The 2009 NHL Trade Deadline started off slow but really picked up at the end. The Phoenix Coyotes were one of the busiest teams on the day, making a total of four trades. The moves will be significant in both the present and the future of the franchise.
Here are the trades that the Coyotes made and what I think of them:
Phoenix gets a 2010 fourth-round draft pick; Buffalo gets Mikael Tellqvist
With starting goalie Ryan Miller out with an ankle injury, the Buffalo Sabres needed another netminder. The man they acquired was Phoenix Coyotes backup Mikael Tellqvist. Although Tellqvist is not a No. 1, he is a great fill-in who is capable of taking over the Sabres' goal until Miller is healthy enough.
The fourth-round pick that the Coyotes received isn’t much, but you can’t expect much for a backup goaltender. With Tellqvist gone, it is more than likely that Josh Tjordman will become the Coyotes' backup for the rest of the season.
Who got the better end? Buffalo.
Phoenix gets Matthew Lombardi, Brandon and Prust, and a 2009 or 2010 first-round draft pick; Calgary gets Olli Jokinen and a third-round draft pick.
This was probably the biggest trade of all on deadline day. There was a lot of speculation if and where Jokinen was going to go, and it turns out that the team to get him is the Calgary Flames.
The Flames now have a big center that will most likely play on a line with Jarome Iginla. Jokinen will reunite with his former Florida Panthers head coach Mike Keenan.
Jokinen will finally get a shot to play in the Playoffs with Calgary. He wasn’t having the best of seasons with Phoenix but should pick it up by playing with better and more experienced players.
The Phoenix Coyotes got a very quick player in Matthew Lombardi. He is still young at 26 years old and should play on one of the top two lines for the Coyotes. He has recently stepped up his game and was one of the Flames' best players heading into the deadline.
Brandon Prust is a gritty, hard-working player who will most likely be nothing more than a fourth-liner for the Coyotes. The first-round draft pick is either a 2009 or 2010 pick, depending on what the Flames decide. My guess is that the pick will be a 2009 pick, since that will be a late first-round pick.
Who got the better end? It was a tie.
Phoenix gets Scottie Upshall and a second-round draft pick; Philadelphia gets Daniel Carcillo
To be honest, this trade really surprised me. I didn’t think Carcillo would go, but I was wrong, as he was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers.
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