Five for Fighting

What a day!

Well, say this for the new GMs: They know how to make a splash. The more I think about this deal the more I love it. Yes, the one thing that still hurts is losing Mike Smith. But with the talent he has and the numbers he was putting up, how much longer would he have been a Star?

I'm about to go on the Brad Richards conference call right now to get his thoughts. It's been a whirlwind day for everybody involved in this. But I think it's going to end up paying great dividends for the Stars.

A sad Mike Smith

I just talked to Mike Smith about everything transpiring this morning. Obviously he's one sad man, considering the friends he had in that locker room and the potential of the Stars season. He wanted to stay here, wanted to start here eventually, but he's getting that No. 1 goalie job a little quicker than he thought he would:

"I always hoped and predicted it would be in Dallas, but it's obviously hard being behind a guy like Marty. As young and durable as he is, he isn't going to be done for a long time. It's earlier than I planned and hoped, but it's all the better for me doing this when I'm younger."

The deal is done

I have mixed feelings about the Brad Richards deal, just based solely on getting to know these guys in the locker room. I'll especially miss Mike Smith. He had such a great attitude and sense of humor in that locker room, and I don't doubt that he helped keep Marty Turco loose. Those two had such a great friendship.

But this is a business. So now that it's just about official, what do you all think about the deal? Good? Bad? Indifferent? Remember one thing: Richards has proven he can score in the playoffs, and the Stars could use that.

Close to a deal?

Of course my streaming feed starts acting up when they start talking about this! But Tradecentre is reporting that the Stars and Lightning have agreed to a deal, and they're just waiting for Brad Richards' approval. Hold everything, folks, we'll be back soon.

Richards watching

Reading Eric Erlendsson's blog out of the Tampa Tribune, and he reports that Brad Richards was not on the ice during the Lightning's morning skate today. Marian Hossa is taking the morning off, himself, up in Montreal.

Yahoo! Sports is talking of the Stars making a deal for Richards that includes Smith, Jeff Halpern and Mark Fistric. Stay tuned, folks.

Bryce Salvador to New Jersey

He's heading east in exchange for Cam Janssen, who will go back to his home area. Janssen's on the phone with the Tradecentre folks right now, joking how his parents told him he was part of a blockbuster deal. Salvador's a sturdy guy, and I always liked his style of play. The Blues will definitely miss him.

It's a beautiful day!

Ooh, this day is a crazy one, or it could be. Last year I was in Tampa waiting to see what the Stars would do. There wasn't nearly as much hype around this team and their possible trade last season, but this season...

I believe there's streaming coverage of the Tradecentre show through NHL.com (at least they're advertising it. We'll find out for sure in about four minutes).

So do the Stars land their big fish? And at what cost? Stay tuned. Literally :)

Lightning signs Boyle

The Bolts wanted to keep their defenseman, and they did with a six-year, $40 million deal late Monday night. Forward Vaclav Prospal is also off the list, as the Lightning sent him to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a second- or third-round draft pick in 2009.

It's been a pretty active night already. Peter Forsberg went back to the Colorado Avalanche earlier tonight, signing a deal for the remainder of the season.

How much is that a game?!

Sundin, Tanguay stay put

Mats Sundin told the world he's staying in Toronto last night. Calgary GM Darryl Sutter said Alex Tanguay is also going nowhere. Ah, the joy of a no-trade clause, at least for the players. Some GMs may be pulling out their hair with the recent news.

Here is my question (and it doesn't pertain so much to Sundin as others out there): Are there too many no-trade clauses floating around out there? Those and no-movement clauses, they're everywhere. And it's not just a player or two from each team getting them anymore. It's like five or six. Too many?

Either way, it's going to make things very intriguing come deadline tomorrow afternoon.

Richards talk

Someone asked me to give my take on this, so here goes:
Richards is a great scorer, although this season he's dipped a little bit. Could be that the guy just needs a change of scenery. There's no doubt he can post some big digits. Hey, the move worked for Mike Ribeiro, didn't it? He's 27 years old, so it would be one more great catch in that age range (Morrow (28), Ribeiro (28) and even Turco at 32).
Guessing the Bolts want a goaltender, so you lose Mike Smith. The Stars obviously would lose a very reliable backup, but how long can you hold on to his talent? He's going to be a starter soon enough.

Anyway, here's the catch: That price tag is huge, as Richards will make $7.8 million in each of the next three seasons. Now, that being said, the Stars could make it work. Next season they will not be paying Bill Guerin ($2.25M) anymore. Mattias Norstrom's contract the Stars picked up from L.A. ends this season (he's earning $4.25). Take those two items, and throw in the fact that the salary cap will go up again a few million. Voila, you have room.

All in all, the only thing that really bothers me is that high-dollar contract. He's a very talented guy, and I think he would fit in great with this group. It's going to come down to whether the Stars are willing to pay that big price. Player-wise, the Stars probably won't have to give up the prospects they covet.