Puck Daddy’s 10 biggest trades of 2011

Many have lamented the lost art of the NHL trade in the salary cap era, but 2011 was a sign that wheeling and/or dealing remain valuable ways to build a hockey team, either long or short-term, as well as a prime source of entertainment. It was a year that saw Tomas Kaberle get traded twice, once for a hefty return, and once for Jaroslav Spacek. A year that saw Dustin Penner get traded to Los Angeles for a top prospect (Colton Teubert), a 1st, and a 3rd, only to arrive Dustin Penner. And yet, in what was a very good 12 months for NHL transactions, none of these moves cracked our list of the 10 biggest trades of 2011. For those deals, my good friends, you must read onward and ever upward. Excelsior! 10. Pittsburgh Penguins trade Alex Goligoski to the Dallas Stars for James Neal and Matt Niskanen. (February 21) It was no secret that Ray Shero was after a winger for Sidney Crosby, and many felt that he had found it when he pried prized power winger James Neal from the Stars. Neal had...