[Sylvanfan]

Lehtinen is a tough one. The guy seems to have a bit of a bad back, but when he's healthy he's a very solid hockey player and has always been a good guy to have in the SIM. IIRC he signed a 5 year extension with the Stars so I imagine he'll hang around for a while. Long term I think this is a nice deal for the Hawks because I like Parise, and Ruutu is a guy I think Denis Savard will get a lot of mileage out of. Kozlov also isn't a bad guy to have in the SIM, or against the NHL Rangers! But Lehtinen will produce now, and he'll produce next year, and likely the year after. I think it's a good deal for both sides.

KG paid what seemed like a heft price to get Lehtinen two years ago. In the Stanley Cup him and Demitra absolutely crushed me. I commend Beerfund for having the guts to make a move like this to try and get an edge in a very tough conference. It's a lot safer and easier to not make this deal in my opinion. Beerfund knows he has a good team that has a legitimate shot and he's making a move for it now. Good on you!