Here is a list of guys who were traded near the NHL deadline who are probably better players than Lyle Odelein:
Pavel Bure, Adam Oates, Joe Nieuwendyk, Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner, Darius Kasparaitis and Tom Poti.
Look, the Blackhawks weren’t going to do Pavel Bure. Not even for Jaroslav Spacek and a bag of chips, which is about what the Rangers gave up. Not when Bure is due $10 million a year for the next two years.
The Hawks weren’t going to do Oates either. Not for half of a draft like Philadelphia spit up.
And they weren’t going to do Nieuwendyk. Not at $5 million next year and perhaps some top minor-leaguers, no matter how many clutch goals the guy scores and no matter how badly the Hawks need clutch goals this week and will need them especially next month.
That said, here is another list: Guys who are now probably better players because the Hawks traded for Odelein:
Tony Amonte, Alex Zhamnov, Kyle Calder, Michael Nylander, Steve Sullivan, Eric Daze, Phil Housley, Jon Klemm . . . you get the idea.
Yeah, there were bigger deals made Tuesday, but very few made so many teammates feel bigger.
Odelein is a 6-foot, 210-pound defenseman. Mostly, though, he is a beast in the slot. The trade that sent Spacek and a second-round draft pick next year to Columbus made the Hawks tougher, stronger, meaner and braver.
Hard-charging Phoenix knows it. Surging Los Angeles knows it. Fading St. Louis knows it. Defending champion Colorado knows it. Championship favorite Detroit knows it.
Oh, does Detroit know it. The Red Wings made a last-ditch effort to snag Odelein, 33, after they failed to beat Colorado to Kasparaitis. But Hawks general manager Mike Smith offered a higher draft pick, snagging Odelein and leaving the Wings to settle for Door No. 3, which contained Atlanta’s Jiri Slegr.
It tells you what life will be like down the stretch when three of the top four teams in the Western Conference go after tough veteran defensemen.
The Hawks, who haven’t scored more than two goals in eight of their last nine games, had hoped to acquire a top-six forward, but an apparent deal for Robert Lang died when Pittsburgh decided not to deal the center.
So the Hawks went to “Plan B, C, D, E or maybe F,” Smith said, meaning if you can’t beat ’em at one end of the ice, then beat ’em up at the other.
Odelein is miserable to play against, which is why coach Brian Sutter loves him. Odelein is miserable the way Sutter wanted Boris Mironov to be miserable to play against, the way Sutter forced Mironov to be miserable to play against this season.
Odelein had long been coveted here. Former Hawks captain Chris Chelios lobbied for the team to acquire him years ago, the highest compliment that can be paid, one miserable so-and-so to another.
Smith believes this deal sends the message to the team that the Hawks want to win now, expect to win now. Sutter has always believed that.
But this deal sends another message. It is aimed at the forwards, and it is this: It’s on you.
The forwards are now responsible for fighting through checks they didn’t always fight through on that winless road trip, for getting to the net and at least drawing penalties, for scoring goals at the toughest possible time.
There is no more offense coming, no top-six forward waiting at O’Hare, no game-breaker on order. Smith and Sutter didn’t take a forward out of the dressing room. What’s there is good enough, they seem to be telling their guys. What’s there had better be.
If not, there will be another list. It will include boarding passes.
Tuesday’s trades
BLACKHAWKS: Acquired D Lyle Odelein from Columbus for D Jaroslav Spacek and a 2002 second-round draft pick.
Anaheim Mighty Ducks: Traded F Dave Roche to the New York Islanders for F Ben Guite and F Bjorn Melin.
Atlanta Thrashers: Traded D Jiri Slegr to Detroit for C Yuri Butsayev and a 2002 third-round pick and F Darcy Hordichuk, and 2002 fourth- and fifth-round draft picks to Phoenix for D Kirill Safronov, the rights to RW Ruslan Zainullin and a 2002 fourth-round draft pick.
Buffalo Sabres: Acquired F Bob Corkum from Atlanta for a 2002 fifth-round draft pick.
Calgary Flames: Traded D Jamie Allison to Columbus for LW Blake Sloan.
Colorado Avalanche: Acquired D Darius Kasparaitis from Pittsburgh for F Ville Nieminen and D Rick Berry.
Dallas Stars: Acquired F Jason Arnott, F Randy McKay and a 2002 first-round draft pick from New Jersey for C Joe Nieuwendyk and RW Jamie Langenbrunner.
Edmonton Oilers: Traded D Sean Brown to Boston for D Bobby Allen.
Florida Panthers: Traded D Darren Van Impe to the New York Islanders for a 2003 fifth-round draft pick and D Jeff Norton to Boston for a 2002 sixth-round draft pick.
Minnesota Wild: Acquired LW Greg Crozier from Boston for LW Darryl Laplante.
Montreal Canadiens: Acquired G Stephane Fiset from Los Angeles for a conditional draft pick.
Nashville Predators: Acquired D Peter Smrek from the New York Rangers for D Richard Lintner.
New Jersey Devils: Acquired F Stephane Richer from Pittsburgh for a 2003 seventh-round draft pick.
New York Rangers: Acquired D Tom Poti and F Rem Murray from Edmonton for F Mike York and a 2002 fourth-round pick.
Washington Capitals: Traded C Adam Oates to Philadelphia for G Maxime Ouellet and 2002 first-, second- and third-round draft picks.
