuwendyk to Dallas, in exchange for two prospects: Corey Millen, who currently coaches the Alaska Avalanche, and the Stars’ 11th pick of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, Jarome Iginla. The Stars could’ve had Brad Richards and Jarome Iginla. Fuck You Joe Nieuwendyk.

Bruce McGee: I seriously do not pay attention to trade news and stats stuff. May make me lame, but it just isn’t my thing. That said LA appears to have done okay for itself and My Wings didn’t do much, but they may not of needed to. (The following applies to parts A, B, and C).

G: I think the Detroit Red Wings wisely made one movem trading Mike Commodore for a seventh round pick from Tampa Bay. There’s nothing wrong with this team, it’s solid and winning. They have no needs to address this season, so it makes sense to not mess with the chemisty. And let’s be honest, to most teams a seventh round pick is pretty meaningless. To Detroit, it means Henrik Zetterberg. And in all fairness much of this year’s moves of major significance were made well before the trade deadline with notable swaps or pending UFA’s being locked up for next season.

Armchair MVP: I love what David Poile has been doing in Nashville for years, and so it came as no surprise to me that he made a couple good moves at the trade deadline. He turned grinder Jerred Smithson into a 6th round draft choice, which was kind of a nothing trade, it seems like. Then he went and paid what looks like a steep price in a first round pick for Paul Gaustad and a fourth. It looks bad now, but the pick is not going to be a lottery pick by any means, and draft picks always represent a small gamble. The first rounder could be a Steven Stamkos, but it could also be a Patrik Stefan. Lastly, I like the trade for Andrei Kostitsyn. Barry Trotz managed to find a suitable role for one Kostitsyn on the roster, I think he can do it for another.

ThinkSoJoE: So let me get this straight. A team that is fighting to make the playoffs decides to trade a solid player for a draft pick for next year? Are you serious, Darcy? Paul Gaustad is a guy I’ve enjoyed having on the Sabres for the past several seasons. He goes out there and he contributes, and Nashville is going to love the guy. But we essentially got nothing that is going to help us immediately for our loss. I’m good with the Kassian trade for Hodgson, who has put up decent numbers this season. Hopefully we’re nabbing Hodgson to replace Gaustad. We liked Kassian here in Buffalo, but he’s only played a handful of games for the big club, so his presence won’t be terribly missed. And the Gragnani/Sulzer deal was pretty much a wash. We’ll embrace our new players, but we need results. Not sure if we’re going to get them.

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Oops…

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Question 1: Trade Deadline Day questions:
B). Which GM do you think dropped the ball making moves, or the lack thereof?

ThatDamnDoubleC B). David Poile, for giving away a 1st round pick for Paul Gaustad and a 2013 4th round pick. Is Paul Gaustad really worth that much Nashville? He might be the kind of player you’re looking for, and you might be looking for a serious playoff push, but to give up a first rounder? Risky move Nashville, risky move. I’ve had enough of the Predators. Wait.. Predators? Shouldn’t we call Chris Hansen? Isn’t this his territory? Maybe that’s why Nashville traded for Gaustad..

G: I think the Calgary Flames really screwed themselves here. Jay Feaster called them out for being mediocre, then didn’t follow through on his threat, choosing to keep the same team he had at the start of the day. Granted he did reaquire Camellari, which doesn’t say much as his season has been far from spectacular. I suppose they are thinking to try and actually make the playoffs, and if that fails, to blow up the team in the off season. There’s a few pieces worth keeping, I suppose, but this team is just getting older and not delivering.

A special shout out to General manager Scott Howson of the Columbus Blue Jackets for throwing Rick Nash under the bus on deadline day. Right after the deadline passed, Howson made a public address about Nash approaching him requesting a trade. Essentially, Nash will be positioned as the heel with no heart as a result… a player who doesn’t want to be there. Granted, it’s not a case of Carter and baby getting his bottle to be shipped to LA to rejoin fellow drinking buddy Richards (there isn’t milk in that bottle)… but I assure you, Rick Nash will be shopped hard around the draft.

BaptisBlacktick: The Flames went one step less to securing a play-off spot this season and as of today, Sunday the 4th, the Flames suck once again having lost to Dallas and all but ensuring that they will fight for another `mediocre draft pick.

There may have been some surprise to the Flames decision to not make any movements, but without Ollie Jokinen’s consent to waive his no trade clause, they pretty much had nothing to deal. As well, having no real assets that would get you any assets when asking prices are stupidly high, it’s not like you have any weight in your corner.

Armchair MVP: In the excitement department, pretty much the entire NHL. Besides that, I have to look in my own backyard at the Calgary Flames, and Jay Feaster. At the time, the Flames looked as though they could sneak into a playoff spot, but were not playing too well. Jay Feaster basically went on the record saying players would be dealt if they didn’t win the last game before the deadline. They lost. So either Feaster delivers on his promise and maybe attempts to rebuild, or maybe the Flames grab a big name to try for a playoff push. Or maybe Feaster signs Tim Jackman to a contract extension. And my favourite team is still stuck in 10th-to-12th place purgatory.

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Sorry Joe, but this one just makes sense.

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Question 1: Trade Deadline Day questions:
C). How do you feel about YOUR team’s action on, or leading up to, the deadline?

ThatDamnDoubleC C). The mighty Dallas Stars made just the one trade, sending Nicklas Grossman to Philly for a 2012 2nd and a 2013 3rd. An average trade, from an average GM. We don’t really have the big names to trade except for Jamie Benn and Loui (I don’t like Ribeiro), we can’t go get that 1st line C that we gave up to Free Agency, unless we give up half the squad. However, we didn’t trade Steve Ott, so all’s well that ends well.

Armchair MVP: Calgary is my team. I am a sad panda.

BaptisBlacktick: Over all, I’m sure we can all agree that it was a huge bust that should be titled next year as “The Annual Event to Make Fat Head Mackenzie, Goon faced Kypreos, Smarmy Duthie and The Pointless Brothers Button and MacLean Fill Themselves With an Aura of Self Importance and Look Busy Tweeting All Day!!”
Not having worked in advertising, someone might dream up a shorter title.

G: The Oilers traded Tom Gilbert to the Wild for Nick Shultz. To be honest with you, I don’t really like this deal very much. Shultz is more of a stay at home defenseman, which is a good thing to have. However, I think the Oilers have plenty of those already. Gilbert provided solid puck movement, especially considering that Whitney seems to be constantly injured. I think that the best move the Oilers have done, is resigning Ales Hemsky for two years. When his contract is up, the team will be looking to resign all of their young guns in Eberle, Hall, and RNH. Obviously Tambellini didn’t like any of the offers for Hemsky.

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“Bonus Clips”

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Here’s a bunch of MUST WATCH video clips since we last posted. Enjoy!

Taylor Hall questions his coach’s decision to pull the goalie a few weeks ago in a match up against the Flames.

John Tortorella states the obvious to a mildly retarded sports journalist

Don Cherry flips out on Brian Burke as their feud continues… Don Cherry wins this round. R.I.P. “Little Warrior.”

We missed this one from the Halloween matchup between the Red Wings and the Wild. When Todd Bertuzzi tells you, that you’re dead, you should believe him. He knows how to cripple guys.

BE SURE TO CHECK BACK THURSDAY FOR PART TWO OF THIS SERIES!

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Hockey fans! We want to hear from you. The point of this panel is to allow fans to chime in, not the professionals. You pay their salaries, so tell them what YOU think below in the comments section.

Here at Wonderpod Online, we encourage discussion and celebrate debate. The internet can be stifling for some, but we prefer to open our doors to authors and writers from elsewhere to come on board in our panels and discuss passions that might not be represented at their other homes. With that being said, we hope hockey fans are enjoying the regular season up to this point in time.

Have an idea for a topic you’d like us to tackle? Sign up and post it below.

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Shameless Plugs!

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Some of our panelists write elsewhere on the internet, and we’d like you to check out some of their websites!

Bored Wrestling Fan
A break down of various professional wrestling programs and events from the eyes of the smarky fan

The Cultural Revolution (TCR Comix)
Al Creed’s comics dominate tongue and cheek humour here

Wonderpod
A weekly podcast about the world of video games, from player experiences to current events in the industry, Bruce McGee, Pat Man, and Gun Sage provide insight into the medium for any gamer (whether casual or “pro”).