Schedules intrude, but the Dudes still manage to record the podcast.  They cover the latest games, the surprising lack of D trouble even with Boyle out, and of course, the Chara hit.

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Sharks win all three games this week in extra time, and the trade deadline came and went.  The Dudes break down the games and the trades, and digest the new Antti Niemi contract extension.

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The Dudes are delighted that the Sharks got Ian White (despite Mike’s wariness), and the number of massive trades that have happened in the NHL the past few days.  Oh, and the Sharks are still winning!  All that, and some listener questions, as always.

Fashion is not a tight shirt holding a stick

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The Dudes delay a bit this week to give the recap of the Washington and Nashville games, and dive into the wonderful trade season.  The deadline is only about 10 days away, and there are lots of Crazy Trades proposed by listeners, as well as players on the move that need to be evaluated.

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Because of scheduling conflicts, Doug and I figured we’d do the podcast immediately following the Caps game on Thursday, which we’ll be attending in person.  Then we can talk about that game as well as the Nashville game.  Plus the rumor mill is really heating up, and we’ll talk about some Crazy Trades.  Get your emails in (or tweet @dudesonhockey, I’m trying to be better at twitter these days) if you have any topic ideas or questions.

No Pronger, No Nieds, No Service.

Ian White is eating Cracker Barrel in the backwoods of Carolina.

James Wisniewski – Montreal, s’il vous plait.

Francois Beauchemin – Back to Anaheim where the Hills are Alive with the Sound of Selanne.

Our streak of picking available d-men to get moved  continues to be golden today as the Toronto Maple Leafs traded veteran blueliner Francois Beauchemin back to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Joffrey Lupul, former 2008 first round pick Jake Gardiner and a future 2013 4th round pick. This leaves one less impact defensemen on the open market for Doug Wilson to target in the coming weeks, but Toronto’s asking price (a top three prospect) is too high for my taste.

Jake Gardiner is the jewel of this deal, an unsigned college defensemen currently in his junior year at the University of Wisconsin and fresh off a three assist and +9 performance for the United States at the World Junior tournament in 2011. Gardiner was the Ducks first round pick in 2008 (when the Sharks went fishing for the Daniels twins from Northeastern University – we profile them this week in our podcast posted below) and he has real solid potential to be a very good professional hockey player and he could surface in the NHL as soon as next year next to Luke Schenn, if he signs an ETL at the end of the year. In order to get Gardiner, the Leafs had to give up a solid blueliner in Francois – but they also had to take out a bit of Bob Murray’s trash in the bloated contract of Joffrey Lupul and his 4.25M cap hit until 2012-13. Lupul is a solid 2nd line forward when healthy, but he has only suited up for 49 games since 2009 and has a disappointing 27 points in that span. Is it worth it to get Gardiner? In my opinion, yes. If you’re the Leafs, you invest in your future and Gardiner could be a major player on that team in the next three years. Burke is fully aware of Gardiner and his skills, he did draft the kid after all when he was GM of the Ducks in the summer of 2008.

So, we can imagine that Brian Burke told DW he wanted  something like Devin Setoguchi, Justin Braun or Charlie Coyle and a 4th round pick for Beauchemin. A hefty price for the French-Canadian d-man and a move I’m frankly shocked to see the Ducks make. Do they really think they have the horses, especially on their 2nd thru 4th forward lines, to make real noise in the playoffs? Nah. I think Bob Murray just made another boo boo and got taken by his former boss. Why break up the chance to have Gardiner, Fowler and Sbisa running around the Pacific Division for years to get a veteran guy who is better served on a Cup contender? With Murray, it’s not too surprising. “Stupid is as Stupid Does.” Just look at the Jason Blake deal (33 points in 78 games as a Duck while making 4M). Good job Bob. Throw another chair, just don’t hit my laptop.

Make sure to listen to the podcast this week and take part in the listener poll and let us know how you consume the Dudes on Hockey podcast. Mike loves stats and will spend hours pouring over the data as the Dudes continue their quest for Podcast Domination.

Join us next week when Joni Pitkanen gets traded to…somewhere else.

The Dudes are joined by a guest this week in a way they’ve never done it before – live!  Or as live as a podcast can get.  Mike and Doug gush about the wins over Washington and Boston, continue with another Young Dudes segment, and even premier a new one.  Please take a moment to answer the poll question on dudesonhockey.com

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Once again Mike and Doug look to the listeners to drive the topics on the podcast.  The Dudes talk about what defensemen might be in the Sharks’ crosshairs, the continuing Nabby saga, the Calder race, and a fantasy this-or-that.  Plus bonus material – mystery pucks revealed!

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The Dudes are thrilled about the wins over Vancouver and Minnesota, and hope the good streak continues.  Also, the Nabokov saga is interesting fodder for the podcast, as well as your emails…

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Two new Sharks joined up today, and the Dudes have much to say about the additions.  And does two wins after six losses mean they’ve turned it around, or just another small positive in a sea of negatives?  Mike and Doug tackle it all, along with plenty of listener emails.

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