Trade Deadline Jambalaya

The magic day is fast approaching and trade speculation is increasing like wild fire. Who will stay? Who will go? Big names are rumored on the trade block like Hossa (ATL), Blake (LA), Marleau (SJ), and Sundin (TO). The anticipation of Peter Forsberg's return has kept many of us on the edge of our seats. In the recent past he hasn't been able to produce much because he's been plagued with that pesky foot/ankle injury. Do we really think he can return and have a few of those Avalanche seasons that are etched in our minds? The GM's in today's NHL are making trade predictions more challenging then ever, but here's my thought process behind some of the more "high profile" trade rumors. Marian Hossa (Atlanta Thrashers) – I don't think losing Marian Hossa is in the best interest of the Thrashers right now. I think they may have been in a position to wheel and deal prior to the minor injury of Ilya Kovalchuk which makes him a possible candidate for some rest so he can be beneficial during the push for Lord Stanley's Cup. They may want to investigate doing whatever it takes to hold onto their star right wing. Rob Blake (Los Angeles Kings) – Although I think it is going to take a hell of a trade offer to get Blake out of the grip of Kings GM Dean Lombardi I know that such a trade does exist. The Kings are a high profile team based on location alone and with the other California teams constant among the top tier the last few years they must be anxious to be considered by their Cali-counterparts and the rest of the NHL as elite contenders. Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks) - The arrival of Joe Thornton to the Sharks automatically numbered the days of Patrick Marleau. He's a talented forward often underrated among the league's giants but if you ever get a chance to watch him closely you'll see that he has lightning fast feet that generate valuable distance on the breakaway. I believe his days were numbered because of his captaincy status…. I hope I'm not to far off base with this, but given numbers alone can anyone give me one good reason why Joe Thornton shouldn't be the captain of this team? The youth and depth of the SJ sharks make Marleau expendable for someone that can put more goals in the net. The leadership is there without him unfortunately, having said that we'll see if the Sharks decide to work around that "no-trade" clause and deal him. Mats Sundin (Toronto Maple Leafs) – Let's face it… Toronto has a few things to figure out. During the off season they acquired a hell of a goalie in Vesa Toskala a goalie who managed to keep the Sharks out of hot water when the defense failed to show up night after night. Toronto is sitting in last place in the Northeast 55 games into the season, and they just got handled by the Panthers 8 – 0. I don't think front office changes are going to be enough to turn this ship around… watch for Sundin to get dealt in hopes of a brighter future in Toronto.