Biggest names stay put at NHL trade deadline

Some teams faced the NHL trade deadline with an eye toward the playoffs, while others looked to the future.

Every club, however, kept a close watch on the bottom line.

There were 22 trades and a record 47 players moved in the final six hours of dealing Wednesday, but most of the moves involved smaller-ticket items than some of the names rumored on the block.

The global financial crisis reached its peak in the fall after the NHL had most of its revenues already accounted for this season. So the full effect of the recession isn't expected to take hold until next season, which could lower the salary cap and cash-flow in two seasons.

"My sense is that teams - and I know I am - are scared to death of 2010-2011 as far as committing a lot of money to lock up guys," Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke said.

The market for high-priced rental players on the verge of free agency wasn't so lucrative on deadline day. Add in the fact that some clubs - such as the Florida Panthers and St. Louis Blues - were close enough to make a run at the playoffs that they hung on to the likes of Jay Bouwmeester and Keith Tkachuk.

"One of the things that was clear, especially today, teams are a lot more reluctant to trade picks and trade prospects," Colorado Avalanche GM Francois Giguere said. "It was a context where we didn't see a lot of players that had terms left on their contracts being traded. I think that's a reflection of the economy.

"A lot of teams are worried about where the cap will be, not next year ... but of where the cap is going to be two years from now."

In each of the past three years, 25 deals were completed - involving at least 40 players every season. This marked the sixth consecutive season that 20 deals were made. The previous record for players traded was 46 in 2003, and the number has gone up every season since except 2004.

Top defensemen Bouwmeester of Florida, Chris Pronger of the Anaheim Ducks, and Toronto's Tomas Kaberle stayed with their clubs, as did Tkachuk with St. Louis, and Colorado's Ryan Smyth.

Whether that was due to the state of the economy, the hard salary cap, or unwillingness by teams to give up prime assets for rental players, the dealing took on a second-tier feel.

"When there were really no cap restrictions, the phone was ringing all day long," said Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee, who didn't make a trade Wednesday for his Southeast Division-leading club. "In today's world, teams focus on trying to do one or two things, and they have the three or four teams that they're talking to, and they don't bother to talk to anybody else, because they know there's nothing there."

Bouwmeester drew a lot of interest, but Florida general manager Jacques Martin wasn't satisfied with the proposals. The Panthers are sixth in the Eastern Conference.

"They were offers that didn't fulfill our needs," Martin said. "I wanted two players in return, a defenseman who could play in our top four. Some teams thought their defense could play in our top four. Obviously, I didn't."

As far as marquee value, Bill Guerin was the biggest name that changed addresses. After being in trade limbo since Saturday when the Islanders yanked him out of the lineup, the 38-year-old former New York captain waived his no-trade clause and was dealt to Pittsburgh.

Now instead of being part of a youth movement, that so far has landed the Islanders at the bottom of the standings, he can be part of the Penguins' playoff push on a line with Sidney Crosby. All Pittsburgh paid was a conditional draft pick that won't be any higher than a third-rounder.

Guerin was the Islanders' second-leading scorer with 36 points in 61 games.

"I think it's worth a chance with a Billy Guerin, that playing with good players he will be able to score goals," Penguins general manager Ray Shero said.

The Phoenix Coyotes, who have dealt with questions surrounding team finances during a season in which they dropped into last place in the Pacific Division, stripped down their roster in a series of moves.

Shipped out from coach Wayne Gretzky's club were leading forward Olli Jokinen, defenseman Derek Morris, enforcer Daniel Carcillo and goalie Mikael Tellqvist.

Morris, due to be an unrestricted free agent after the season, was traded to the New York Rangers for young forwards Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes and veteran defenseman Dmitri Kalinin, who also can be unrestricted.

Jokinen, Phoenix's second-leading scorer, was dealt to Northwest Division-leading Calgary along with a third-round draft pick for center Matthew Lombardi, right wing Brandon Prust and a conditional first-round pick. Carcillo headed to Philadelphia for forward Scottie Upshall and a 2011 second-round draft pick, and Tellqvist moved on to Buffalo for a fourth-round draft pick in 2010.

"This is always one of the hardest days," Coyotes captain Shane Doan said. "You lose friends, teammates, people you know and that you care about. I wish it never had to happen, but at the same time I'm excited about the guys coming in."