Live Coverage of the 2014 AFHL Trade Deadline

 

February 20th, 2014

It’s a new year and a new trade deadline with a live-blog that will be your guide through this hectic and crazy day. What can you expect here? You can expect to find the latest news, rumors, breaking news and some analysis too.

What will happen today? The Lakehead Ice Holes are looking to move two superstars, Martin St. Louis and Henrik Sedin. They have numerous needs, so it’s entirely possible that GM Briggs will do something big and crazy that will shake the world to its core. Either that or he will do nothing and an angry mob will storm Lakehead’s home ice arena with pitchforks and torches. Could this be the year that the Boston Giants finally trade Evgeni Malkin? GM Phelan says the team desperately needs another starting goaltender and there are a few of those that are being shopped shopped today including Martin Brodeur. Other big names that could be moved today include Twin City’s Mikhail Grigorenko, Manhattan’s Evgeni Nabokov, Washington’s Patrice Bergeron. Will the Deer Park Chiefs be buyers? Will the London Mustangs be sellers? Will there be a surprise player that no one considered who gets dealt today?

It’s going to be a good time, keep refreshing every hour or so, and enjoy the coverage by Pierre LeBrun, Barry Melrose, Scott Burnside and Scott McKenzie who is at TSN’s studios for Tradecentre.

 

9:40 am  Bob McKenzie: Hey everybody! Welcome to our trade deadline live blog extravaganza!

9:49 am  Barry Melrose: Well here we go guys! First trade of the day is made by Manhattan GM Tony Furino and San Diego GM Lucas Main… David Booth is on his way to San Diego and Mark Barberio is off to Manhattan. 

10:05 am  Pierre LeBrun: Darren Dreger is reporting that Hamilton Firestorm GM Gates Imbeau will be quiet through the trade deadline. 

10:11 am  Scott Burnside: Hearing the Boston Giants could be interested in Lakehead’s Henrik Sedin.

10:35 am  Barry Melrose: A lot of teams trying to talk to Phantoms GM Daryn Beckman about acquiring Sidney Crosby. That’s a surprise. Beckman just hangs up the phone as soon as his name comes up.

10:59 am  Pierre LeBrun: Lakehead GM Briggs has taken a number of calls on Henrik Sedin and Martin St. Louis. Asking price could be two or three promising young players for each. Warriors, Vipers, Red Devils are most likely the top three front runners. 

11:20 am  Bob McKenzie: Things are “slow,” according to Comox Valley GM Pat McKenna. Talks are ongoing, but big moves still going to take some time. 

11:42 am  Barry Melrose: Red Devils might not be too aggressive. Not saying they won’t do anything but they’re happy with their group. They might not want to toy with chemistry.

12:01 pm  Pierre LeBrun: Hamilton GM Imbeau is now entertaining offers for several players. At the top of the list is Chris Kunitz.

12:11 pm  Scott Burnside: Kunitz could be a nice fit with the Phantoms, Mustangs, and Ice Holes. The Hitmen could also make a push for him. Gates could be looking for a 1st round pick and a B-list prospect, or a talented youngster that can play right away.

1:05 pm  Barry Melrose: Just caught up with Giants GM Phelan in his office. He said his main goal is to acquire a legit starting goalie… not an older, or a prospect, an established goalie. Willing to finally trade Malkin if he gets that goalie in the return.

 1:30 pm  Scott Burnside: Firestorm forward Chris Kunitz knows he’s being shopped, but would like to stay with the Firestorm. Text from Kunitz: “I would love to stay, I like everything here. I like the organization and everything. We’ll see how it goes.”

1:39 pm  Pierre LeBrun: Barry, I think the Giants are the team to watch today. They’ve gone weeks without a starting goaltender and at this point the pain has got to be unbearable. Chances of Malkin finally being traded must be higher today than ever before. 

1:45 pm  Barry Melrose: I agree Pierre. A goalie is such a tough commodity to move but when you have Malkin on the table then any goalie in the league can be had today.

1:50 pm  Pierre LeBrun: GM Phelan on having trade talks with GM Briggs: “It hasn’t been much fun because I’ve asked him for certain things and he won’t give it to me”

3:30 pm  Bob McKenzie: The Giants and Knights talking about a deal. Phelan wants Halak.

 3:58 pm  Scott Burnside: Text from Montreal GM Keith Cancilla: “Looking to move one of my 3 leaf defenseman.  Very close. And of course doing my part to land malkin.”

 4:25 pm  Barry Melrose: Source saying lots of team in the mix for Warriors bluechip defenseman Derrick Pouliot. 

4:39 pm  Bob McKenzie: McGuire has a hunch that the Vikings are quietly asking teams about Evander Kane as we get closer to the trade deadline. Kane might be their only hope for a blockbuster deal.

4:58 pm  Pierre LeBrun: North Bay Warriors GM Mike Brunetta: “I certainly don’t gauge our strategy on what other teams are doing, but we have a lot of very good teams in this league that are constantly making themselves better. It doesn’t accelerate anything, you can’t force anything; you try to find a fit and you try to improve your team.”

5:03 pm  Barry Melrose: Rumor out there that Ryan Callahan told the Ottawa Knights if they trade him, he won’t report due to family reason. Text from Ottawa GM Ryan Armstrong: “Toews will not be traded!!!!”

5:52 pm  Bob McKenzie: Vikings GM Phil Svoboda on the possibility of trading Evander Kane: “We’re starting to have serious talks.”

6:01 pm  Barry Melrose: Email from Hamilton GM Imbeau: Looking to package multiple guys like Larsson, Burakovsky, Wennberg, Aberg, Pageau etc… for NHL ready talent. Also have many picks to dish out in the right deal.

7:05 pm  Pierre LeBrun: Lots of teams reluctant to trade because they want to keep their chips for Malkin in Boston. All buyers are in the bidding. Hearing that Twin City is making a strong push with offers that include Braden Holtby. 

7:33 pm  Scott Burnside: Just finished chatting with Washington GM Rick Charron. He said even though only one trade has been made so far, there are things going on in the background, but he thinks what happens is teams generally have an order in which they would like to acquire players, so the players in front have to drop before the other moves take place. It’s bottlenecked right now, but it should open up as we get closer to the deadline.

8:29 pm  Pierre LeBrun: GM Imbeau has ended communication with Washington’s GM Rick Charron for the reminder of the evening. Hamilton’s management were quite insulted at the offers received from the Power’s GM this afternoon. “Does he really expect us to be caught with our pants down with lube in hand?” Imbeau said furiously “this is the AFHL, not some low level beer league!” 

8:45 pm  Barry Melrose: AFHL Commissioner makes an announcement: Trade Deadline has been extended by another hour. Teams have until 10pm EST to make a trade.

8:58 pm  Barry Melrose: Everybody is starting to get aggressive including Killers GM Steven Stryska. He’s working the phones right now getting lots of offers for Jussi Jokinen. Source tells me he wants two prospects with top six potential for Jokinen.

9:05 pm  Pierre LeBrun: Oshawa City and Washington are finalizing a trade.

9:15 pm  Pierre LeBrun: The Oshawa City Leafs have agreed to trade Cam Ward and Ales Hemsky to Washington for Cam Talbot, Mason Raymond, David Desharnais and a draft pick.

9:29 pm  Scott Burnside: GM Briggs is working the phones, but won’t overpay. Unlikely to move their St. Louis / Henrik Sedin.

9:35 pm  Bob McKenzie: Source saying Manhattan is after Nicklas Backstrom. GM Hartley wants one of Datsyuk or Zetterberg involved. 

9:42 pm  Barry Melrose: Lots of activity now, down the stretch with 20 minutes left.

 9:45 pm  Scott Burnside: The Hitmen have acquired a 2015 third round pick from Manhattan for Justin Braun.

9:35 pm  Bob McKenzie: The Philadelphia Crunch send Patrick Wiercioch, Philip Larsen and a draft pick to Washington for Corban Knight, Roman Horak and a pick.

 9:59 pm  Scott Burnside: Everybody’s cramming… last minute rush!!!

 10:01 pm  Barry Melrose: I asked the AFHL Commissioner what he thought of the Trade Deadline and he said one word: “Fantrax”