Year where the team is doing well and has a legitimate shot at the playoffs come trade deadline day: Don't mix up the team, we are playing well, what a steal X was,
Year where they struggle out of the gate: I would have traded every single player over 25 with value last year.
Guys go through ups and downs. It is the players who have shown next to no up that concern me. Backlund seems like the type of guy management just doesnt want to give up on because they know the raw talent is there. He has never really had a solid stretch of games where he can be a difference maker.
Wideman caught fire last year and if you sit him 2-3 games and not allow him to leave the ice until he has hit the net 15 times in a row, he could catch fire again. His defensive game has always been the same. It was his shot getting through on net last year which made him a stud.
Russell still has the potential he showed all of last year. Way to early to give up on him.
Hudler should also spend some time in the box if the rumors of injury are true. He has been useless and even early on when the points were coming, these were points where he had the puck on his stick for less than 2 seconds. Get healthy again and finish off your contract year strong.
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