Copper and Blue's Trade Deadline: 2015

Hi!  Welcome to another NHL trade deadline.  If you're an Oilers fan, it's the day where we get to say goodbye to players who have generally been good soldiers throughout their Oiler careers.  It's a day to send good wishes to those who will be leaving the Oiler nest to join an NHL club that tends to make the playoffs at least deonce a decade.

The days building up to the deadline has been filled with deals.  Arizona signaled that they're all-in on the tank by moving Keith Yandle to the Rangers.  After Winnipeg's blockbuster move earlier in Februray that saw them send Evander Kane to Buffalo, they acquired Lee Stempniak from the Rangers.  Late Sundy night, the Flyers sent Braydon Coburn to the Lightning for a first round pick, a third round pick, and Radko Gudas.

Each move will be linked with a source to confirm the trade.  Pray to whatever deity you believe in that the Oilers emerge better today than they were yesterday.  Or the day before that.

And here...we...go.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING SUNDAY NIGHT

Tampa Bay sends forward Brett Connolly to Boston for Boston's second round picks in 2015 and 2016. - Sixth overall pick from 2010 (you'll remember this one as "the Taylor Hall Draft") for a couple of Boston seconds.  Connolly has scored just 32 points in his NHL career.

Philadelphia sends Braydon Coburn to Tampa Bay for a first round pick in 2015, a third round pick in 2015, and Radko Gudas - Steve Yzerman is an awfully smart guy, but at first blush, that looks like a lot for Braydon Coburn.  Coburn has one more year on his deal (4.5M AAV, the same cap hit as our good friend Nikita Nikitin)  Radko Gudas looks like a prototypical Philly player, having twice as many PIMs as NHL games played.

Quiet overnight in Edmonton specific to captain, Andrew Ference. Teams have called with interest, but Oil so far haven't approached Ference.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 2, 2015

You gotta be freakin' kidding me.

Jeff Petry has been dealt to Montreal for a second round pick and a conditional fifth round pick. Montreal gets a top four defenceman for cellophane noodles and styrofoam peanuts.  If the Canadiens win a playoff round, that fifth becomes a fourth rounder.  If they win two, that fifth becomes a third.  Conditionally, those six beers I had planned consuing today have just become eleven.

Offer to Petry was around 4 million a year for four years. He wanted to go to market.

— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) March 2, 2015

Wow. Can't understand for the life of me why he'd want to get paid less than Nikita Nikitin.

Buffalo has sent forward Brian Flynn to Montreal for a fifth round draft pick in 2016. Flynn, 26,  has 41 points in 159 career games for the Sabres.  The first of what could be many moves for the Sabres today.

Phoenix Arizona has traded  defenceman Zbynek Michalek to St. Louis for draft picks. Michalek, 32,  has been out with a concussion since mid-February.  Michalek will likely be out a few more weeks before appearing on St. Louis' blue line, and will likely fit in to the bottom pair when he's healthy.

Chicago trades centre Ben Smith for centre Andrew Desjardins. Smith, 26, has only nine points in sixty-one games after a 26 point season last year. Desjardins, 28 is having a similar season with just eight points (5-3-8) in 56 games played. Desjardins will be UFA after this season, while Ben Smith has one more year with a cap hit of 1.5M.

The San Jose Sharks have traded forward Tyler Kennedy to the New York Islanders for a conditional third round pick. Kennedy, 28, has 21 points in 67 games this year for the Sharks.

The St. Louis Blues have traded Ian Cole to the Penguins for Robert Bortuzzo.  Darren Pang says Bortuzzo has "some jam".

San Jose Sharks have traded Freddie Hamilton to the Colorado Avalanche for Karl Stollery.

The Islanders have sent forward Cory Conacher to Vancouver for forward Dustin Jeffrey.  Both players are insurance policies

The Maple Leafs have freed Olli Jokinen and sent him to St. Louis. A roller-coaster ride for Jokinen who was traded to the Leafs from the Predators in the deal that sent defenceman Cody Franson back to Nashville.

The Sabres have sent centre Torrey Mitchell to the Montreal Canadiens.

Chris Stewart finally gets moved from Buffalo to Minnesota for a second round pick in 2016.

Calgary has sent Sven Baertschi to the Vancouver Canucks for...a second round pick.  What am I not getting here?

The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded defenceman James Wisniewski back to the Anaheim Ducks for Rene Bourque, William Karlsson and a second round pick.  Wisniewski has two more years on his deal with an AAV of 5.5M.  What's not to like if you're Anaheim?

NO PHANEUF?

New Jersey sends defenceman Marek Zidlicky to Detroit for a conditional third round pick in 2017.

Defenceman Jordan Leopold has been traded by the Minnesota Wild to Detroit for Justin Faulk and a fifth round draft pick.

Defenceman Ben Lovejoy is headed back to Pittsburgh for Simon Despres.

IN NET

The Sabres have traded Michal Neuvirth to the Islanders for Chad Johnson and a third round pick in 2016. Islanders get a goalie who has exceeded his performance in Buffalo for Chad Johnson and a conditional third round pick. Who's going to play goal in Buffalo next year?

Another minor league deal, the Islanders have sent goaltender David Leggio to the Arizona Coyotes