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Duhatchek on Feaster's need to create a bidding war

The history of recent trading-deadline transactions suggests that quantity over quality rarely works out for the sellers in the end. Take, for example, the negotiations between the Atlanta Thrashers and the Pittsburgh Penguins for winger Marian Hossa at the 2008 deadline. Atlanta accepted four pieces from the Penguins in return – players Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen, prospect Angelo Esposito and a No.1 draft choice that, because of Pittsburgh’s playoff success that year, turned out be No.29 overall (Daultan Leveille).

Within a couple of years, Atlanta (now Winnipeg) had nothing of consequence to show for the Hossa deal – and in fact, the throw-in that went the other way, Pascal Dupuis, was and is still having considerable success with Pittsburgh today. Two years later, Atlanta again received four pieces from the New Jersey Devils in a trading-deadline deal for Ilya Kovalchuk, and of those four pieces, only Johnny Oduya is an NHL regular – and he now plays for the Chicago Blackhawks.

The point is, these trading-deadline auctions can represent perilous waters for the team with the commodity to deal. Eventually it evolves into what we see today – one far-ranging, league-wide poker game. Feaster is the dealer and he’s trying to get as many of his rival GMs as possible to join him at the table and thus drive up the ante.

Full Article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle10395302/