Welcome to Puck Daddy's all-day trade deadline coverage. We're publishing fresh posts every hour with breaking news, fresh rumors and "live blog" analysis. Please share what you've heard and what you think will happen down in the comments. Check out Hour 2 here.
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10:23 a.m. EST -- Antoine Vermette to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Pascal Leclaire and a second-round pick.
Why can't the Blue Jackets ever just trade for a natural center? Your Adam Oates-like passer that doesn't also play the other forward positions? I mean, Rick Nash has been waiting for that guy to walk through the door for years, and every single time the BJs end up trading for or signing some dude that "also plays a little center." Oy ... maybe it's yet to come. And maybe Vermette will figure out how to produce again in a new city, because he has fewer goals than Manny Malhotra so far.
You know what'll be fun? Hearing Senators fans bitch about how Leclaire was a product of Ken Hitchcock's system when his GAA is 3.96 in October.
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The Jackets had to toss in a two in order to ship out Leclaire, and Vermette's been poop this season. And the Senators have a goalie with a question mark. You know, for a change.
Sports
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10:00 EST a.m. -- A trade! A trade! Whoopee!
TSN reported that the Ottawa Senators have traded left wing Antoine Vermette -- he of the nine goals in 62 games -- to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Pascal Leclaire and a second-round pick.
Vermette has another year at $3 million left on his contract; he's a winger that can also play center. Leclaire has two more years at a $3.8 million hit. Steve Mason has his job.
David Gross of Canwest wrote earlier that "it's clear Brian Elliott isn't the saviour in goal. This would be a good place to start rebuilding for Bryan Murray." Bingo bango -- there's your goalie.
The sellers for today's meat auction are coming into focus: Kevin Allen of USA Today believes the vultures are circling around the Phoenix Coyotes, because they play in the desert, you see.
But the Ottawa Senators appear to be the biggest seller in the East, mainly because the Lightning are either asking too much or have their players signed to long-term dopey contracts.
Antoine Vermette, Jarkko Ruutu, Christoph Schubert, Filip Kuba and Chris Neil were all in play, with the latter two's contract negotiations obviously influencing any decision.
Ah, but here's the thing: Bruce "Malkin To the Kings" Garrioch reported that Kuba is expected to re-sign with the Senators today. And that's what he will do: Kuba's deal is three years at $3.7 million per season, via Bob McKenzie of TSN.
With Tomas Kaberle of the Toronto Maple Leafs injured last night and Kuba off the block, the pickin's are getting slim for outstanding puck-moving defensemen. Does this mean someone overpays for J-Bouw?