The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

The trade deadline is 24 hours away, and already we've seen how a desperate team can cause uncertainty in the market place and leave other GMs with nightmare scenarios if they decide the need to acquire a new player to make a serious Stanley Cup run is necessary.

The Atlanta Trashers traded a 1st & 3rd round pick in 2007 with a 2nd round pick in 2008 along with forwad Glen Metropolit to the St Louis Blues for forward Keith Tkachuk. If they re-sign him to a new deal after this season is finished, they also have to throw in a 1st round pick for the 2008 draft as well. I tell ya, the GM for the Blues might have just saved his job with this trade. There was absolutely no way the Blues were making the playoffs this year, and stocking up with these draft picks for a player that will likely not re-sign with Atlanta and play for the Blues again next year, for me, is highway robbery.

Especially when you consider Tkachuk really isn't all that great a hockey player.

If Atlanta wanted to acquire a forward from the Blues, they should have traded for Bill Guerin. I personally can't stand Tkachuk. This guy hasn't won anything in his career, more times than not, his post-season experience amounts to one round in the playoffs and his attitude is something left to be desired. He has a reputation for being lazy and self-centered, and last season when he showed up at training camp fat and out of shape sums up my impressions of him.

Guerin has at least won a Stanley Cup ring and has a reputation of being gritty and willing to pay the price. Because of the ridiculous demands the Thrashers adhered to in getting Tkachuk, it will be interesting to see how much Guerin will go for if he gets traded. Teams like the Senators, Red Wings and Stars have been rumoured to be potential suitors but if the Blues have similar expectations in relation to what they got for Tkachuk, I'm not sure how likely Guerin will be playing for another team.

In any case, I think there's a good chance, even with Tkachuk, the Thrashers might not even last one playoff round. Remember, this is a team that has never even made the playoffs before. GM Don Wadell is expecting a miracle for the Thrashers if he thinks they'll be playing in the Cup final. But, weirder things have happened, and only time will tell.