Music: {allcanada} NHL's general managers playing deal or no deal

Friday, February 25, 2011

{allcanada} NHL's general managers playing deal or no deal

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero is sending a message to his team by adding to his roster, and Calgary Flames acting GM Jay Feaster might be sending the same message by not subtracting from his roster.

Shero moved boldly again Thursday, acquiring skilled right wing Alex Kovalev from the Ottawa Senators for a conditional seventh-round pick, which can become a sixth if Pittsburgh wins in the first round of the playoffs. Shero wants to let his team know he is trying to win the Stanley Cup whether Sidney Crosby can come back from his concussion or not.

"I'm looking at the team without Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin, because that's what we have right now," Shero said. "We have uncertainty there, but Kovalev up front makes us a better team."

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In other deals Thursday:

•The Anaheim Ducks acquired goalie Dan Ellis from the Tampa Bay Lightning as insurance against Jonas Hiller's continuing issues with lightheadedness. They gave up backup goalie Curtis McElhinney.

•The Carolina Hurricanes, scrapping to make the playoffs, reacquired Cory Stillman from the Florida Panthers for feisty forward Ryan Carter and a fifth-round pick. Stillman waived his no-trade clause to make that happen.

The Flames, meanwhile, were in 14th place in the Western Conference when Feaster took over after Darryl Sutter stepped down. Today the team is tied for fifth. Feaster wants to land a second- or third-line forward or a depth defenseman before Monday's 3 p.m. ET deadline, but he won't do anything if he has to disrupt the chemistry.

"It's important for me to reward my guys, because what they have accomplished in the last two months is incredible," Feaster said. "This group deserves a chance to stay together."

Making Feaster's objective more challenging is that the Flames don't have a second- or third-round pick in next summer's draft.

Stillman and Kovalev will be unrestricted free agents this summer, and there could be other potential unrestricted free agents who move before Monday. The Panthers have Marty Reasoner, Bryan McCabe, Chris Higgins and Radek Dvorak who might be moved.

The New York Islanders have Radek Martinek. Colorado Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote also can be unrestricted. Dallas Stars center Brad Richards will be unrestricted, and GM Joe Nieuwendyk has said he is keeping his options open.

It was not a coincidence that Pittsburgh and Carolina acquired players that had previously played with those organizations. Stillman, 37, helped Carolina win a Stanley Cup in 2006.

"It makes it easier," Carolina GM Jim Rutherford said. "At this point in the season, there is not much time for a player to adjust to a new organization. In this case, we know what he can do and we expect him to give us an upgrade offensively."

Kovalev, 37, didn't live up to expectations in two seasons with Ottawa, but Shero was keenly aware that Kovalev had played the best hockey of his career when he was with Pittsburgh from 1998-99 to 2002-03. He was a very popular player in Pittsburgh.

"Maybe moving somewhere else might not mean as much to him," Shero said. "I think he is going to want to play well here. … He is a very proud man."