NHL Trade Deadline Live Blog: Bruins Acquire Brian Rolston, Mike Mottau, Greg Zanon
BOSTON (CBS) -- A moderately busy trade deadline day in the NHL is in the books, and while Rick Nash didn't go anywhere, we still saw plenty of deals take place.
It took a bit to get going, but once the wheels started turning, it was hard to slow them down.
The Sabres and Canucks had what will likely be seen as the biggest deal of the day, and news of it didn't break until after the 3 p.m. deadline. The Sabres acquired Cody Hodgson and Alexander Sulzer in exchange for Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Earlier, the Sabres traded Paul Gaustad to the Predators for a first-round pick.
Johnny Oduya went from Winnipeg to Chicago in exchange for a pair of picks.
The Bruins made a flurry of moves right at the deadline, acquiring Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau from the Islanders for prospects and trading Steven Kampfer for Greg Zanon.
Check out how the entire day played out in the live blog below.
3:42 p.m.: The Canucks will also send Alexander Sulzer to Buffalo, while the Sabres will also send Marc-Andre Gragnani.
3:35 p.m.: Cody Hodson is going to Buffalo in the deal for Zack Kassian. There still could be more to the deal, but that's what's been reported as of right now.
Kassian is a 21-year-old winger with 3-4-7 totals in 27 games for the Sabres, while Hodgson has 16-17-33 totals in 62 games. Kassian does has 15-11-26 totals in the AHL this year, and he'll add some needed size and strength to the Canucks.
3:33 p.m.: Don't leave yet! The Canucks and Sabres are finishing up a trade, according to Bob McKenzie. The only piece he has at this point is that Zack Kassian is going from Buffalo to Vancouver. Stay tuned for details, but McKenzie said it's likely part of a bigger deal.
3:22 p.m.: The Rangers made a trade ... just not for Rick Nash. They acquired John Scott from Chicago, according to the New York Post's Larry Brooks. The Rangers sent a fifth-round pick to Chicago in the deal.
3:13 p.m.: Greg Zanon reportedly cost the Bruins Steven Kampfer, according to Nick Kypreos.
3:08 p.m.: The Bruins have also acquired defenseman Greg Zanon from the Wild, according to Renaud Lavoie.
3:04 p.m.: The reports say that Rick Nash won't be moving today. So that's unfortunate.
Several reports also have Nashville acquiring Paul Gaustad and a fourth-round pick from the Sabres. The Predators paid a first-round pick for that, according to LeBrun.
3:01 p.m.: The Bruins have also acquired Mike Mottau from the Islanders, according to TSN, in exchange for a pair of prospects. We don't know yet which prospects have been traded. Stay tuned.
2:55 p.m.: The Boston Bruins have gotten in on the deadline day frenzy, acquiring former Bruin Brian Rolston, according to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet. Rolston had been available via waivers earlier in the day.
Rolston, 39, was a Bruins from 2000-04. He has four goals and five assists in 49 games this season but fits in with Peter Chiarelli's goal of acquiring a depth forward.
2:54 p.m.: We're in the closing minutes here, and it's definitely too quiet. Something has to happen before this thing's over with.
2:44 p.m.: As exciting as it may sound for Rick Nash to be on the move, it just becomes less and less likely with the more we learn about what the Blue Jackets want in exchange for their star.
ESPN's Pierre LeBrun said that the Sharks inquired about Nash but the Jackets wanted Logan Couture in exchange. There was, obviously, no chance of the Sharks taking that deal.
Still, Columbus could soften its demands in the next 15 minutes.
Oh, and remember, if 3 p.m. passes, we could still hear of deals going through in the following hour or so.
2:32 p.m.: Colorado's David Jones was believed to be available today, but not any more.
"Avs are done for the day. Jones, etc., won't be traded. Good day all," tweeted Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.
2:29 p.m.: There's still hope for those hoping to see a Rick Nash deal, according to The Columbus Dispatch's Aaron Portzline.
"Situation behind the scenes between [Blue Jackets] and Rick Nash has turned frantic, as suitors are making late push for #CBJ captain," he tweeted.
Tick-tock. Thirty minutes to go.
2:12 p.m.: TSN's Darren Dreger, perhaps sensing the disappointment among hockey fans, has pumped up the final 50 minutes of the deadline.
"May be too late, but there is a late charge for Rick Nash!! Will NYR pay the price? Buckle up," he tweeted.
2:09 p.m.: One of the bigger names from Monday is finally on the move. Johnny Oduya has been traded from the Jets to the Blackhawks, according to TSN. It cost Chicago a second- and third-round pick, according to Dreger.
2:04 p.m.: We've got less than an hour to go. A Stanley Cup champion could add that one final piece in the next 60 minutes.
1:59 p.m.: Whoa, the trades are flying now. In addition to the Sharks-Avs deal, we've got a few more taking place right now, with roughly an hour to go before the deadline.
Sammi Pahlsson has been traded to the Canucks, according to Sportsnet. Aaron Portzline reports that Columbus acquires a pair of draft picks in the deal.
Brian Lee has been traded from Ottawa to Tampa Bay in exchange for Matt Gilroy.
1:56 p.m.: McKenzie wasn't kidding. He reports that Winnick and T.J. Galiardi go to San Jose along with a seventh-round pick. No word yet on what the haul cost the Sharks. We'll have that soon.
1:50 p.m.: The Avalanche have reportedly drawn a good deal of interest for some of their impending free agents, and one is possibly getting ready to be on the move.
The Sharks are "closing in" on a deal for Daniel Winnick, according to Bob McKenzie.
If the deal goes through, it could perhaps get the ball rolling.
1:37 p.m.: We do have the least interesting deal of the day, as the Maple Leafs trade Keith Aulie to Tampa Bay, according to TSN. TSN reports that Carter Ashton will be going to Toronto in the deal.
Aulie, 22, has played in 17 games for the Leafs this year but is currently with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, where he has one point and 30 penalty minutes in 23 games.
Ashton, 2o, has 19 goals and 16 assists for the AHL Norfolk Admirals this season.
1:35 p.m.: Deadline day remains a disappointing one thus far. Will any prices drop before the 3 p.m. deadline? Yikes.
1:04 p.m.: We have another deal, and again, it's not a blockbuster. Tom Gilbert goes from Edmonton to Minnesota in exchange for Nick Schultz.
Schultz is a 29-year-old defenseman with 1-2-3 totals and a minus-10 rating this year. He averaged nearly 16 points per season from 2007-11.
Gilbert, also 29, has 3-14-17 totals on the season.
12:39 p.m.: Ladies and gentlemen, we have a trade!!
Nick Kypreos reports that Mike Commodore has been traded from the Red Wings to the Lightning.
Commodore, 32, has no goals and two assists to go with a plus-3 rating in 17 games this season. The 10-year vet will be joining his seventh team, having spent time with the Devils, Flames, Hurricanes, Senators, Blue Jackets and Wings.
12:38 p.m.: For an idea of how stressful deadline day can be for players, NESN's Naoko Funayama paints us a picture.
"[Claude] Julien says there is anxiety...players get called in for video viewing, and coaches have to tell them it's video work, not trade," she tweeted.
12:30 p.m.: Marc Savard chimes in with some details of how difficult deadline day can be for players.
"Nerve-racking day for the players in the NHL," Savard tweeted. "Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli will make our team better he always does...#notenoughcredit"
12:16 p.m.: Steve Ott is a hot commodity this deadline day, and he's a guest on TSN right now. He just slipped and said he "loved" his time in Dallas before quickly correcting himself and staying he still loves Dallas. Sounds like he's ready to move on.
"You're never OK [with getting traded]. Obviously it would definitely be a huge change and I would take it as quite a new adventure for myself is how I would look at it," Ott told TSN. "But honestly right now I can't even envision getting traded because so much of my heart is in Dallas."
12:12 p.m.: Brian Burke to TSN: "There's an artificially high number of buyers and an artificially low number or sellers." Burke said with three-point games, "No teams are out of contention and [they] don't want to be seen as throwing in the towel on deadline day."
Burke reiterated that prices are much too high and he doesn't want to blow up his team after the hard work he's put in to build his roster. His Leafs currently sit in 10th place in the East, just three points out of the playoffs.
12:10 p.m.: Brian Burke also just said the price tags are too high to acquire a goalie, so he doesn't plan to make a change there, adding, "We believe in James Reimer."
12:10: p.m.: Brian Burke just told TSN that Grabovski is not in play today as a potential player to be traded.
12:06 p.m.: It's not a trade, but it is a transaction, as Winnipeg claims Grant Clitsome off waivers. The now-former Columbus defenseman has 14 points and a minus-6 rating in 51 games this year.
Montreal also claimed now-former Wild forward Brad Staubitz, who has zero points in 43 games this year.
TSN's Bob McKenzie reported both moves.
11:48 a.m.: Why's it so quiet today? It pretty much comes down to the situation of so many teams still being in contention for a playoff spot. In the East, even the 13th-place Islanders (eight points out of eighth place) feel they at least have an outside shot of reaching the postseason, and even the last two teams in the East aren't that far behind (though Carolina and Montreal do appear to be going nowhere fast this season).
In the West, 13th-place Anaheim is just six points out of a playoff spot. Do you buy to go all-in with a chance just to make it to the playoffs? If so, who do you buy from? The options are limited, so the prices are high.
It has a lot of GMs waiting this thing out. And we wait with them.
11:42 a.m.: Let's take another name off the table: Mikhail Grabovski.
"[The Maple Leafs are] still very confident they can get Grabovski signed even at a later date. Unlikely he will be moved by 3pm," reports Nick Kypreos of SportsNet. It's just been that kind of day thus far.
11:30 a.m.: The NHL trade deadline is often referred to as Christmas for hockey fans who love the craziness. Using that analogy, let's just say Santa Claus is stuck in a little bit of traffic.
11:13 a.m.: It's been a very quiet morning, and we don't even have stories of players being held out of practice to fuel our speculation. One name that is making its way around the rumor mill is Sabres defenseman Paul Gaustad.
The 30-year-old has seven goals and 10 assists from the Buffalo blue line this year, and he's in the final year of his contract. The Sabres sit in a tie for 11th place in the Eastern Conference, but they're reportedly looking for a first-round pick in exchange for Gaustad, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. That price will almost certainly have to go down in order for Gaustad to go anywhere today.
10:52 a.m.: We now know what Andrei Kostitsyn costs: a second-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick. Not exactly a blockbuster, but it's a start.
10:37 a.m.: And it's a done deal, Andrei Kostitsyn to Nashville, according to Louis Jean of SportsNet. No word yet on what the forward with 12 goals and 12 assists cost the Preds.
10:25 a.m.: And we have our first trade of the day! Well, probably.
"Andrei Kostitsyn learned he's traded to Nashville, but is waiting for official word," reported Renaud Lavoie of RDS.
Kostitsyn, 27, will be reunited with his younger brother Sergei, 24, in Nashville.
10:16 a.m.: Rick Nash is obviously the belle of the ball for this deadline day, but Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch reports some rather disheartening news for anyone hoping to see Nash moved.
"Told an hour ago that Rick Nash trade talk was in a holding pattern, that signs continue to point toward Nash staying put ... for now," Portzline tweeted.
10:13 a.m.: If you have Montreal in your office pool for first move of the day, get excited. (Also, be happy that your office has cool things like trade deadline office pools.)
"Odds-on favorite to be the first team to make a trade today: MTL," tweeted Bob McKenzie, who added he hears it could be Andrei Kostitsyn to Nashville.
The Canadiens and Predators have already done business this year, with the Habs sending Hal Gill to Nashville for Blake Geoffrion.
10:07 a.m.: Here's an entry for the fans of baseless speculation (and let's face it, who isn't on deadline day?).
A YouTube video is making its way around the Twitter world showing a worker take down a Rick Nash banner in downtown Columbus. The video uploader claims it was shot at 9:30 a.m. on Monday. Of course, there's no way to verify any of that information, (and would the city workers really get word of a Nash trade before the rest of us?) so the video should be taken for what it is.
9:41 a.m.: Here's an update on Parenteau, from Bruce Garrioch: "The Isles were asking for a first round pick for Parenteau last night. That could change but that was the deal at 5 p.m."
9:31 a.m.: One agent chimes in on Twitter with some disappointing news for those of us eager to see some trades: "In the office since 4:30am PST. Just hung up with a GM who commented on how quiet it is now. He said, 'it'll pick up around 1:00pm EST.'"
And so, we wait.
9:28 a.m.: P.A. Parenteau could be had for the right offer, according to both Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger of TSN. Parentaeau is 28 years old and has 15 goals and 43 assists this season, already with more points than he's had in any previous season. Parenteau makes $1.25 million and is an impending unrestricted free agent.
9:23 a.m.: The most disappointing news thus far has been that the Rangers aren't expected to be able to pry Rick Nash from Columbus. It can't be ruled out, of course, but if Columbus doesn't budge on its demands, the idea of Nash in the Big Apple won't come to fruition.
9:14 a.m.: There haven't been any deals yet today, but the rumors are flying around.
The Flyers are fielding phone calls for James van Riemsdyk, according to TSN's Darren Dreger, but nobody's given them a suitable offer.
In a curious and painful move for some nervous players, the Canadiens have canceled practice today, reports Louis Jean of SportsNet.
The Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch tweets that he expects Roman Hamrlik to be traded today -- and he's someone who may fit in with the Bruins, who are looking to add a D-man for depth. His $3.5 million cap hit this season and next could make things difficult for interested teams, however.
8 a.m.: Here are some of the noteworthy deals that have already gone down prior to deadline day.
Feb. 23: The Kings traded Jack Johnson and a first-round pick to Columbus in exchange for Jeff Carter and his massive contract.
Feb. 22: The Blue Jackets sent forward Antoine Vermette to Phoenix in exchange for goalie Curtis McElhinney and a pair of picks.
Feb. 21: Colorado sent D-man Kyle Quincey to Tampa Bay in exchange for forward Steve Downie.
Feb. 17: Hal Gill was traded from Montreal to Nashville in exchange for Blake Geoffrion, a prospect and a second-round pick.
Feb. 16: The Sharks acquired Dominic Moore from Tampa in exchange for a second-round pick.
