Devante Smith-Pelly to Montreal for Jiri Sekac. Couldn't tell you a thing about this trade other than it seems like an upgrade for Anaheim and that it's weird to see two first-place teams make a deadline trade.

Long Island locks up Nick Leddy, $38.5MM over seven. I said that getting one last year out of trusted veteran Johnny Oduya would be more valuable than getting one last year out of distrusted youngster Nick Leddy. I was so fucking wrong.

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Yeah, Leddy has blossomed a bit this season, but 7/38 ? I don't think I would have rolled the dice for that deal, myself, but hey, that's LI's problem.

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Not a mult.

Yeah, that's a little steep, but consider that he's been having a breakout year for them, and Johnny Boychuk has been iffy about whether he's coming back (I'm guessing he isn't). It was probably the right move to make. They have so much cap space and so many cost-controlled guys that they don't have to sweat it.

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While Coach Q has clearly been good for the past and possibly still for the present, I fear that he will hurt this franchise long term. They won two cups, so I guess it's worth it. NOw we're all getting excited that TVR is coming back, but I have no faith in Coach Q to handle him properly or let him develop.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

TVR is one of the young guys Q has handled well. He's kept him on the third pairing, sheltered his starts, and has trusted him.

Q is frustrating, especially when the team is in a losing streak, but show me an NHL coach who appropriately fosters young talent. Darryl Sutter? He doesn't even take a piss without Dean Lombardi's permission. Coaches who haven't spent time in a head trauma ward, then? I don't think there's a more universal lament than "my team's coach is ruining development and playing crappy old guys." Mike Babcock and his love affair with Dan Cleary might be even worse.

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For 18 games. Q will screw with this guy too. He'll have a bad turnover, and then be benched for long stretches.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

It would have happened already.

Did you read the Larionov essay that came out? I should just start a new thread for it; it's not really germane to deadline transactions.

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I didn't. Sorry I derailed the thread before it got going. I am just pissed about Leddy.

Edit: found it

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/miracl ... ey-russia/

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Hawaii (fuck) You

That is a great article.

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If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

It's always bothered me that fans (and coach Q) will jump on a player like Ben Smith when things are going bad. The guy gets little ice time to begin with, and you have a real problem if Ben Smith is the reason you are winning or losing games. He's been horrible this year, but there are much larger issues than Ben Smith. Same applies to Run-bad and Rosie.

That's why I have been harping on the best players needing to be great. When the team is running bad, I am staring at the guys making the most money.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

The Leafs have acquired Nathan Horton for David Clarkson

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Is this a joke?

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So it's not a joke.

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Like actually a joke or a joke of a deal?

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Toronto traded for a guy with a degenerative back who may never play again and won the trade.

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