MONTREAL - The NHL trade deadline is March 3 this year.
But NHL general managers could find themselves working with a different, self-imposed deadline, because this is no ordinary year.
The March 3 deadline falls just three days after the end of the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver during which there is a roster freeze starting Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. through 11:59 p.m., Feb. 28, the date of the gold medal game in men’s hockey.
Trades will certainly be discussed, but cannot be consummated in that time.
Dressing rooms will be closed from Feb. 15-23.
Teams can recall their players for practices starting Feb. 24, five days before the gold medal game will be played and the trade embargo lifted.
“It’s a weird year as far as the trade deadline goes,” said one NHL executive with a team on the playoff bubble. “We’ll be looking at doing something, but we would like to get it done before the Olympic break because I think there is a clear advantage to doing that.”
The advantage is if a team trades just before the roster freeze for a player not involved in the Games (or whose country is subsequently eliminated), they can bring the player in and have him practice for a solid five or six days before the resumption in NHL play.
Quality practice time is always at a premium at that time of year - especially with a compressed schedule in an Olympic year - so having a new player in place for the resumption of practice is a clear bonus. There’s also the luxury for a player with family to have some time to settle into a new city.
“It sure sounds good in theory and that’s what you would like to do. It will be interesting to see how many teams can do it,” said another executive.
“But you know, just like every year, it’s only going to be the pressure of the deadline that gets things done.”
HEAR AND THERE: The Montreal Canadiens gave the media a sneak peak of their new Hall of Fame in the Bell Centre Friday (it opens Saturday) and - as you might expect with anything like this the Habs undertake - they did a stunning job: a Forum facade; a facsimile of the 1976-77 Forum dressing room; the re-creation of a railway car (the way they traveled until the late 60’s); interactive multi-media displays. There are also tributes to the club’s great rivals, so it’s not totally Habs-centric...Don’t know if there was a coach who deserved a contract extension more than Nashville’s Barry Trotz. He quietly had the team pick up his option through next season.
REVELATIONS: After watching Minnesota’s John Scott pummel Vancouver’s Alexandre Bolduc, one NHL scout is pretty sure the 6-foot-8 Scott is the league’s new heavyweight champ. “But I can’t be totally sure,” he said, “because he and (Derek) Boogaard are on the same team.”...Vancouver’s Darcy Hordichuk denied telling Boogaard he was sent out to fight by Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. Boogaard’s take? “(He’s) full of s--t.” When do they play again?...There’s a feeling out West the Oilers are interested in repatriating Habs enforcer Georges Laraque.
JUST WONDERING: A composite blade, rather than wood, seems to be agreeing with Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby. He’s gotten to 30 goals in just 47 games, the quickest of his career (previous best 63 games in ’05-’06)...and that’s without a power play...Wouldn’t you like to have a commission on the long distance calls between Toronto and Vancouver the last week?
JUST SAYIN’: There’s a lot to like about Colorado rookie Matt Duchene including the fact he’s scored 12 of his 13 goals on the road...If Peter Forsberg (rib) can’t go to the Olympics for Sweden, he could be replaced by Detoit’s Johan Franzen, coming back early from injury.
PARTING SHOT: When the Senators were choosing up teams for dodgeball on the rink at Central Park the other day, goaltenders Pascal Leclaire and Brian Elliott should have been the first picks. They seem pretty good at not having anything hit them these days.
