Though fans have always had a fascination with potential deals, the coverage around the National Hockey League trade deadline has exploded. Since the advent of the Internet, enthusiasts view the world as a rumour-filled feedbag. Bloggers are gluttons at the smorgasbord of dream trades. There is a feverish anticipation not unlike Christmas Eve.
Capitalizing on the phenomenon, mass media joined the fracas. Wall-to-wall coverage on Canada's three all-sports television networks. Talk shows. Radio call-ins. Hot stove lounges. Trade deadline has taken on a life of its own. It's amazing.
But what about those people who really are the architects of the real transactions? The Fletchers, Gaineys, Murrays, Sutters, Lowes and Nonises. How do they compete?
Sure, they all have their fantasy deals, but they operate in the real world. They have to win. They have to get the edge in trades. Their success is dependent on the people they surround themselves with — their scouts.
This could very well be the most important day for the health of a franchise. Arguably, only the draft rivals the NHL trade deadline day. While the draft unfolds before the eyes of the media and fans, the deadline day contest is fought in war rooms across the continent. Exasperation, tense hand-wringing, sweat — all behind closed doors.
So, what happens?
Typically, general managers bring together the team's pro scouts to one central location. Ideally, it will be the team's own offices. Because the NHL scheduled 16 teams to see action on the big day, eight of them are forced to conduct their business in hotel board rooms in an opponent's city. (It's ridiculous that there are games on trade deadline day. Tuesday should see an entire league shutdown on the game front. One year, a team loaded with heavy sellers traded away several players for prospects and picks, but had to abandon a last-minute swap because it wouldn't have been able to dress enough players for a game that night. The team was miles from home and its farm club was across the continent.)
National Hockey League scouting staffs consist of two distinct, yet interdependent, sets of bird dogs: pro and amateur scouts. Pro scouts focus mainly on professional level games — the NHL, American Hockey League and maybe the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League). On the other side, amateur scouts watch the juniors — the Canadian Hockey League, NCAA (the National Collegiate Athletic Association), European and any other players who may have slipped through the cracks.
While the entry draft is the amateur scout's day of glory, trade deadline is the pros' day to shine.
In the days leading up to the deadline, general managers meet with their pro staff (usually two to four scouts). Maybe an amateur scout will join the parade, but it's not necessary. Amateur scouts stay close to their cellphones and remain in constant contact with the war room. And, of course, the coaching staff are very much part of the debate and the overall process.
Most teams will have brought in their staff by this past Saturday. The first few hours are spent identifying their own needs and wishes as well as those of the 29 opposing teams. The depth charts of all teams are finely tuned. Every single name is given a rating — NHL, minor league, European players and protected players who are in college or junior. Further, teams run a breakdown on other team's unrestricted free agents or rentals, length of contracts beyond this year and salary cap impact. Charts of future draft selections for each team are mapped out. All of the intangibles are carefully scrutinized. No trade is consummated without dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's. And in today's world, none are completed without careful examination of the salary cap implications, both for today and in subsequent years.
For all of the meticulous preparation, there are far more trades that do not transpire than those that are completed.
Mats Sundin is staying in Toronto. The phones ring. Peter Forsberg signs. The GMs have been working the lines for days. The momentum builds as the deadline nears. But for all the adrenaline rushes, there are longer periods of agonizing nothingness. Hurry up and wait. It's not glamorous. Stale bagels and cups of old, cold coffee lay everywhere. Laptops sit idle. Frustration. The wish list seems like a dream. Amateur scouts check in. Nothing.
One GM calls another to confirm a rumour he just heard from a third-party GM. Check, check and check again. It's everyone trying to stay ahead of the curve … or up with the Hollands or Burkes.
Finally, never underestimate the role of the agents. Tips and rumours are fuelled by the agents of potential trade-bait — agents are forever stoking the fires, and GMs rely on agents to uncover what a rival is thinking. The agent is a conduit of information — both positive and negative.
While the weekend was quiet, with Monday showing more calm, behind closed doors there was lots of activity. Lots of "what-ifs." Tuesday will see numerous transactions. It just takes one Forsberg, Hossa or Campbell to open the floodgates.
It's going to get busy yet.
--------
A thought on Mats
Why is it fans and media think it's acceptable to roast Mats Sundin for his loyalty? It wasn't too long ago fans bemoaned trades that saw their stars sent elsewhere — Dave Keon, Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald, Doug Gilmour … this list goes on.
Loyalty aside, most problematic about the potential trade was the fact it could have involved Sundin going to Anaheim. The Ducks were rumoured to have offered young talent such as Bobby Ryan and an escalating pick. Yet, Anaheim GM Brian Burke is widely speculated to be the leading candidate to take over the Leafs. Burke could have loaded up his future team with a wealth of talent in a lopsided deal. Talk about possible insider trading.
And what about the speculation that Sundin can simply come back to Toronto for 2008? Sure, Doug Weight and Keith Tkachuk did it. Yet, it's too much. The league has to institute a rule which prevents rental players from returning to their former team for at least a year.
